CHRISTMAS IS COMING!!! It’s time to pull out the tree! It’s time to hear the same seven songs on the radio all day every day and LOVE IT! It’s also time to pick out a Christian Christmas chapter book for your family faith-based Advent reading plan!
**2025 UPDATE – I am updating this list for Christmas 2025 with some new releases, and some old classics that we have read since I originally posted this list a few years ago. It’s now up to 22 (!!) Christmas chapter books. With the update, some of them are now more general market, not necessarily “JESUS!” chapter books. However, all are clean, and lean heavily into the true reason for the season, they aren’t just set at Christmas time. As always, I list every content consideration. I’ve also added the publisher’s recommended age for all of these books, so you can hand them to your independent readers. If you’re reading aloud as a family, those of course would just be guidelines. We have 4 kids with a 10 year age range, so almost all of these are good for a wide age range of little listeners. Merry Christmas, from Big Books, Little Ears!!**
Christmas Chapter Books to Read Aloud for Any Timeline
There are a lot of awesome Advent devotionals and studies and activities available for families. Those are awesome! However, our family has found success by steering away from the more intense guided devotionals, and leaning into just reading a really great faith based Christmas chapter book together. It’s less pressure, and the kids love hearing a bit more of the story every day.
For each book I tell you why I liked it, what I didn’t like about, of course. I also have given the exact number of chapters in case you’d like to find something that lines up for a certain time frame over Advent or the Christmas season. For example, if you are looking for something with 25 chapters to get you through December. (If I had any specific age-range recommendations, I put that in the “length” section, too. In general, all of these could be read to any age child, because we have a bunch of kids all spread out, so we get it.)
Finally, under “Content Considerations,” I note anything from the book that I would have liked to know ahead of time. We have a sensitive listener in our family, so we’re pretty strict about content, but there are always things that might not be right for your family. As always, I recommend a good preview before you start reading aloud. (Here’s exactly how I preview chapter books, without reading the whole thing.)
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Christian Christmas Chapter Books for Families of All Ages
A Chicken Was There At Christmas by A. A. Davenport
Publisher recommended age range: 12 to 18 years
Pros: It’s hysterical. I mean, so funny. Especially if you’re a family who happens to raise chickens, or have close proximity to chickens, because you’ll be able to picture the chickens.
In this book, chickens around the world share about the Christmas traditions where they live. It’s a super interesting way to learn about other countries’ holiday traditions. There are some faith-based traditions, but the chickens never worship at the manger or anything like that. Also, each short story stands alone, so there are no cliffhangers before bedtime.
Cons: The humor might go over very little listeners heads. But by elementary school age, they should be able to get it all.
Also, it’s self published, which we love an author who’s a go-getter like that, but it could have benefited from a thorough editor who would have corrected some of the grammatical errors.
Length: 25 short stories
Content Considerations: Really nothing. There’s some historical fiction stuff, and life wasn’t always easy, but nothing stood out as overly upsetting.
A Tree for Peter by Kate Seredy
Publisher recommended age range: 8 to 9 years old
Pros: This is a beautifully written, sweet story about kindness in a dark place.
Cons: It was originally published in 1941, but was re-released in 2021, so is easy to find in paperback. The book is certainly a product of its time. A small child leaves with an older man, not telling his parents. The child also sits on his lap for part of the story. Peter doesn’t really have any grownups in his life to tell him not to go with strangers, and there are a few other things like that that were ok in 1941, but that we know isn’t ok now.
It is also a little heavy handed with the message of, “There’s hope! It’s all ok!” But who doesn’t like a little corny in their Christmas reading?
Length: It’s not really divided into chapters, but has 4 “sections.” It’s a total of 108 pages, with quite a few pictures. (Heads up that the pictures in the new edition are not quite as sharp as I’m sure they originally were. But still a nice addition to the text.)
Content Considerations: As I said above, there are lots of “1940s” type things, like discipline tactics, and the fact that the very young child stays by himself all day every day while his mom works. They live in a shantytown, and Peter’s dad has died. There is also a “tramp” who plays a significant role in the story. Peter is also physically disabled.
