'Tis The Night Before Christmas, So What Should You Read?

I'll be the first to admit that these might not be the most original suggestions for the perfect Christmas reads. In fact, I've recommended most of them before! But that's only because these recommendations are engaging and family-friendly stories that are perfect for snuggling up for some reading on Christmas Eve or Day.


1. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis
This might be the most obvious one on the list. I mean, just look at that cover! Probably the most famous volume of the Chronicles of Narnia, this is a perfect story to share with adults and children alike. Follow the Pevensie siblings through the wardrobe and into Narnia, a snowy world ruled by the White Witch. With their arrival, Christmas will finally return to the endlessly wintery land.

2. The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
Over the past four years or so, it has become a tradition for me to read something by J.R.R. Tolkien during December. Out of all of Tolkien's works, I personally think The Hobbit is the most wintery and appropriate for Christmas. It feels like a real, old fable and if your younger family members haven't yet heard the story, Christmas is the perfect time to introduce them to the tale of the little Hobbit that left his cozy hole and changed the world of Middle Earth forever.

3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling
I'll say it yet again: almost any Harry Potter book will fit the bill for the perfect Christmas read. Rowling writes the most beautiful descriptions of Christmas time and I love that she focuses not on the presents, but on the friends and family that make the holiday truly magical. The Sorcerer's Stone has a particularly moving Christmas scene (it's Harry's first real Christmas ever), but I will always think of The Goblet of Fire in relation to winter and Christmas. Blame the Yule Ball!

4. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
I would like to correct myself; A Christmas Carol is definitely the most obvious choice for Christmas! Almost everyone knows the tale of the infamous miser Scrooge and for those who don't, the text itself is relatively short, humorous, and easy to get through. Not to mention that it is a great way to discuss the true meaning of the holiday season with younger readers. Want to experience A Christmas Carol in a whole new way? Check out the New York Public Library's recording of Neil Gaiman giving a dramatic reading of the whole text!