Even More Christmas Books to Read With Your Family

One of the most beloved Christmas traditions we have in our home is reading a Christmas book together each night before bed. Even though the girls are getting older and busier during the Christmas season, it’s something we all look forward to. Some of the books we read are absolute favorites and they look forward to reading them all year long, but I also like to add new books into the mix each year to give us even more wonderful stories to look forward to.

Right now, I have 35 Christmas books to read—which is more than enough for one a day beginning December 1st, so now we can just begin right after Thanksgiving, right? We also like to double up and read two books on the evenings we aren’t too busy.

You can see the 35 books already in our family Christmas collection by clicking below:

24 Christmas Books to Read With Your Family

11 {more} Christmas Books to Read With Your Family

This tradition is really wonderful for bringing the Christmas spirit into our home and helping us focus on what the holiday is truly about. For that reason, I try to choose only books that focus on the birth of Christ, helping and serving others, Christmas traditions in other countries and times, and spending time together as a family during the holidays.

I’m a little sad because we are on a sabbatical for this Christmas season and it wasn’t exactly practical to bring all of our Christmas books with us. Nor is it practical to buy a bunch to take back home when we’re finished, but I did decide to buy a few that are available on Kindle—traditions must go on, after all! Still, while I was on Amazon perusing my options, I found a bunch of newly published Christmas books and a few that I have missed over the years that I am putting on my wish list for next year. We’ll just have to read four every night, I guess.

Here are all the new books I want—if only the Christmas season lasted for 60 days! (affiliate links)

16 More Christmas Books to Read With Your Family

Ornaments of Love by Sharlin Craig. The author kindly sent me a digital copy of this book to review and I really loved it. It’s the story of Ayana, a little girl eager to decorate the Christmas tree with her parents. They turn out to be too busy to participate in the normal family Christmas traditions that year, but then something happens that helps them remember the importance of those traditions and doing them together as a family. It’s a sweet story and I highly recommend reading it before you decorate your Christmas tree! There is also a companion coloring book to go along with the story. I’d say it was for younger children, but with the extreme popularity of adult coloring books, it will be something the entire family can enjoy! Ornaments of Love Coloring Book: Slowing Down With the Family at Christmas Time.

When Jesus Was Born in Bethlehem by Joseph Brickey. This one is already in my collection, but I am featuring it again because my mom has a copy in her house (we are living with my parents for the sabbatical) so it is the book featured in the photo. It has special meaning to our family because my brother was the model for Joseph, but it is also a beautiful telling of Luke 2 with gorgeous paintings as illustrations.

Asleep on the Hay: A Dust Bowl Christmas by Ben Sowards. Food is scarce during the height of the dust bowl, and a family with a broken down truck knocks on the door of Paul’s family home. Paul does not feel charity towards them because there isn’t even enough to go around for his own family. He angrily retreats to the barn where he dreams of the original Nativity and learns the true meaning of Christmas.

Because of Bethlehem by Max Lucado. I love Max Lucado’s books, as so many do. Because of Bethlehem is his newest publication and I am so excited to read it. In this book, he explains why he loves Christmas and answers the questions about the birth of Christ that he receives from people every year. You can also by a Because of Bethlehem Coloring Book or a Because of Bethlehem Study Guide.

Sam’s Christmas Wish by George Durrant. Sam Edwards lost his job six months before Christmas and isn’t sure how he can give his family a nice holiday. He receives unexpected (and unwanted) help from an anonymous stranger. Years later, he wants to pay it forward and is given an opportunity to do so. He learns that Christmas is not just an event but a spirit that has the capability to transform lives.

The Christmas Candleby Richard Paul Evans. Thomas needs a candle for his lantern so he can make it home on Christmas Eve. The candle he purchases turns out to be magical and helps teach him about the importance of family and the Christmas spirit.

Christmas in the Trenches by John McCutcheon. You may have heard the story of the Christmas Eve truce of 1914 during World War I. For two days the German and English soldiers find peace together and put the war behind them because of a simple Christmas song. The book comes with a CD featuring the story and a recording of “Silent Night/Stille Nacht.”

The Christmas Eve Tree by Delia Huddy. On Christmas Eve night there is only one scrawny tree left in the Christmas tree shop. It is saved by a little boy and the following events bring the entire city together in Christmas love and unity.

Why Christmas Trees Aren’t Perfect by Richard H. Schneider. A perfect pine tree is selected by the Queen as her Christmas tree, but becomes damaged by giving small animals shelter. Luckily, the Queen’s idea of what makes a perfect Christmas tree isn’t what the little tree originally thought.

The Christmas Boot by Lisa Wheeler. Hannah discovers a black boot while gathering firewood in the forest. She is lonely and cold and was delighted to find it, and hoped she would find its mate. The next day she discovers a perfect pair of boots next to her bed, followed by even more extraordinary gifts. Later, Santa himself shows up at her door, wearing only one black boot and Hannah learns the magic or Christmas from him.

Stars Were Gleaming by Greg Olson. Greg Olson is one of my favorite religious artists. I have several of his paintings of Christ in my home. This book features some of his newer paintings about the birth of Christ and each artwork is accompanied by a lovely quote about Christmas. Not really a story book, but a lovely addition to any Christmas book collection.

The Last Magi: A Christmas Taleby E. A. Sharpe. I have always been intrigued by the story of the fourth wiseman, who somehow misses his three companions and spends the rest of his life searching for the Savior so he can give his gifts to Him. He ends up using his gifts to help those in need, which is the ultimate gift to the Christ child.

A Christmas Bell for Anya by Chris Stewart. Anya lives in Siberia, Russia in 1917. She is chosen to ring the Christmas bell on Christmas morning in her village. This is a book which includes a DVD and CD version which is read by actress Claire Bloom and features the music of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. We have the book Christmas from Heaven which also features the DVD of the MoTab, and I had no idea there were even more books in this format! I’m so excited to not just find one, but THREE more! Having the DVD available is a nice alternative to reading the book, and a lovely tradition in its own right.

Good King Wenceslas by Jane Seymour. I have always wondered about Wenceslas. We sing the carol, but I was never really sure what it was referring to. This book finally tells that story and we learn how the good Kind Wenceslas brought the spirit of Christmas to his entire kingdom. The DVD features actress Jane Seymour’s narration of the story, accompanied by music from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Silent Night, Holy Night by Walter Cronkite. Another story about the Christmas Truce of 1914 featuring a CD (no DVD with this one) narrated by Walter Cronkite and accompanied by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

God Bless Us, Every One!: The Story Behind a Christmas Carol by John-Rhys Davies. I’m super excited about this book and I just might cave and buy it—it won’t be a big deal to take one book with us back to Michigan, right? Watching the movie A Christmas Carol is another of our beloved family Christmas traditions and I love the idea of learning more about Charles Dickens and how he discovered the Christmas spirit for himself as he was writing the now famous tale of Ebenezer Scrooge. The included DVD is narrated by British actor John-Rhys Davies and accompanied by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

I hope this list helps you to find a few books to add to your own family Christmas collections! If you aren’t finding exactly what you’re looking for, be sure to check out my other two posts featuring even more Christmas books to read with your family during the holiday season!

24 Christmas Books to Read With Your Family

11 Christmas Books to Read With Your Family