The 24 Books Of Christmas: A Family Christmas Tradition To Start This Holiday Season

This post begins a 3 part series of posts about how you can build beautiful holiday memories with heartwarming Christmas Countdown traditions your kids will never outgrow.

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How The 24 Books of Christmas Began

Reading Christmas stories is one of the oldest and favorite of holiday traditions. When my children were young, I read a post in a homeschooling forum about an idea to wrap up 24 Christmas picture books, and put them under the tree or stacked them up by the fireplace as a way to countdown until Christmas Day. Every evening, a different child would open a book and Mom or Dad would read it aloud. I loved the idea and immediately adopted it for my family, calling it The 24 Books of Christmas. It soon became a beautiful way to celebrate the season that we all looked forward to.

Cookies, Candles, and Christmas Books

Each night from December 1^st to December 24^th, one of the kids (in birth order of youngest to oldest) would choose a book from under the tree to open. Some books are longer picture books, so I would wrap those in a certain wrapping paper (different from the shorter books) and made sure it was open on an evening when we had plenty of time in the evening to linger at the table. The whole family would then gather around our dining table, by candlelight, where I or Dad would read the chosen book aloud, while we all sipped on hot chocolate and ate cookies. After the story was finished, we had a Scripture Advent Card that the child who chose the book would read, and then he or she would blow out the candle.

Keeping the Christmas Book Countdown Alive as Kids Got Older

I started this tradition around 2008, and at the time my kids were 8, 6, 5, and 3. Now, in 2025 at the time of this writing, they are all young adults. They still live at home — two are working and two are in college, but guess what? We still do The 24 Books of Christmas! In 2016 or 2017, I thought we would end this tradition, but my kids wouldn’t have it! “It’s tradition!” they said. So, it’s still going on. However, for the last couple of years, due to work schedules or college workload, not every one has been able to gather with us around the table every night for storytime, but if they are free, they are there. For their favorite books (and they do have favorites), they show up regardless, even if that means we have to wait until close to midnight to open our book.

Building Our Collection of Christmas Books

When we first began this tradition, I couldn’t afford to buy 24 books, so I borrowed them from the library. At first, I just checked out what was there, along with some books that were on our curriculum booklist as recommended Christmas reading. After the first two years, I began to purchase the books that we loved the most, since they may not have been available to check out, but we really wanted to read them. It took a few years because we were on a strict budget, but we finally bought the 24 we loved best, plus a few others we really liked but didn’t read every year.

35 Favorite Christmas Reads

There are many, many Christmas picture books you could read, but below is a list of some of the BEST Christmas picture books you can read to your children, or they can read for themselves. The first 24 are our favorites, and the ones we’ve read for the past few years. The last 11 books are those that have, at one time or another, been included in The 24 Books of Christmas, but no longer makes the cut. When my kids were little, they would still read them throughout the season on their own, or I would read them aloud during the day. I will probably swap a few out this year. Maybe. All of the books listed are appropriate for all ages.

