Create a Christmas Book Advent Calendar
Have you ever heard of a Christmas book Advent calendar? It’s so simple and yet so fun. And best of all, it’s the perfect way to incorporate read-aloud time into your family’s holiday traditions.
Here’s How It Works
With a Christmas book Advent calendar, instead of a toy or a piece of candy, your child opens a Christmas picture book every day. It’s like a chocolate Advent calendar … only better!
Gather Your Books
First, gather enough books so that you’ll have one for every day of Advent. You can use my library list to gather books from the library, or you can use this holiday activity as an excuse to build up your own library of beautiful Christmas books!
So how many books will you need?
The traditional Advent calendar begins on the Sunday nearest the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle (November 30) and continues through four Sundays, ending on December 24. This year Advent begins on Sunday, December 1, so that means you’ll need 24 books.
Wrap Your Books
Wrap enough Christmas books for every day of Advent and add a numbered tag to each one. Create your own tags or download our Printable Advent Tags and choose a set to print and attach to your wrapped picture books.
Display Your Books
Now it’s time to display your Christmas book Advent calendar.
Put the books under the Christmas tree, on a shelf, or in a basket. You might even want to keep them hidden so that your kids will have to hunt for them.
How you display them is up to you. Be creative and make it fun!
Countdown to Christmas with Picture Books!
Now comes the fun part. On each day during Advent, have your children open one of the wrapped books for your family to read together. The “togetherness” is part of the joy of this engaging holiday activity.
Perhaps this is the year you’ll start a new reading tradition in your household. Grab a cup of cocoa, a warm, snuggly blanket, and some kids, and get started with some beautiful Christmas books!
Looking for Christmas Picture Books?
If you’d like to create your own picture book Advent calendar but need some picture book inspiration, here are some of my favorite picture books for Christmas.
Click to download a checklist of my favorites to take to your local library.
Does your family have any favorite holiday book traditions? I would love to hear about it in the comments below.
Holiday Book Traditions Shared by Our Readers
- Use a mix of books and movies! – shared by Angela
- Go outdoors to read your books every day. – shared by Cheryl
- Read The Advent Book by Jack and Kathy Stockman. – shared by Danielle
- Wrap a new book for each child to deposit on their beds after they fall asleep on Christmas Eve. – shared by Heather
- Keep a collection of Christmas books that stay in a special basket during Advent. – shared by Danielle
- Re-wrap Advent picture books before they get stored for the next year! – shared by Beth
- Just leave unwrapped books under the tree for the kids to choose for anytime reading. – shared by Kelsy
- Keep a basket of Christmas books under the tree to read aloud during the Christmas season. – shared by Jessica L.
- Every Christmas our family reads each night from the Jesus Storybook Bible. As soon as dinner is over, we read a chapter and put a corresponding ornament on a little tree. – shared by Annette
- Start a “12 Days of Christmas” tradition with a different theme for each day. Have books to read, crafts to create, and movies or special foods to enjoy. – shared by Meggen L.
- Light the advent wreath’s candle and read a Christmas book. – shared by Elizabeth
Nicole
says:Our kids loved this, even my oldest who just does not like to read. We keep it simple, and pick out “pretty” books, instead of good reading books. Its a busy time of year and I don’t want the kids to dread their books. And we never buy new books unless it is something specifically requested. We are fortunate to have a nice used book store nearby, and thrift stores might have a good selection. We’ve also used library books. I like wrapping a craft book from the library. One year we did origami, the kids loved it.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceNicole,
Thank you for letting us know how much your children enjoyed this, even your oldest. I especially like the idea of doing craft books as well. How fun!
LeAnn A
says:I love this idea!
Deborah Gambrel
says:Cute idea
Heidi
says:So fun! Our family does this every Christmas season, and it has made reading with our kids really intentional during the busy holiday season. They’re always so excited to see which book will be opened that day, and continues to make reading so fun! ☺️
Melissa
says:What a wonderful idea. I cannot wait to do this for Christmas! I think I will get a head start while my Christmas wrap is still out and then I will be ready for December 1, 2020.
Julia
says:Love this idea and being able to continue reading through the winter break!
Michelle Watson
says:This is such a wonderful idea! Books are truly a gift!
Jackie Hamlyn
says:This is such an awesome idea. I will definitely be doing this is 2020!
Michelle McGrath
says:Can’t wait to do this with my family next year!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceNow’s the time to start too, Michelle, to find the books used or on sale. 😉
Linda
says:I have a crate full of Christmas books in my attic. I bring it down Dec. 1 and place the books around the living room as decorations. We read several of them each year, then pack them back in the crate when we take down the decorations.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI love that books are a part of your Christmas decorations, Linda! What a wonderful way to encourage a love of reading.
Heidi
says:We enjoy reading the Christmas story while the kids use our nativity set to act out the characters. This year we also read a Christmas play that our son wrote.
Melissa Herrera
says:I did this with my children for a couple of years when they were younger & they loved it!
Mary
says:Am planning on doing the twelve days of Christmas next year for my twelve year old. Been trying to come up with number one for twelve days, ……. day 6 for six days , etc. How many of one type of thing can one use except maybe food? Well, the answer is books. Thanks for the great idea.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceOoo, such a great twist, Mary! And yes, lots of books is a great idea.
Kelly Grundhofer
says:We’ve done this before, the kids love it 😊
Alyce A Welder
says:I absolutely LOVE this idea!! I wish I had thought of it for my children. I cannot wait to begin collecting books for my grandchildren and by next Christmas a great grandson (yikes!!)
Merry
says: Customer ServiceWhat a sweet idea to collect books for your grandchildren, Alyce. Congratulations on your great grandson to come!
K Synakowski
says:What a great idea—going to plan this for next year!
Lisa
says:Good idea for the reluctant reader!
Susan
says:I want to try this next Christmas!