Life on Maple Street: A Christmas to Remember by Gina Handerman
Publisher recommended age range: 8 to 12 years old
Pros: It’s set in 1995, so none of the kids have cellphones. It’s just a lovely homeschooling family doing life and faith all together. Nothing exciting, very “slice of life,” of a sweet Christian family. It’s cozy and nostalgic.
Cons: Certainly a little aspirational, all the things that the mom gets done for the kids to celebrate the season. I mean, we can’t all make all our own food AND homeschool AND be the model of peace and tranquility.
My kids found it a little boring, unless they were in a Little House mood.
Length: 26 chapters (Christmas Day occurs in chapter 18, if you want to plan to hit that at a certain time)
Content Considerations: Honestly, nothing. We don’t homeschool, but I didn’t feel like the author was preaching that you must, it just happened that this family in the book does.
Litte Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, illustrated by Joe Sutphin
Publisher recommended age range: None given, perhaps because it’s a classic. I recommend for all ages, with the caveat that you’ll have to explain certain Victorian phrases and objects.
Pros: It’s the story of A Christmas Carol, told with woodland creatures. I’m obsessed. It’s so lovely. And if you’ve never read the original, get ready for some of the most beautiful prose ever written. I love this book so much. If you’re only getting one from this list, I’d recommend this one. (And maybe Light in the Darkness further down. I like that one a lot, too.)
Cons: The illustrations are black and white. It is a little pricier, so I don’t want you disappointed that there aren’t colors inside.
Length: There are 5 staves (aka chapters)
Content Considerations: It is the classic story, so Tiny Tim is lame, and might die. And Scrooge is horrible, and stingy, and people fight over his bedding when he dies, and there’s the tombstone with his name on it, etc.
The Christmas Pig by J.K. Rowling
Publisher recommended age range: 7 to 10 years old
Pros: It’s written by an author known for being imaginative, and it shows. It is an exciting story (once it gets going on the adventure part) and full on CHRISTMAS. Santa Claus also makes an appearance. There are very nice illustrations throughout.
Cons: You have to “get through” the first chapters to get to the adventure. And those first chapters are rough.
I don’t actually like this book. But you’ll see it on lots of lists because it’s very famous, so I wanted to include it so that you had some info from a picky Christian mom. I would let my big kids read it if they grabbed it at the library, I just am not actively gathering them around to hear me read it aloud, nor wrapping it for under our tree.
Length: 58 chapters (!!!)
Content Considerations: There is an extremely detailed and (I would say unnecessarily) long description of the parents’ divorce. The dad throws a lamp at the mom, and eventually the mom gets a new boyfriend and they get married. One of Jack’s friends at school has parents fighting over custody of her, and she ends up as Jack’s stepsister. What a coincidence. She’s not that nice to him, and there’s a lot of turmoil in the home. She throws away his special toy pig, who’s basically his coping mechanism.
Once the adventure actually gets going, there are also some scary scenes as the boy and the pig go on their adventure, and quite a few mean characters that they have to face. And I do mean SCARY when I say there are some scary scenes – toys get eaten or un-alivened. It does all end in a neatly tied, “they lived happily ever after,” but not before lots of weird stuff happens.
The Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson
Publisher recommended age range: 7 to 11 years old
Pros: This is a lyrically written story about a found-family, making their own Christmas. It’s a really lovely book that brings up issues of poverty and homelessness that are important to talk about. I highly recommend it as a read aloud. There are also nice illustrations scattered throughout
Cons: It is a product of its time, as it was first published in 1958. So it uses words we wouldn’t use now, like tramp or hobo, and describes Roma people in derogatory terms. Also, it does make homelessness seem sort of unrealistically comfortable. I would say it’s very similar to The Boxcar Children in a lot of ways, in that it’s a rose-colored glasses picture of trauma.
Length: 9 short chapters
Content Considerations:The dad has died before the story starts. The family is homeless, and living under a bridge. They’re hungry sometimes.