1. The Story of Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden – This is a story about wishing. It is also about a little girl, a doll, hope, and adoption. Ivy is an orphan who decides she is going to spend Christmas with her grandmother, even though she doesn’t have one. Holly is a doll in a toy shop waiting to be sold for Christmas. This is my #1 favorite (or it ties with the next book – I can’t decide) and a really beautiful story that has me ugly crying at the end. This is a longer picture book. It is in my kid’s top 10 favorites, at least the girls.
2. Silver Packages: An Appalachian Christmas Story by Cynthia Rylant – A rich man brings a train up into the Appalachian Mountains on December 23, and he stands on the caboose of the Christmas Train and tosses each kid a silver package. A boy named Frank waits each year hoping for a doctor kit. I can never finish this book without crying (it’s not sad), and it ties for my #1 favorite. I still can’t decide. This is such a heartwarming book. It is in my kid’s top 3 favorites. I really wish someone would make a movie from this book.
3. The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski – A widow asks an unfriendly woodcarver to carve a nativity set for her and her son by Christmas Eve. She and her young son visit the woodcarver while he is making their set,  and the boy can’t help describing for the woodcarver how each piece is supposed to look. As the set is being made, a miracle begins to take place. This book is my #3 favorite and in my kid’s top 5 favorites.
4. Poppa’s Itchy Christmas by Angela Shell Medearis – This is a funny story with great illustrations. A boy gets some gifts for Christmas that he’s not thrilled about and one gift he really wanted. The gifts he didn’t really like save his life from danger caused by the gift he loved. Dad reads this one with hilarious voices. This is in my top 5 favorites, and may be my kids #1 favorite, at least the boys. This book is out of print, and at the time of this writing, only one copy was available on Amazon. You will have to search for a used copy of this book or check your library. It is worth the search
5. Mary’s First Christmas by Walter Wangerin Jr. – Mary tells Jesus the story of his birth and God’s plan for Him to redeem mankind. This is a wonderful nativity story, and in our top #5 favorites. This is a longer picture book with really short chapters. I try to have this book opened on Christmas Eve, and wrap it in a totally different paper than the rest of the books. It’s a wonderful book to end The 24 Books of Christmas.
6. The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston – The year is 1918, and Papa is off fighting in the Great War and Ruthie and her mama have to provide the perfect Christmas tree for the village church, and Ruthie must play the role of the Angel for the Christmas program. This is another very touching Appalachian Christmas story, and it is in our top 10 favorites.
7. A Cup of Christmas Tea by Tom Hegg – A man reluctantly goes to visit his old great aunt for a cup of Christmas tea. This is a rhyming story told in first person. As you read, or listen to, this book, you will think you are right there with him because he describes everything in detail. This story is read on The Bible Broadcasting Net (BBN) radio station several times during the month of December. I first heard it more than 20 years ago, and I make sure to find out when it is scheduled every year so we can listen as a family. I found the book in a thrift store one year, not long after Christmas. This heartwarming book is in my top 5 favorites, and my kid’s top 10.
8. Jacob’s Gift by Max Lucado – A young gifted carpenter in training makes a sacrifice and builds a special gift for a new baby that was born in a stable. This book is in our top 10 favorites.
9. The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado – A young lamb is sad because he can’t do things the other lambs in his flock can do. He later finds out why he is special. This is a very sweet story in our top 10 favorites.
10. An Amish Christmas by Richard Ammon – A beautiful story of how the Amish celebrate Christmas told from the eyes of a young boy. This book has wonderful illustrations that give you a nice, warm, cozy Christmassy feeling. This book rounds out my kid’s top 10 favorites.
11. I Wonder as I Wander by Gwenyth Swain – In Murphy, NC during the depression, a man who was compiling folk songs heard a song that was being sung during street preaching on the courthouse steps. I Wonder as I Wander is that song, and it is one of my favorite Christmas songs. I had no idea there was a book about it, when I just randomly came across a copy of it in Goodwill. This is a fictional story of the song’s origin. Annie and her father are wandering after her mother died. Her father preaches from town to town, and she sings.  This is a sweet and touching story, and ties for one of my #5 favorites. The sheet music for the song is at the end of the book. I always sing it after I finish reading the story.
12. Christmas in the Trenches by John McCutcheon – The year is 1914 and soldiers on opposite sides of No Man’s Land come together to celebrate Christmas. A British grandfather tells the story of his favorite Christmas to his grandchildren. This story is fiction, but is based on Christmas truces that really did happen in the trenches in 1914 and 1915. There was also a Christmas truce in 1916. This is a great story!
13. Mary’s Treasure Box by Carolyn Walz Kramlich – Mary goes through her treasure box of things she kept from when Jesus was a baby. She explains the meaning of everything inside it to her granddaughter, the daughter of Jesus’ brother, James. This is a warm and sweet story.
14. The Christmas Cat by Efner Tudor Holmes – It’s Christmas Eve, and two little brothers get ready, hopefully, for the arrival of Santa Claus. Meanwhile, a cat lost in the snowy woods is found by a kind man who brings nuts and berries to the forest creatures on Christmas Eve. This touching book is wonderfully illustrated by Tasha Tudor.
15. The Legend of the Christmas Rose by William H. Hooks – This is a story about a girl whose brothers are shepherds in the field who were watching their flocks by night when an angel appeared to them. They go home to tell of the news and their Father sends them to find the babe in the manger and take Him gifts. Dorothy wants to go with her brothers and sneaks off after them. As they near the place where the Christ child lay, she realizes she has no gift.