Sarah
says:I like the tags. So simple, and cute. :)
Marlia
says:I love this tradition, and if planned out in advance could be totally free through the local library! Plus, it’s a non-sugary-multiple recipient a city!!! #winning
Carin
says:This is such a great month long activity. Each night my kids were so eager to unwrap a new book to read. And finding books was simple and inexpensive!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceI’m so glad your kids enjoyed doing this, Carin!
Kristen
says:I have been wanting to do this with my kids for years. This year we finally did it! My 19 month old loved it and it gave him great practice unwrapping. :)
Merry
says: Customer ServiceLOL, so cute!
Krista
says:Cute idea! We love getting new books.
Andrea Gregg
says:What a great idea to bolster a child’s love of reading.
Amy Lambert
says:I love this idea!
Becky H
says:Love this idea!
Britteni Malacko
says:I love this idea! Thank you for the cute tags!!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Britteni!
Krista
says:This is a great idea!
Annika
says:This is an adorable idea, and great for any holiday really!
R.Romeo
says:Love this idea!
Tina
says:I love this idea!
Jan McDaniel
says:I like this idea a lot.
C Bull
says:I love any activity that will get me books to read to the new grandbaby!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceHave fun reading to your new grandbaby, C Bull! Congratulations!
Heather Ochoa
says:This idea is absolutely amazing my daughter reads 3 books everyday we are always looking for Advent books throughout the year to make her Christmas special . This year we bought a new llama llama series and she absolutely enjoys it ..
Yer
says:I never understood or took a moment to find out and know how these advent things work or what it was for. I see these things everywhere every year, but I guess since my parents are immigrants and I never celebrated Christmas traditions as a child, this never caught my attention. Just read this post and I love this advent idea. I will do it with my class this year! Thanks!!!
Chanel Lilley
says:I absolutely love this idea! I plan to do this next year and for birthdays too.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceOh, fun idea to do this for birthdays, Chanel! Happy Reading with your kids :-)
Danielle Goll
says:This is such a great idea! Advent is over but I’m bookmarking (ha, pun intended) for next year. :D
Merry
says: Customer ServiceLOL, Cute! Happy reading!
Lindsay
says:I never thought of this. Definitely going to do this for some kind of count down – birthday / Easter / Christmas 😍😍
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceOoo, I like the idea of a count down to a child’s birthday, Lindsay! What fun!
Amy D
says:Love this idea
Danyel
says:My oldest would love this!
Merly Miller
says:Can you recommend a Nutcracker book for ann8 year old?
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI’m sorry, Merly, I’m not familiar with any Nutcracker books. However, I have seen the ballet many times.
Angie B
says:I love love love this idea! We have a variety of advent activities, but this is a wonderful addition. Thank you!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re so welcome, Angie. Enjoy!
sus
says:So much better than candy.
Heather H
says:We do this at our house and it’s something my kids look forward to every year!
Momm
says:This looks like such fun idea! I love the advent tags!
Helena
says:This is a fun idea and our kids Love books! Our oldest daughter is doing AAR level 1 as an emergent reader and she’s excited to learn to read on her own, but also loves read aloud time!
Jacklyn Byrne
says:Excited to try this idea with my children!
Ashley Smith
says:Our family has fallen in love with Jothams Journey, a children’s Advent reading adventure that leads to his recognition of his need for a Savior and his witness of the Savior’s birth in Bethlehem. My kids would be begging to read more each night.
Julie
says:Love this idea~~
Jessica
says:Great idea!
Kelly
says:Great idea! Love the reading theme!
Caitriona McGlynn
says:We love this blog..all of it but crafting is out favorite. Advent calendars are an exciting part of Christmas, for us. Thanks for helping us with your fresh ideas.
Lisa K.
says:Love this idea!
Anna Simon
says:I have been a fan of this curriculum for a few years now… ever since I first heard about it while homeschooling my oldest. Thank you, also, for making these fun bonding activities that just happen to support literacy connections at home!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceAwww, you are so welcome, Anna! Enjoy!
Aletia Mitchell
says:I love this idea!!! Also, thank you for the book list :)
Laura W
says:Our family has done this Advent book in the past and really enjoyed it! We also included a few Christmas movies to change the evening up sometimes.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI do like the idea of including a few Christmas movies mixed in with the books for each day, Laura! Thanks for sharing it.
Judith Martinez
says:I love this idea so much but I’ve been too intimidated to try it. Storing that many additional books is daunting and I keep forgetting to hit the library before December starts. I should buy a few Christmas books to replace the ones that were destroyed in a previous move. We currently don’t have any. I’m inspired to head over to the used book store near our home and see if I can find a few inexpensive Christmas books to enjoy.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceJudith,
It can be intimidating to do a full 24 days of books when you are starting from scratch, but you can start with just a week’s worth and do a short countdown to begin with. Also, some families like to intermix Christmas movies and crafts on some days instead of books. There are lots of ways to make it work!
Laura Sciacca
says:Very excited to start this new tradition with my kids! Books are wrapped and ready to go! Thank you for a great Christmas book list!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI’d love to hear how it goes, Laura!
Laura Sciacca
says:Kicked it off last night with “An Otis Christmas.” They can’t wait for book number 2! Thanks for a great book list!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re so welcome! “An Otis Christmas” is such a fun start too.
Michelle Harrison
says:Wrapping picture books as a way to count down to Christmas is such a great idea!
Emma
says:Such a great idea !!! My son will surely enjoy! Thank You!
Ang
says:What a fun idea – I may even use some old favorites that I know my kids would enjoy again together. :)
Andreana Archambault
says:Wow. What a wonderful idea! Implementing immediately. ❤️
NANCY
says:Love this idea. What a great gift. Thanks for sharing.
ABIGAIL W
says:How fun! I might use reusable giftbags to cut down on cost and materials.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceReusable gift bags are a great idea, Abigail!
Andrea
says:We have done this for years and my kids love it! Some great new book addition ideas, thank you!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Andrea. 😊
Reannon M
says:Love this idea! Thanks for sharing!