Turkey for Christmas by Marguerite De Angeli
Publisher recommended age range: 8 to 12 years old
Pros: I love the way Marguerite De Angeli writes. If you haven’t read her Newbery Medal winning The Door in the Wall, go read it tomorrow. She just has such a way of crafting words together, it’s just lovely. This Christmas story is no exception. It’s a darling story about a family who must choose either to eat turkey for Christmas, or have presents. It’s a good springboard into what actually matters during this season.
Cons: It is a little heavy handed with the message of, “You must be grateful for what you have!” It probably swings a little Pollyanna-ish. But I don’t really mind it, it’s hard to teach our kids to be thankful when they have so much.
Length: Honestly, this is a glorified picture book. It’s only 48 pages long.
Content Considerations: Again, this book is a product of its time, originally coming out in 1944. (There have been multiple new editions, most recently in August 2025, so you should have no trouble finding it, even though it is old.) So the family was struggling to feed their children, and and a sister was very ill and in the hospital.
Christmas Uncut by Carl Laferton
Publisher recommended age range: adults
Pros: This is a wonderful dive into the true story of Jesus’ birthday. It strips away a lot of the stuff we add in, like wise men at the manger, and how baby Jesus didn’t cry, and explains what the Bible actually says about the Nativity. I highly recommend it for introducing tweens and teens to a more mature understanding of the Christmas story.
Cons: At a slim 80 pages, it is SUPER short, almost booklet length. I do feel like the price (currently $3.25 on Amazon) does reflect that, however, so I’m ok with it. It is also very basic – for a mature believer, there’s nothing here that will be news to them.
Length: Technically there are 11 chapters. But the main part of the book is 7 “scenes” from the Nativity story, so this could lend itself nicely to the week leading up to Christmas.
Content Considerations: Just general Bible stuff – be ready to explain “virgin,” in detail, along with why Mary being pregnant was such a scandal. King Herod was awful, and some of his particular sins are brought up.
Heartwood Hotel: The Greatest Gift by Kallie George
Publisher recommended age range: 5 to 9 years old (all of my kids have enjoyed this series, including my 13 year old boy)
Pros: This is such a wholesome, sweet book. It has lovely holiday themes, and a good message, and sweet characters. Plus, it’s exactly how you’d imagine a hotel for woodland creatures, where they drink from acorn caps, and sweep with pine needles.
Cons: It’s not technically a Christmas story. It’s the animal version of Christmas, though. There’s no Jesus.
Also, you do need to read the first book in the series before reading this one to really get it. There are tons of references to the earlier book. But they’re short, quick reads, and have fabulous audiobooks, so it shouldn’t be a hardship to get through both books.
Length: 15 chapters, with occasional full page illustrations
Content Considerations: The main character is an orphan. Other animals have lost loved ones to the harshness of the forest. There is some stealing, and miscommunications, nothing major.
The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser
Publisher recommended age range: 8 to 11 years old
Pros: The Vanderbeekers are a biracial family with 5 kids who all love each other. The family feels very “real,” and they’re also hysterical. They live in Harlem, and are trying to save their house.
Cons: I mean, not everyone will say this is a Christmas book, because it happens around Christmas, but it’s not really ABOUT Christmas. There’s no Jesus.
Length: 19 chapters, including the epilogue
Content Considerations: It has a lot of typical big family nonsense…speaking from personal experience…lol. The kids tease each other, at the beggining they very briefly think the parents are getting a divorce, a few “gosh” and “darns,” and childhood shenanigans behind their parents’ backs as they try to save the house. All is dealt with appropriately, and I was comfortable with it.
Abigail and the Christmas Contest by Bethany McIlrath
Publisher recommended age range: 7 to 11 years old
Pros: Abigail is a 9 year old girl who’s family loves Jesus. Her parents are sweet and wise, and she has a brother. You know we love aspirational families! This particular book in the series focuses on Abigail and her cousins. The book also has occasional illustrations, which is a nice touch.
Cons: This is the fourth book in the Abigail series. However, I do think it could be a stand alone book, as there aren’t many references to earlier books, so you could read it just for Easter.