16. The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Wahlburg – A man, new to town, is opening up a new store. Everyone wonders what kind of store it will be. The store owner gets some help from a curious young girl, and together they introduce to the town something nobody has ever seen before. This is a sweet story.
17. The Polar Express by Chris Van Alsburg – A young boy, who no longer really believes in Santa, takes a train ride to the North Pole. This is a magical story with wonderful illustrations. The book is good, short and sweet, and quite different from the movie. We actually prefer the movie over the book, and we liked to watch the movie on the same evening we read the book.
18. The Gift of the Christmas Cookie by Dandi Daley Mackall – During the depression, a young boy is sad that his father is away and he and his mother have to spend Christmas alone. He perks up when his mother is baking cookies, only to find they are not for him. Using special cookie molds, she tells her son the origin of the Christmas cookie, and he learns a lesson in giving. This is a wonderful story with warm and inviting illustrations. There is a cookie recipe in the back of the book.
19. The All-I-Ever-Want Christmas Doll by Patricia McKissak – Three sisters have to share a baby doll for Christmas, and one sister thinks she should be the one to play with the doll the most because she believed Santa Claus would bring it, while the others didn’t because, “We’re in a depression!” they said. This is a funny and sweet story.
20. The Farolitos of Christmas by Rudolfo Anaya – Papa is away fighting in the war, and with her grandfather sick, Luz must find a way to light the luminarias for the Christmas Eve tradition. This is a nice story with a heartwarming surprise at the end.
21. Mim’s Christmas Jam by Andrew Davis Pinkney – In 1915, Pap is away in New York working in the tunnels of the new subway line. Mim and the kids are back home in Pennsylvania waiting for him to come home for Christmas, but his mean foreman is making the men work for Christmas. Mim sends him a jar of her special jam, and something surprising happens. We especially like the illustrations.
22. Christmas in the Country by Cynthia Rylant – A little girl who lives in the country with her grandparents describes their Christmas. This is a really nice and cozy story of how families spent Christmas in simpler times. This is one of our favorites.
23.  The Light of Christmas by Richard Paul Evans – Alexander learns the true spirit of Christmas when he sacrifices what he wants to help someone in need. He receives a very special gift in return. This is a heartwarming story with beautiful illustrations.  
24. The Christmas Candle by Richard Paul Evans – A selfish man, on his way home to spend Christmas with his family, buys a candle. He doesn’t know it is a special candle to help him find illumination so that he sees things differently. This is a meaningful story with great illustrations. In the words of my kids when they were younger, “It’s a good story but kind of creepy.”
25. Sophie’s Surprise by Shirley Holt – During the Christmas season, a toy store owner adopts a cat he finds. This is a cute book with beautiful vintage style illustrations. This is another book that I just randomly came across in Goodwill. This book is best for kids under 7, unless they really like cats.
26. Calvin’s Christmas Wish by Calvin Miles – Calvin really wants a bicycle for Christmas, but he doesn’t think his parents can afford one. He is hoping Santa Claus will bring him one.
27. Mary Did You Know by Mark Lowry – Adapted from the famous song, this beautifully illustrated book tells the story of Jesus’ birth and God’s plan of redemption, the true meaning of Christmas, in a wonderful way that children and adults will understand. This is a book that we read during the season even though we no longer include it in the 24 Books of Christmas.
28. Room for a Little One by Martin Waddell – This is a different take on the nativity story. It is told through the eyes of the animals who welcome Mary and Joseph into their stable. This is a sweet book with lovely illustrations. This book is best suited for younger kids, ages 6 and under.
29. The Tale of Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale by Angela Elwell Hunt – Three trees have big dreams that are cut short, but God had a purpose for them that was bigger than their dreams. This is a heartfelt and meaningful retelling of the story of Jesus. I believe this book was written to be an Easter story, but it fits well with Christmas, too.
30. The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie De Paola – This book is a retelling of the Mexican legend. A young girl brings a simple gift for the baby Jesus, and a miracle happens. Nice story and illustrations.
31. The Baker’s Dozen: A Saint Nicholas Tale by Aaron Shepard – A baker is honest, but not generous. He learns a valuable lesson in giving after a customer with an unusual order comes in his shop on Saint Nicholas Day.
32. The Quiltmaker’s Gift by Jeff Brumbean – This is a longer picture book about a quiltmaker who makes beautiful quilts, but only gives them to people who have nothing. A king wants a quilt, but she refuses to give him one unless he sells all he owns. This is not specifically a Christmas book, but since it is a book about giving, it is meaningful during the Christmas season.
33. Turkey for Christmas by Marguerite de Angeli – This is a heartwarming story about a family who has fallen on hard times. Because a daughter is in the hospital, the family has to choose between a turkey and gifts for Christmas. This is a nicely illustrated and longer picture book.
34. Welcome Comfort by Patricia Polacco – Welcome Comfort is a foster child who is overweight and bullied at school. The jolly, and also overweight, custodian of the school befriends him and changes his life forever. This is a magical and heartwarming story
35. Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore – This is a timeless book, and no Christmas book list would be complete without this classic. We always read this book on Christmas Eve, so we don’t include it in The 24 Books of Christmas.