Jennifer
says:Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful idea.
Mary Roberts
says:We love reading tons of great christmas books every year.
Lauren
says:I certainly think this is a much better idea than them getting candy or another tiny toy every day. We love Christmas books. My kids love Frosty because I did voices the first time and now I am not allowed to read it without them. 😂
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceLauren,
My favorite part of doing voices is hearing my kids very early attempts to do their own voices when they are new readers. It’s definitely worth it.
Elizabeth
says:This is a great idea and when you read together it creates memories and traditions that go beyond most advent calendars!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYes, exactly, Elizabeth! Creating memories to last a lifetime. 😊
Cassandra
says:Thanks for the tags!
Heather Wilson
says:My 7 yo son struggled with phonemic awareness and reading last year. He loved to be read to, but was reduced to tears when it was his turn to read. After testing, he was diagnosed with dyslexia and AAR was recommended as a curriculum to build his skills. Since starting AAR, my son made huge gains, his confidence has grown and no more tears. We plan to continue with successive levels and will use AAR with my 4 yo when she is ready.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThis is great, Heather! Thank you for sharing with us how well your son is doing. I am especially pleased to hear that he has no more tears with reading.
Keep up the amazing work!
Sherry
says:We usually pull all the Christmas books out and leave them by one of the boys beds to read before bedtime. I try to read our favourites before I take them to school to read to my class!
Anne Tucker
says:Great idea and book suggestions!
Marilyn Gingerich
says:I am grateful that I learned about All About Spelling. My daughter used to really dislike Spelling because it was so hard for her. All About Spelling has taken the dread out of the subject. She might even admit to liking it a little!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceMarilyn,
I’m grateful to hear that All About Spelling is helping to take the dread out of spelling for your daughter!
Kathy
says:What a fun idea!
Paula
says:Such a neat idea
Cam
says:Write special family events from the year and tuck them into the ornament boxes to be read together as you decorate your tree. Each family member has a chance to read.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceWhat a lovely idea, Cam! Such a sweet way to celebrate the entire year.
Breanna
says:Such a great idea for children!
Amanda C. Simmons
says:What a great idea.
Terry Y
says:Awesome idea!
Connie
says:I love the book a day idea!!
Laura
says:What a wonderful idea! I really appreciate a candy-free advent calendar. Thanks for sharing.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceLaura,
You are welcome. It is nice to have holiday activities that aren’t food-centered.
Emily J Cargile
says:I love this idea! I love how it is organized and how well thought out it is!
Katherine
says:I love this idea and a few years ago created a set for each of children so my grandchildren would have an advent set. This year, I’m creating another set with activities bookmarked and the supplied included to complete the activity. New this year…rhyming books, not just Christmas books :)
I’m also a Special Education teacher and I really want to begin the All About Spelling with a 4th grader who is, interestingly…a good reader, but refuses to write because he cannot look at his own spelling mistakes. I also really want to get my hands on the book about courage and the feline you discussed in a video. I feel like this same student is “held prisoner” by his fear of seeing his spelling mistakes and I want to help him develop courage and a willingness to try!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceKatherine,
I love, love, love your ideas of putting together a set for your grandchildren! What a wonderful grandmother you are!
I’m sorry your student is having such difficulties with spelling. Hopefully you can help him to have courage to make mistakes. If you need anything, let me know.
mandi
says:This is so fun! We love snuggling in for a good picture book… thank you for the idea & the tags!
Amber Pike
says:How fun! We love Christmas books!
Laura
says:Love this!
Laura
says:Live this idea!
Angela
says:This is a fun idea. You can never have too many books!
Amy
says:What a great idea!!!
Fatima
says:Awesome idea
Robert Marino
says:This is a great idea that I plan to use this holiday season.
Jessica Rittenhouse
says:What a great idea! I have been wanting to do an advent calendar but did NOT want to do the little piece of candy with 5 kids! This is all inclusive! Thanks so much!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceJessica,
I wasn’t a big fan of candy or gifts times 5 either when my kids were young. I would have loved to have thought of this back in the day.
Isobel Gillian Ball
says:Have the children act out the nativity story using their soft toys and dolls as actors for the characters after you have read the Nativity story to them from their Nativity favourite book or children’s bible. I did this for a few years on Christmas morning with my own children-they re-nacted the story for their daddy and it was very touching. It was also fun.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceOh, I love this idea, Isobel. So sweet and such a great way to increase their understanding too.
Ashley
says:Such a fun idea!
Emma
says:This is a brilliant idea – so much more meaningful for a family than chocolates!
Keriann
says:This is a great idea!
Beth Baker
says:This is a wonderful and meaningful way to encourage reading. Thank you.
Jennifer Massey
says:I love this idea! We’re on a tight budget, but books are the top of our thrift store shopping list. You could easily create a budget friendly advent and give some old books new love at the same time.
Nancy Owens
says:With 2 families, I think about the cost for 48 books! I’m hoping to find many in soft cover…. LOVE this idea.
Claire
says:It definitely is an added expense. To minimize that, we buy ours gently used through either Thriftbooks or Abebooks. It doesn’t help this year but for future years, we buy them after the holidays for the following year, spreading the cost out over many months.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceNancy,
One idea if you don’t have many books yet is to not do the entire month of December. If you aim for just a week or ten days first, it is much more affordable. Another idea is to use library books. Maybe not get all the Christmas books the library has, but maybe a week’s worth. They can be wrapped, enjoyed, and then returned. Claire’s ideas for used books and after Christmas sales are great too.
Nancy Owens
says:Yes, I like the idea of using library books and this year I might just combine them with 5 of my favourites that I would write a special note in and date. I appreciate hearing all the feedback about such a worthwhile advent calendar!
Amanda Bailey
says:I’ve seen this idea before, but I think this year I’m actually going to do it! It’s such a good idea, and besides the fun family reading, it will be a great way to use up some old collections of wrapping paper! :D
Bethany Mazzola
says:I can’t wait to do this!