Length: 20 chapters (there’s also some book-club discussion questions at the end)
Content Considerations: A theme of the book is jealousy, but it’s handled well. Abigail learns about the Nativity, and to depend on Jesus.
Treasures of the Snow by Patricia Mary St. John
Publisher recommended age range: 8 to 12 years old
Pros: Treasures of the Snow is a classic story of forgiveness. It takes place over several years and does not completely focus on Christmas. However, much of the action occurs in the winter and around Christmas festivities. Also, it has Snow in the title, so I’m counting it as a Christmas book.
Cons: If you are looking for a book with a subtle approach to the gospel, this is not the one for you. There’s a lot of preaching. However, if you want a Christmas story that will explicitly tell your kids how to come-to-Jesus, this book clearly tells the plan of salvation.
Length: There are 26 chapters and no pictures. If you have younger kids and don’t want to churn through more than a chapter a night, this could definitely take you from Thanksgiving to Christmas to get through. (I have not read this aloud to my toddler and preschooler yet, mainly because of the length.)
Content Considerations: Treasures of the Snow has some dark parts. There’s a mother’s death in the first chapter, and a crippling accident a few chapters later. Apparently living in a remote Swiss village in the early 1900s was not for the faint of heart, if you can believe that.
The 101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith
Publisher recommended age range: 8 to 12 years old
Pros: Did you know The 101 Dalmatians was a Christmas story? Complete with a church and nativity set, and dogs feeling very moved by the baby in the manger? This classic Christmas story isn’t SUPER faith-based, but it does get at the reason for the season. Plus it’s just amazingly well written, and a tightly crafted story.
Cons: It is VERY British. I had to explain stuff to my kids sometimes. But overall they enjoyed the story, and it was no more explaining than I have to do when we read classic American literature.
The other con is that we watched the movie first, and it is not the same as the book. The dogs even have different names. Just a heads up if you’ve seen the classic Disney movie, it’s not exactly the same.
Length: There are 18 chapters in the book. Chapter 14 is the chapter that takes place on Christmas Eve, and the last 4 chapters take place on Christmas Day. (Also, to weed out the Disney stuff when you’re looking for this book, this classic novel is THE 101 Dalmatians, versus the Disney version being plain old 101 Dalmatians.)
Content Considerations: This was a different time, and animals weren’t treated as well as they are now. So, there are lots of references to furs and fur coats play a prominent role in the story. In addition, they talk about drowning puppies or kittens they do not want to keep. One character has had multiple litters of her kittens drowned, it’s just what people did. But the text makes it clear that this is distasteful, and not how it should be.
Additionally, when two dogs are going to have puppies, the author says they “got married.” Sometimes two dog only meet once at a park, “get married quickly,” then go their separate ways, and BAM! Puppies. Just FYI in case questions come up about where these puppies are coming from.
The Adventures of Geraldine Woolkins by Karin Kaufman
Publisher recommended age range: 5 to 10 years old
Pros: Geraldine Woolkins is a young mouse growing up in a loving mouse family that loves God. This is the first book in the series about her, and coincidentally, ends with Christmas. I like the high writing style. It makes it perfect for a Christmas time read aloud book because the content and story line is meant for a young child, but the vocabulary puts it out of reach for most independent young readers.
Cons: They refer to God as, “Very Very Big Hands.” I think that’s weird. I just sub out, “God,” when that comes up in the text. But if your kids will understand that the animals are saying God made them, then go for it.
Length: This sweet chapter book is 10 chapters long. The LAST chapter is about Christmas, so you can plan for that to fall when you want. The chapters aren’t terribly long, but the writing style and vocabulary level is high. My 6 year old can sit through a whole chapter in one sitting, but my 3 year old taps out at the half way point. FYI for your scheduling. (Also, this ISN’T the Geraldine Woolkins book in the series with snow on the cover! That could be confusing, but the Christmas chapter is in the “autumn” book.)
Content Considerations: Being a woodland creature isn’t for the faint of heart. Definitely scary things happen, and a few friends are orphans. However, there’s nothing that I think would keep you from reading this to any age child.