Christmas Chapter Books

The following four books are chapter books that we always read during the Christmas season. They’re all fairly short, so all of them can be easily read between December 1^st and December 25^th. We really enjoy these books, and I think you will, too.

1. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson – The Herdmans are the worst kids in town, and when they volunteer themselves for the main characters in the church’s nativity play, everyone in town anticipates a disaster. The rehearsals go the way everyone expects them to. Yet, the night of the play holds surprises. This is a funny and heartwarming story. In our home, it’s really not Christmas until we start reading this book, which we start as soon as Thanksgiving is over. After we read the book, we like to watch the 1984 TV movie version of the book.  This is a classic must read. If you only could read one chapter book during the season, this is the one to read.   
2. The Bird’s Christmas Carol by Kate Douglass Wiggin – Carol Bird is a sweet tempered, bedridden young girl who wants to host a Christmas Eve dinner party for the rowdy and playful children who live next door. Because of her poor health, she enlists her parents, brothers, and uncle to help her. The children are very happy to accept the invitation, and their mother gives them a crash course in fine dining etiquette. It will be a special Christmas they all will remember forever. This is an absolutely beautiful and touching story about giving and being a blessing to others as the greatest Christmas gift.
3.  A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens – This book is a true Christmas classic, and really needs no description. Some families may not wish to read this since it is a story about ghosts, while others will have no problem with it. It’s not really about the ghosts, though. This is not really a children’s book, but I would say it is appropriate, as far as maturity and understanding, for ages ten and up. There are many different versions of this book, other than the one I link to, that you have to choose from if you don’t already own a copy. I highly recommend you choose an unabridged version instead of abridged or adapted versions.
4. One Wintry Christmas: A Classic Retelling of the Christmas Story, from Creation to the Resurrection by Ruth Bell Graham – A young boy gets caught in a snow storm in the mountains. He ends up hurting his ankle and finds refuge in a cabin with the kind woman who lives there. As she takes care of him, she tells him the Christmas story, not just of Jesus’ birth, but the whole story of God’s plan for the redemption of man, from creation to the resurrection. This is a warm and cozy book with beautiful illustrations and masterful storytelling. We used to include this book in The 24 Books of Christmas, but due to its length, I set aside a time for a special reading of this book in one sitting, usually on a Sunday evening. We still have hot chocolate with it, and maybe cookies, but we sit around the fireplace in the living room. I try to schedule this just a couple of days before the 25^th so that we can all be reminded of the true meaning of Christmas.

Tips For Finding Affordable Christmas Books

The links I have provided are to Amazon, but I suggest looking for used copies first, except for your most favorites. I’ve found several books at Goodwill, library sales, and other thrift stores, as well as online from BetterWorldBooks and AbeBooks. Usually, I would just google the title of the book in used condition and see what came up. I usually ordered new books from Amazon.

The best time to buy Christmas picture books is usually not during the holiday season, but anytime during February through June, no later than September. One year I wanted to buy one of our favorite books, Christmas In The Country, that we couldn’t always check out at the library. At the beginning of October, I tried to buy it, but cheapest I could find it for was $67.00! Needless to say, I didn’t buy it, and we skipped that book that year. I looked for it again around February, and I found a used copy for $6.00, with highest price for a new copy around $20.00. That’s when I bought it, and I got the used copy because it was in excellent condition.

Sometimes a book owner/shop doesn’t know the treasure they have, and will price a wonderful book ridiculously low. Goodwill is a good example of a place to find a true treasure for a couple of bucks, because they generally price all their books the same. I found a copy of Christmas in the Trenches and A Cup of Christmas Tea, both hardcover, at goodwill for $.99 each! Just always keep an eye out, because you never know what you will find, or when you will find it.

Advent Scriptures

As I mentioned earlier, part of our Christmas Countdown book reading tradition is to read an Advent Scripture after we finished reading our chosen book. The scriptures we use are listed below:

• Luke 1:26-27
• Matthew 1:23
• Luke 1:41-42
• Luke 2:4-5
• Luke 2:6-7
• Luke 2:8
• Luke 2:9
• Luke 2:10-12
• Luke 2:13-14
• Luke 2:15
• Luke 2:16
• Luke 2:17-20
• Luke 2:21
• Luke 2:22-24
• Luke 2:25-33
• Matthew 2:1
• Matthew 2:3-4
• Matthew 2:5-7
• Matthew 2:8-9
• Matthew 2:10
• Matthew 2:11
• Matthew 2:12-13
• Matthew 2:14
• Isaiah 9:6
• John 14:6-7

If you decide to read the bible verses as a part of your family tradition, you can read about how we incorporate them and download a FREE printable of the Scripture Advent Cards (with the complete scriptures) in the second part of this series here: Advent Scripture Cards for The 24 Books of Christmas Tradition. If you want to skip the Advent scriptures post, you can read the third and final part of this series here: Planning Christmas Activities.

Final Thoughts

Starting The 24 Books of Christmas tradition is a simple way to create cherished family memories. My young adult children have told me they plan to continue our tradition with their own families, and I have already made the decision to gift each of them a full set of 24 books when they have their first child. The 24 Books of Christmas, along with the Advent Scriptures, is a wonderful way to celebrate the Christmas season and create Christmas memories that your family treasure for a lifetime.