Amanda
says:Great idea!
Kris
says:What a clever idea to foster the love of reading and family time!
Debby
says:Very neat!
Shannon Weinman
says:What a great idea!
Anneta
says:What a wonderful idea! Thank you so much.
Shannon Alexander
says:Every year round this time I think that I am going to do this. I love the idea of it. It just hasnt happened yet!
Jessica
says:Love this idea!
Nicole
says:Love
Tina Mackey
says:Love his idea!
Kaila Lindsay
says:I love the idea of re-introducing old favorites!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceKaila,
I agree! I love that revisiting old favorites.
Jaime Cartagena
says:I love this idea! This would be perfect for my six year old granddaughter!
Степанова Евгения Леонидовна
says:Thanks a lot for your brilliant idea!
I’ve got a big collection of new Christmas books and haven’t found yet any ideas to use it.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou are welcome! Enjoy. 😊
sonnet
says:cool stuff
Robyn
says:I love this idea! We have acquired so many Christmas books over the years and we often forget about reading any of them until Christmas is nearly over, this makes reading them a super special activity
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceRobyn,
If you already have a lot of Christmas books, this idea is especially easy. It’s such a fun way to enjoy the books all through the season.
Paula
says:I was planning on trying this out this year. Thanks for the printables and book ideas.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Paula. 😊
Destiny
says:What a fun idea!
Aaron
says:All about reading is great and this is a great way to showcase those skills
Stacy Clemenson
says:Wow I just love the resources you guys have on your site! Thank you for these great advent ideas!
Lisa
says:This sounds like a fun idea, thanks!
Candee
says:I love this idea! Thank you!
Megan Brien
says:This is such a great idea! I learned of this idea last year and did it with our girls and they loved it! We did not have 25 Christmas books at the time but wrapped what we had and just got started unwrapping them a little later into December. The girls looked forward to it everyday! After Christmas I tried to hide our Christmas books, to keep them special for this year, but the girls constantly asked for them! Such a special idea I highly recommend! And I’m so excited to use these cute tags and check out your book list!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceMegan,
I love that your girls enjoyed this idea so much last year! What a great adaptation if you don’t have 25 books too. Thanks for sharing it.
Genea Fittro
says:This program has helped our family tremendously. So glad we discovered you!
Elizabeth
says:I really Like this idea! It has been a few years since I did this with my boys
Jo Mckay
says:What a great idea! We already have a few of these books. Thanks for sharing.
Brenda
says:Thank you for this great idea!
Katilyn
says:I was just a part of a jesse tree ornament exchange and am excite to use that for advent with my children.
Patricia Baxter
says:Love this!
Amy Cox
says:Love this idea. You can never have too many books!!! Thanks!!
Sarah
says:Super excited about all the tips aar has offered us on our reading journey. My child has excelled as a result. Thank you!
Karalee
says:Normally my kids just get a book in their night before Christmas box, but having them unwrap them all the way up to Christmas sounds like a really neat and exciting idea!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceKaralee,
I love that you give your kids books every year on Christmas eve. Such a great tradition.
Alyssa Squier
says:My family’s favorite winter (Christmas) pastime is to read the Jesse Tree Devotional, to color the corresponding ornament, and to place it on the tree.
Heather
says:I did something similar to this years ago, but I’m going to do it again this year. It’s always a hit with the kids.
Katelyn Fagan
says:I love this idea!! It goes great with the want need wear read gift idea too, as well as a great advent gift.
Keisha Hudson
says:This is such a creative idea to start new traditions.
Amber
says:I love this idea! Thank you for sharing!
Charissa Morris
says:I love this idea I was tempted to participate in a book companies Countdown to Christmas that was going to cost me $80 but now I just need to make time to select books at my library, wrap them with the heaps of paper I have lying around and POOF!! Virtually free fun all month long!!
Rachael Kirk
says:My kids love re-reading their favorite books so I may start mixing new books with old, beloved books as we start this tradition :)
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceRachael,
I love the idea of starting with the old, beloved books!
Jolene
says:Sounds like fun. Thanks
Kimberly Bennett
says:Thank you for this fun idea and the advent tags
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou are welcome, Kimberly.
NOELLE M KNIGHT
says:This has been on my list to do for a few years. Maybe this year I have enough time to actual get it started!
Jann Price
says:What a wonderful idea! We will be starting this tradition.
Hope Shelton
says:We love all about reading!
Nicole Franetovich
says:So much fun! Thank you for sharing this wonderful idea and taking the time to share the list!
Jen
says:So excited to try this idea, thanks for sharing!!!
Katy
says:Love this idea!! We are going to do it this year!!!!
Kennah
says:What a fun way to incorporate good literature into the season! I like Cranberry Christmas by Wende Devlin. We enjoy reading Cranberry Thanksgiving, but the same author, in the fall.
Bri Shrout
says:Great idea! Definitely looking forward to trying this!
Tina Wright
says:What a fun idea!
Eileen
says:What a fun idea!!
Dorothy Boucher
says:I love this idea and i’m going to check out your book list here, I do this for my grandchildren, all 10 of them but mostly the younger ones love it!
@tisonlyme143
Diane
says:Great idea!
Megan
says:Love this idea. Thanks for all the great book suggestions!
Amy
says:What a great idea!
Katy
says:I have fond memories from my childhood of the Christmas books coming out each year. My favorite place to read them was under the Christmas tree!
Tori Benoit
says:This is a fun idea!
Stephanie Illguth
says:I love this idea so much! And even if I can’t get enough books collected, you’ve inspired me to create some kind of countdown advent, which was missing from our christmas decor this year!
Also, after a decade of homeschooling, I’ve finally found a curriculum for learning to read that I LOVE!!! My kids love it to; it’s such a relief, and it’s All About Reading, thank you!
Phyllis
says:Love the list! Thank you.
Corie Haylett
says:What a neat idea to gets kids reading more!