The Promise and the Light by Katy Morgan
Publisher recommended age range: 7 to 12 years old
Pros: A fresh take on the Christmas story, this chapter book about the Nativity ties in the Old Testament prophesies with the new baby born in Bethlehem. That’s pretty cool. I think the main strength of this particular title is that it really captures what a BIG DEAL Jesus’ birth was to individual people, and to Israel as a nation.
Cons: The narrator does change! Like, it could be Mary in one chapter, then Zechariah in the next. That’s not a bad thing for every family, but if you have younger kids you might have to help them orient every chapter.
I get a little “ehh” about re-tellings of Bible stories because it’s THE BIBLE, but overall there’s nothing objectionable here. At least in my opinion. As with all re-imaginings, make sure your kids know it’s extra-Biblical. (Looking at you, Left Behind series from the 90s…)
Length: 25 chapters…almost like they did that on purpose for Advent. Hmm…
Content Considerations: Mary has a baby in her belly…Joseph is there, but not THERE, if you know what I mean…the text talks about how scandalous this is…it can raise some questions. I confidently recommend this Christmas chapter book for ages 8 and up, but if you’re prepared to answer some questions, you could definitely read it to younger kids.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
Publisher recommended age range: 7 to 12 years old
Pros: It is HILARIOUS. However, layered in all of that laughter, there are beautiful truths about what the first Christmas was really like, and who Jesus came to save.
Cons: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever tells the story of an unchurched family joining the Christmas pageant. The narrator is a 9 year old girl. Content wise, this Christmas chapter book is appropriate for all ages. However, because the narrator is in school, I think the sweet spot is school age kids. Toddlers and preschoolers won’t really get it.
Length: There are only seven chapters in this short book. However, there are no pictures. If you have older kids, you could certainly get through this book in the week before Christmas. The audio book is less than 2 hours long, so you could even have it play during drives to Grandma’s house during Christmas week.
Content Considerations: This book has aged like a lot of media from the ’80s – it has some stuff that’s…fine…but not really politically correct. For example, the way the school handles bullying, and they talk about one character going to “fat camp” as a child. Overall I found it very realistic with how loving (but imperfect) families interact, so I still recommend it. Maybe just remind your kids that weight doesn’t determine their worth.
Light in the Darkness by Alex Webb-Peploe
Publisher recommended age range: 12 to 15 years old (But…I mean…it’s the Bible text directly, so…I’d say any age you’d like to read Luke 2…)
Pros: Light in the Darkness is a full color graphic novel telling the story of Luke 1 and 2. It’s not a retelling of the Christmas story from the Bible, it IS the Christmas story from the Bible. If you have a tween reluctant reader/listener in your home, THIS is the book you want.
Cons: None. It’s exactly what I’m looking for to engage my tween. My only complaint might be that it’s a tad short.
Length: Short. Really short. It’s only 48 pages, and could easily be read in one sitting. Or you could break it up over a few days and let the kids spend time marinating on the pictures.
Content Considerations: The text is straight from Luke 1 and 2. So, there’s all the usual stuff about Mary being a virgin, Caesar being nasty, etc.
Related: Here’s more Christian books for tweens that AREN’T devotionals. (Mostly geared toward reluctant readers because that’s how we roll over here.)
The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones
Publisher recommended age range: 2 to 11 years old
Pros: This is the story book Bible version I recommend for every family. The author took each story and used it as a vehicle for sharing about why Jesus was important and why he had to come. It’s the perfect Advent book because of clearly explaining the significance of this baby born to save us.
Cons: I mean, the only negative I can think of is, “There’s too much Jesus,” and is that really a negative?
Length: Even though the full book is much longer, if you start at the first story on December 1, and read one story every day, you’ll arrive at the story of Jesus’ birth on Christmas. Perfect! Each chapter is around 4 or 5 pages long, and there are stunning full color illustrations. It’s suitable for all ages.
Content Considerations: None. Even though it’s the Old Testament stories, this version is honestly written to focus solely on Jesus, so a lot of the “uhhh, how do I address this with my preschooler…” gets cut out.
