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Every month I assemble a book basket for my kids. The basket typically contains a variety of books about seasonal topics. My kids are free to read them any time they want. My December ~ Christmas book basket is a little different. Every December I select and wrap 25 Christmas books for kids.

Actually, I do this at the end of November so it is ready to go on December 1st. I number the wrapped books 1-25. Hannah and Ben take turns unwrapping the day’s holiday story and we read it together all snuggled on the couch. Download and print these cute free countdown to Christmas tags.
I try to match up book themes with activities from our advent activity calendar. So on Gingerbread Day, we unwrap and read The Gingerbread Man.
Related: Family-Friendly Advent Calendar Activities
We have had many of these books for years, but I try to add a new book or two each year. If my kids don’t seem very interested in a book we are reading, I give it away so a new family can read it too. There is no use forcing them to read a book they don’t like when the activity is supposed to be fun. I add new books to our collection through the year.
We also enjoy reading Christmas chapter books as a family.
What if we travel in December? Won’t that make it hard to keep up with a daily book?
Not with a little advance planning!
There are 3 options for keeping up with the Christmas book basket while traveling:
- Bring books with you. This option works best if you are not limited on luggage space. If you are flying, either pack the books in your checked bags or leave them unwrapped. I have heard that TSA does not like wrapped items going through security. A gift bag might be a good way to wrap the books once you reach your destination.
- Load up your kindle with digital books. This is a great way to read Christmas books when you are short on luggage space. A kindle lets you bring a ton of books without any extra weight. Everyone in my family has a kindle and it makes traveling so much more enjoyable.
- Have Christmas books waiting at your destination. This option is great if you are visiting family or friends. Grandma can swing by her local library and check out a few Christmas stories to read while you are in town.
Don’t feel like you need to go out and buy 25 Christmas books! Libraries are a great resource for holiday stories. They tend to be very popular so you might want to reserve a few online ahead of time. I also recommend putting those books towards the beginning of the Christmas book basket so you can read them and return without worrying about late fees.
Christmas Book Basket for Kids

These are the books that are in our Christmas book basket.
Froggy’s Best Christmas by Jonathan London
The Biggest Christmas Tree Ever by Steven Kroll
Stable in Bethlehem: A Christmas Counting Book by Joy N. Hulme
Mickey’s Christmas Carol A Little Golden Book
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story by Gloria Houston
The Christmas Promise by Susan Bartoletti
The Twelve Days of Christmas in Washington by John Abbott Nez (These books are available for quite a few states! Find the one for your home state to personalize your Christmas book basket.)
Llama Llama Holiday Drama by Anna Dewdney
The Littlest Christmas Tree: A Tale of Growing and Becoming by Janie Jasin
Christmas Tapestry by Patricia Polacco
The Berenstain Bears Meet Santa Bear by Stan & Jan Berenstain
The Berenstain Bears and the Joy of Giving by Jan & Mike Berenstain
Gingerbread Mouse by Katy Bratun
The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore
The Night Before the Night Before Christmas by Natasha Wing
The Gingerbread Man retold by Jim Aylesworth
Jingle All the Way by Tom Shay-Zapien
The Nativity by Francesca Crespi (This is a pop up book with beautiful illustrations)
On This Special Night by Clair Freedman
How to Catch an Elf by Adam Wallace
Little Blue Truck’s Christmas by Alice Shertle
Related: 3 Simple Activities for Little Blue Truck’s Christmas
Kindle Christmas Books for Kids ~ A Virtual Christmas Book Basket
Santa’s Temporary Team by Ana Montoya-Wade and Kota Wade
Twas the Night Before Christmas: Edited by Santa For the Benefit of the Children of the 21st Century by Clement Clark Moore
What was your favorite Christmas book as a child? Add it to your Christmas book basket to share with your own children!
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