Deonna
says:Love the advent book idea, much better than candy : )
Jolene Drake
says:Love these Tags. I’m starting to make it a tradition this year. Also hope to start using AAR this winter.
Crystal Hubbard
says:This is a wonderful idea. Thank you! I’m going to start collecting books now.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceCrystal,
Great idea! Now it the time so you can spread out the cost and have it all ready before December begins. Enjoy!
Anita
says:Love it!!! 🎄
Kristina
says:I LOVE this idea! A friend said that she will actually use library books for this too! No need to purchase the books if you can’t or don’t want to actually buy them!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceKristina,
Using library books for at least some of them is a great idea.
Andrew
says:Great idea
Jen Dauer
says:Oh man, I LOVE this idea! I can’t believe I didn’t think of it! I have a tradition of picking out a Christmas chapter book to read aloud to the kids every night every Christmas season. It puts us in the right mindset to really appreciate the season.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceWe have the same tradition, Jen! I read aloud A Christmas Carol (my teens’ choice) this year.
Sandra Ruiz
says:yes! This is such a great idea! We enjoy opening up a “new” book for 24 days! We are thinking of using cloth instead of wrapping paper next year.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceReusable cloth bags would make wrapping a snap each year. Great idea, Sandra!
Anna
says:Such a great idea to get kids excited about reading. Could be incorporated into a classroom as well — teacher opens a new book to read to the class everyday. Creates an association of books being a gift.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceOooh, great idea to adapt for the classroom, Anna!
Goodreaux B
says:We started using this tradition 2 years ago and kiddos love it!
Bethani LaCoursiere
says:I love this idea so much!! Thank you!
Merlyka Fonseca
says:I wish I had done this for this past Christmas but it gives me an idea to do something for lent coming up in 2019. Your site has some great ideas.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceThanks, Merlyka! I hope you have fun starting a new tradition in 2019!
Virginia Donaldson
says:Thank you for sharing – a FABULOUS idea!
shanon Jurgens
says:I love this idea! I will definitely be adding this to our Advent traditions next year.
Carletta Jones
says:I can’t wait to get started!
Nicki A
says:Brilliant!!! I didn’t even think about wrapping library books for this! That makes it doable for so many families that just wouldn’t be able to afford buying that number of books.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceExactly! Have fun with the idea, Nicki!
Betty
says:I love the Christmas Advent Calendar idea. I gave my grandchildren a book each Advent Sunday! They loved it and it helped them focus on the true meaning of Christmas
Merry
says: Customer ServiceOoohh, what sweet gifts, Betty!
Molly Simmons
says:My mother in law did this last year and it was a great success with our 3 year old!
Sarah Bingham
says:What a great idea! Maybe next year.
Suzanne
says:We do this every year with Library books and my kids love it! It’s so fun to open a book each day. This year I bought them each one book and each year we are going to add a new one to their collection.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceSuzanne,
I love that you are adding one new book to each child’s collection each year. What a great tradition to look forward to!
Betsy Birulkin
says:Wish I had read this sooner! Great idea!
Lovie Sellers
says:I have liked this idea for sometime. i hadnt thought about using library books.Thanks.
Kim
says:I’ve wanted to do this the last couple years but with a new baby I didn’t get around to it. This year I set the intention to do so, collected a couple more to add to my winter/Christmas library, and prepared myself after Thanksgiving(yay for that week between Thanksgiving and December!). I didn’t wrap them though, and just set out 6 for the week, with their covers facing outward as an invitation to read. My 6.5 year old and 2 year old have loved grabbing a book and asking me to read it to them. We snuggled in and read the stories, sometimes several times in a row. Now that we’re in the last 10 days to Christmas I think I want to make the effort of wrapping and will use the tag pdf you’ve provided. Thank you!!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Kim! I love how you made this work for your family.
Jennifer
says:My mom did this for us this year and we are loving it. Although a heads up that littles may have trouble just opening one a day 😉
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceOh, I can imagine the excitement makes it hard to keep to one a day, Jennifer! But what a wonderful thing to be excited about. 😊
Erin D
says:We do this, and we have a wonderful collection of books from years of playing the game! Even my adult children won’t part with the books they got over the years.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceWhat wonderful memories you have made for your children over the years, Erin! (And I have a stack of books from my childhood that I will not part with either. 😉)
Kathryn Meachum
says:I’ve thought about doing this, but counting down to the Solstice, but I’ve had trouble finding enough on theme books
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceKathryn,
Maybe you could supplement the books you find with solstice-related crafts, with the craft materials wrapped and ready to go? And maybe you can mix in some books that are about the winter season even if they aren’t specifically about the solstice? I hope you can find a way for this to work for your family.
Misty
says:I love this idea. My kids would love this too.
Jenn
says:THis is such a great idea
Steph
says:I love this idea! A great way to flood a home with s love of reading.
Nancy
says:This is such a fun idea.
Brittany Griffith
says:I love this idea! Thanks!
Amanda
says:what a great idea!
Rebekah
says:What I great idea!! I love it! My kids love doing the advent calendar so i’m always looking for new ideas to do it!! Can’t wait to try this one!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceHave fun adding books to your advent calendar traditions, Rebekah! It should be a nice change up that also encourages literature.
Courtney M
says:We’ve done this a few years! It’s a great way to make sure that the Christmas books get read too!
Meagan
says:This is a great idea! Saving for next year.
Kari
says:This is a great idea. We have ordered some additional Christmas books to add to our collection from this list. Thanks for this idea!
Bamallamaburgan
says:Perfect for December morning basket!
Natalia Gibson
says:Lovely idea!
Erika S.
says:What a great idea!!
Sarah
says:What a great idea! You get to look forward to reading a book together every day!
Katie Nolan
says:This is a wonderful idea! I home school both of my boys, and we are always looking for new ways to encourage reading.
Danielle Wenzel
says:I love this idea!
Carly
says:This is such a great idea. We are always looking for Christmas books at thrift stores to add to our collection.