Jotham’s Journey by Arnold Ytreeide
Publisher recommended age range: 6 to 10 years old (It’s an exciting story, so this could be a good option if you have big kids that “don’t want to listen” but will happen to be in the room while you read aloud.)
Pros: Jotham’s Journey was written as an Advent Christmas chapter book. It’s exciting enough to keep even the adult’s attention. The story doesn’t really follow the main characters from the Biblical first Christmas, that’s just the backdrop of Jotham’s own adventure, although he does interact with many of the Bible characters.
Cons: Full disclosure, one of my kids is a sensitive listener, and this book was too exciting for us. There’s thieves, kidnappings, etc., and it just wasn’t a good fit for our family. Doesn’t make it bad, just a heads up if you also have a sensitive listener. The main character is 10 years old, but there’s A LOT of violence. (For some adventure loving kids, this could be a “pro,” lol.)
Length: 25 chapters, meant to be read over Advent. Each chapter is SHORT, like 2 or 3 pages, so this could be a very doable option if you feel tight on time. There’s also some questions or a verse to go along with each chapter if you want to extend the conversation.
Content Considerations: Like I said, it’s pretty violent. There’s also a lot of un-trustworthy adults.
One Wintry Night by Ruth Bell Graham
Publisher recommended age range: 4 to 10 years old
Pros: One Wintry Night tells the story of a boy lost in a storm who hears the Christmas story from a friendly neighbor. I love the sweetness of the story. I love the illustrations.
Cons: Honestly, the writing is somewhat uneven. The end feels rushed, and doesn’t live up to the excellence of the beginning of the book. Personal opinion, apologies to the author, who I’m sure this is their baby. I still recommend it, partly because at 7 chapters it is so doable by all families, but heads up it isn’t a literary masterpiece.
Length: I REALLY love the fact that it is only seven short chapters long. However, those seven chapters tell the whole story of Jesus’ birth, from Adam and Eve in the garden to Jesus’ offer of salvation. If you are looking for a book that will encompass the fullness of the Nativity, but doesn’t take as much of a time commitment as most Advent reading plans, this is the book for you! It is good for any age of child.
Content Considerations: Nothing special. The child is lost, but he gets found again.
The Jesse Tree by Geraldine McCaughrean
Publisher recommended age range: 7 to 9 years old
Pros: What I like about this book is that it ties together so many different stories from the Bible into the story of Jesus birth. Also, if you have a Jesse tree that you put up every year, this book should correlate with the ornaments.
Cons: What I don’t love about this book is that the older gentleman telling the Bible stories is pretty cranky about having to share about Jesus. He’s pretty snippy about God’s story. I think that’s a little weird, but if you liked the idea and overall story of the book, it would be fairly easy to switch out the adjectives he uses when talking to the kids and make the gentleman more kindly. (Honestly, I found it bothersome enough that we aren’t using this book this year. HOWEVER, if you have an ornament set to go with a Jesse tree, this is one of the best options out there that correlates perfectly to that.)
Length: The Jesse Tree has 25 short chapters, and is a great chapter book for a family Advent reading plan. It is based on the tradition of carving a Jesse tree to tell the genealogy of Jesus.
Content Considerations: I mean, some of Jesus’ ancestors were…interesting. To put it mildly. However, overall this book is written at a content level that would be appropriate for all ages.
Bonus Picture Book for Christmas Eve
Song of the Stars by Sally Lloyd-Jones
After finishing up Sally Lloyd-Jones other wonderful book, The Jesus Storybook Bible, for your Advent reading, you can finish it up with her picture book Song of the Stars for Christmas evening. It is the the perfect Christmas picture book to get your family focused on the reason for the season – it’s definitely appropriate for all ages. The melodic prose describes the whole earth getting ready for the new baby king.
I love this book because it points to why Jesus’ coming was so amazing: redemption has come! Amen! The animals’ message rings true today: “The One who made us has come come to live with us!”
Related: My top Christmas Picture Books About Jesus
Use Books to Ring in the Season
It’s never too late to use a book to usher your family into the stable! Use a chapter book for your family Advent reading plan to celebrate Christmas with your family, no matter how many days you have to countdown!