Marie Rippel
says: Customer ServiceThrift stores are a great place to look for Christmas books! Thanks for the reminder, Carly!
Jill
says:This year each of my 4 kids gets to pick a Christmas book each night for read aloud. The 5 year old has chosen the same book every night!
Heidi
says:What a great idea! To keep costs down, I’d start with the thrift store. 📚 💕
Stephanie
says:Love doing this with the kids. Have gotten lots of christmas books through Scholastic for a good price.
Jenya Berelekhis
says:Amazing idea, thank you
Dawn Williams
says:I love these ideas here. Christmas is a magical time for children and adding reading about Christmas themes fosters the love of reading!
Becky Hinton
says:I gathered all my Christmas books that would be possible to read in one sitting. I had 13. I purchased another 11 books. My children helped me wrap them all, not being allowed to really have a good look at any of them. We printed off the labels and they cut them out and we tied them to presents. They had to wait almost a week before I would tell them why we had wrapped them. They were so excited. It has been so enjoyable to sit together and read Christmas stories each day. It’s something that I always want to do at Christmas time, sit and read with the children. But too often the season gets away from me without reading much at all. But this past week has been different, so wonderful to take the time to sit and read together. Thank you for this wonderful idea and for providing the lovely tags.
Marie Rippel
says: Customer ServiceWhat lovely memories you are making with your children, Becky! Thank you for sharing this snapshot with us! I’m glad you liked the tags. :)
Mia Hall
says:This is such a great idea! I will have my kids open the present for the day at our nightly storytime.
Danielle Camp
says:I love this idea!! Instead of adding to the endless list of Christmas activities it’s a simple stay at home way to create memories.
Nicole
says:We’re going to do this!
Morgan H
says:Love this idea
Nicole
says:Fun idea!
Rachel
says:I really love this idea!
Kateri
says:Love this—-unique idea rather than flat poster or flag…thanks!
Kristina
says:I love this idea! My kids will opening a present to read each day.
Carrie
says:This is a lovely idea. Thank you also for the booklist.
Joanna Adams
says:We’ve done a book advent for the past 5 years, and me and my girls love it!
Jennifer
says:I love this idea! Thanks for empowering me to make my own instead of using a generic store-bought advent calendar.
Pauline
says:Love this idea! We usually do a mixture of books, small toys, small sweets, crafts, and decorations. Sometimes we stage a scene for my daughter to wake up to, like elves climbing the tree or getting into the Christmas cookies!
Kathleen
says:We have been doing this for years! All 7 of my kids, even my teens love this tradition.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceKathleen,
I love that your teens still love this tradition! I can just imagine the sweet, homey memories you are making.
Valerie
says:My boys and I are trying this for the first time and are really enjoying it. Leaving all the books out for display was too tantalizing for my three year old, so we just bring them out on the day they will be opened.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceValerie,
I never thought of the temptation that many wrapped “presents” might pose, but I can see how it could be difficult for a little one. Bring one out each day is a great way to still enjoy a book-a-day through the season though. 😊
Kelly
says:What a wonderful idea!
Katie B
says:I love the idea of enjoying a new book each day leading up to Christmas. It would be a great way to have some calming time during such a stressful season!
Holly Huffstutler
says:Great idea! We wrapped an old diaper box and keep our Christmas books in it under the tree.
Kate
says:Love this idea! And thank you for the great booklist!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Kate! I hope you can find a new favorite or two. 😊
Paula
says:What a thoughtful idea! I look forward to trying this out next year with the kiddos.
Danielle Lidster
says:Definitely want to try this next year!
Kendra
says:Such wonderful ideas!
Julie
says:Love this idea! Maybe we can try it for next year’s Advent.
Natalie
says:Oohh I love this idea so much! My kids get into the holiday spirit so much more when we read books and learn about it. They’re 4 and 1. It’s already the 5th of December but I’m still going to do this for them. Thank you for the book ideas. I’ll be looking for a few of them in store so I can get this together quickly
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceHere is still plenty of time, Natalie! Have fun making wonderful memories with your little ones.
Caryn
says:What a wonderful idea and great tradition! We’re a little behind this year but I’d love to start gathering books through next year to set aside for this purpose!
Jennifer Redford
says:Oh I love this idea!!!
Eve
says:This sounds like a great idea!
Tashlyn
says:This is one of our favorite things to do!!
Laura Stephenson
says:This is a great idea for Advent.
Lissa
says:I like to just check out a bunch of christmas books from the library, but the wrapping is to much for my plate right now.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceLissa,
I’ve heard of people buying gift bags or even just putting the books into a basket unwrapped. The point is to enjoy reading together this holiday season!
Shannon Snyder
says:I love this idea. I’m too late in getting started this year, but plan to use it next year with my elementary ESL students. I’ll post the link in Remind for parents too.
Jodi Taylor
says:Great idea. I know our local library does this too.
Jena
says:Love your materials I have found them most helpful with my 3rd and 4th grade students
Kim
says:I love the idea of using books to countdown to Christmas! As a relatively new ‘chapter book’ reader, daughter has a huge number of books on her Christmas list – what a great way to help her grow her library without an overwhelming number of presents on Christmas day.
Jessica
says:I absolutely love this idea! And I love the idea of using library books to lessen the burden of the cost associated with that number of books!!!
Sarah
says:What a great way to build special moments into a busy season.
Katie H.
says:This is a really cute idea! I can’t wait to try it!
Manuel Turazo
says:The blog article is useful. Do you know how to create a Christmas Book Advent Calendar? Reading the whole article will help you to know how to create a Christmas Book Advent Calendar. The article says that Christmas Book Advent Calendar is so simple and yet so fun. And best of all, it’s the perfect way to incorporate read-aloud time into your family’s holiday traditions.
Charlotte
says:This could also be a fun activity in a classroom, where books are wrapped as read alouds for each day, and students get to take turns unwrapping the read aloud for the day. My Gr. 4 students typically love this kind of activity and would be filled with great anticipation of our next book!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThat would be such a great classroom activity, Charlotte! I’m sure the kids would be so excited!
Ann Lee
says:The Cobweb Christmas is a wonderful read aloud!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceOoo, it looks like a sweet book, Ann. Thank you for the recommendation!
Tory
says:What a great idea! So fun!
Sara
says:Fun idea! This year we are starting to do a Christmas book or read aloud instead of our regular morning basket for the month of December.
Cosette
says:How fun! In my home, our advent activities include a smattering of Christmas books, but I’ve never thought to wrap them until I saw your post photo. I’ll add a title, The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree, it’s one of our favorites.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThank you for the additional book recommendation, Cosette!
Heather
says:So many great ideas and never enough time!
Randi Duque
says:Love this idea! Much better than candy!
Randi Duque
says:Awesome idea! Definitely will have to look at doing this!
Shawnna
says:clever idea!
Kathy Dee
says:My kids love this!
Nikky
says:Have done this with my twins and they have loved it.
Ariana
says:My kids love this! Thanks for the new book ideas!
Annette O'Donnell
says:Great ideas!
Tanya
says:Love your suggestions
Anna Gerard
says:I love this idea! And all the tips at the end!
Shannon Pratten
says:What a clever idea! We love doing our traditional advent filled with crafts and community service. Now I will incorporate more books. Thank you.
Lisa Browning
says:Such a great activity!
JEn
says:We read Christmas books at breakfast all through December as part of our morning time.
Maggie
says:I live outside the US and English books are hard to come by but there are free Christmas-themed short stories available online. They can be printed and placed in an envelope.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceWhat a great idea, Maggie! Thank you for sharing it.
Karen
says:I like the idea of gifting books, but this is a bit much – if I gave each of my kids 24 books each year, we’d have an incredible amount of books! Generally I prefer swapping old books for new ones at the library each month. There are just a few classics we like to keep at home.
Meredith
says:Hey Karen! No need to buy new ones!!! I wrap up all of our old favorites for our book advent! After all, advent is the season of waiting and anticipation!! It’s fun to rediscover all our old favorites together. Sometimes I throw in some new ones, but you don’t have to. My neighbor borrows library books and just makes sure they are opened in the first few days so they can be returned in a timely manner. And with 3 kids, we all just share one set of 24 books! They alternate who gets to unwrap and then we all sit and read it together!
Karen
says:Good idea!
Stacey
says:What a great idea!
Bobbye Pearson
says:I love buying books for my grandson! Thanks for the Christmas Book Ideas!
Megan
says:Thanks for all the great Christmas book suggestions
Jennifer Martin
says:We love books and keep and keep our Christmas books with our Christmas decorations. I think it would be so much fun to wrap them, and add a new one each year. It will make it an awesome activity to count down the days to Christmas!
Jennifer
says:What a great idea!
Jennifer Chandler
says:My children love doing this every year!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI bet your children love the wonderful memories you are creating every year, Jennifer!
Carol
says:Thank you for the book list. During the Christmas season, I like reading books about the Christmas season to my grandson. It is a special time for both of us.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceCarol,
I love that you share Christmas books with your grandson! Yes, that would be a very special time for both of you. 😊
Laurie
says:Love this idea! Many of our books would need to be library books though, as we only have a few Christmas books. I’ll just need to make sure they don’t go overdue!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceLaurie,
See how digitally savvy your library has become. My library now has an option that will email me the day before books are due, so I can either renew online or return them. It’s a great service and has saved me a lot of fines!
Tabitha
says:I love this idea! I am excited to do it this year!
Alina Rodgers
says:This is a great idea, especially for the little ones who love to read.
Dianna
says:Love this idea!
Andrea
says:Great Idea! Fantastic way to encourage and excite kiddos about reading!!
Lorraine Gilliam
says:Great idea
Jocelyne
says:Brilliant idea!
mona
says:Brilliant ideas to incorporate reading and tradition
M Harkness
says:Great idea!
Jeana
says:Sounds like a very fun idea. Look forward to trying it this year.
crystal mccord
says:Very neat idea.
Abbey F
says:I might go ahead and wrap the books up this year. Last year, my children read ALL of our books in the first two or three days of Advent, and it was a bummer.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceIt’s great to have such enthusiastic readers, Abbey! However, I can see how wrapping could help to spread the joy throughout the season.
vania
says:This is a very good idea! I always see the same thing over and over but my kids love christmas books and they’ll love this!
Jacqueline
says:I love this idea! I’m excited to start this!!!
Debbie
says:Awesome ideas!
Missy H
says:How cool! We have a special bin of Christmas books we’ve collected throughout the years. I bring it out after Thanksgiving.
Amber
says:I love this idea. Thanks.
Ruth
says:What a great idea. Never done this before, will have to try it this year.
Heather
says:Thanks for this great idea! We love Christmas books!
Lindsay Wilson
says:I started early this year (September, when they aren’t all checked out), checking out Christmas books from the library in September to review books myself and see which might want to add to our family’s collection. There are soooooooo many out there, to choose from, and many of them fell short of whatI was looking for in a book.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceClever, Lindsay, and so organized to start preparing so early!
Courtney
says:Love this idea!
Raiza
says:They look so cute!
Stan Wheeler
says:Awesome idea!
Evelynne
says:We do this every year. So fun!
Olivia
says:This is a wonderful idea! Though I’ve never wrapped the books, we have read special books throughout the Christmas season for several years. I add a new book or two each year, such that we’ll soon have one for each day of December. We also have special fall and Thanksgiving books, of which our favorite is Thanksgiving at the White House, which is set in the time of the Lincoln’s residence there.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceOlivia,
We did certain special books at certain times of the year when my kids were younger. It’s a great tradition!
Dorothy
says:We’re going to do this next month!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI hope you have lots and lots of fun with it, Dorothy!
Carrie
says:I love this idea!!
Mira
says:I LOVE this idea!!!
Jessica
says:So fun!
Tara
says:With having little one that loves books, this is a great Idea!
Molly Patz
says:What a Great idea!
Eli’s mom
says:Love this idea! I like the tip of alternating books with movies! Thanks!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI like that idea too. I love Christmas movies! 😊
Sabrina Lagace
says:Love this idea!
Katy
says:So fun! Thanks for sharing your list!
Heidi Johnson
says:This is a great idea! We’ve learned SO much from picture books over the years.
Sherry
says:Love the Christmas Advent book idea. What a fun way to spice up thereading plan.
Marie Fletcher
says:Although I I live in Sweden I just love your articles and material. Thank you.
Bliss
says:Thanks for the great idea! :)
Emily Cook
says:I love this idea!
Maria
says:This is such a great idea! And those printable tags are so pretty! Thank you!
Allison
says:We usually check out lots of Christmas books from the library; Santa also leaves each child a Christmas book in their stocking each year, so we’ve built up a collection that onlycomes out at Christmas time each year
Jane
says:What a great change to the typical chocolate and small toys!!
Mary
says:LOVE this idea! Thank you!
D. Dorsey
says:Wonderful and unique idea to get excited about Christmas.
Becky Lind
says:3 stories we enjoy:
The Little Drummer Boy illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost, illustrated by Susan Jeffers
Holly Pond Hill, A Child’s Book of Christmas with poems by Paul Kortepeter, illustrated by Susan Wheeler
Linda Difino
says: Customer ServiceThank you so much for these wonderful recommendations, Becky! We’ll add them all to the readers’ recommendation box at the end of the picture book post!
Kathy
says:Great idea. I used to do something similar, but some nights I planned other Christmas activities like wrap cookie cutters and make cookies that night, etc.
Kayla
says:I have done this with my own kids when they were young. This year I think I will do it in class so that they might stay interested and use it as a behavior incentive. Thanks for the reminder and the number tags. PS I am starting my daughters’ collections for when they have kids. Each Christmas they get a new Christmas book to add to their collection.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceKayla,
I love that you are buying books for your future grandchildren! What a lovely idea.
Erin H
says:This is a great idea! I’m going to do this!
Angela Cox
says:I am seeing my son learn to read using this program. It is exciting!
Lauren Rasmussen
says:I’ve always waned to do this and never thought to use library books! Fantastic idea!
Kristin Pennington
says:Great idea!
Chanel
says:Very excited to do this with my little ones this year! Thanks!!
Jamie
says:Such a great idea! I had put our holiday books in our morning basket, but love the idea of wrapping them to increase the anticipation :)
Cindi
says:Love this!
Robin
says:LOVE this idea! We keep our Christmas book collection under lock and key all year so it is extra special when they open them up every December! Like seeing old friends ❤️
Larae
says:Ive heard of this traditional before. I may have to act on it this year. We also love Jothan’s Journey and series that have advent readings for each day.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThank you for the recommendation, Larae!
Felicia McKibben
says:My MIL started this tradition for my kids and they love having a new book to read everynight and getting to open a present! Love the tag idea.
Jenny B
says:This is a great idea. Since our basket of Christmas books is already overflowing, I think I’ll try to think of a way to modify it so we don’t buy any new books, but make sure to read 25 of the ones we already have. Maybe I’ll write all the titles on slips of paper and have the children draw out one to read each day or something like that. :)
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceSounds like a great adaptation to fit your needs, Jenny!
Kristen Inch
says:I love this idea! What a wonderful gift to give your kids! Thanks for sharing!
Lisa
says:I love this! I’ve been searching for an advent calendar that doesn’t foster a consumer mentality. This is a wonderful way to spend time together while creating wonder, appreciation and anticipation. Thanks!
Melissa
says:I LOVE this idea. You have to get the Christmas books on hold early from my library though so planning ahead is key.
Rebecca
says:I want to do this
Claudia B.
says:I have already ordered books to do this, thanks for the downloadable tags! I know my kids will love it :)
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Claudia! I hope you make lots of lovely memories this holiday season. 😊
Marie-Paule Hill
says:I have used this in the past. The kids loved it.
Katie
says:Great idea!!
Laura
says:So excited to put this together for my 2 year old! I have a lot of the books in my classroom, but will also be mixing in bible stories and fun crafts/activities to keep us busy!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceSounds like so much fun, Laura, and great memories in the making!
Caryn
says:this is such a great idea! I did it once before a couple of years ago. had a little bit of difficulty finding enough books from the library that i was able to check out all at once – tip: when using library books, use them first so that they can be returned and others can enjoy them during the Christmas season as well- so i couldn’t wrap all 25 at once. And my older children loved it just as much as the younger ones. This year I think I’ll take the suggestion to mix in a family craft during our Sunday advent night and a Saturday family movie. Might take a little more planning, but i know they appreciate the effort and it creates fun memories!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceGreat tips, Caryn, especially about getting the library books returned so others can enjoy them. 😊
Bee Kirchgatterer
says:My kiddos LOVE to unwrap a new book each night – this really leads into kicking the next year off the right way :) Lot’s of family reading!
Cindy
says:Love this program
robin
says:Can you do this with older children too?
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceDefinitely, Robin! This can work with older children, although you’ll need to get a bit more creative. If your older children are reading chapter books, you will want to intermix books with other gifts, as I don’t know of many people that can go through a chapter book a day! You could intermix Christmas movies and even things like journals and craft kits with the books. Or, you could do a book a day, but choose a variety of books to read throughout the year and not just Christmas stories.
If you need some suggestion of Christmas chapter books, I have a few. My family’s all-time favorite is The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. We also love A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. The Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson is a touching one. The Last Holiday Concert by Andrew Clements is cute and sweet, by a favorite children’s author. I’ve heard great things about Jotham’s Journey by Arnold Ytreeide, but I haven’t personally read it yet.
Did you know Iceland has the most wonderful Christmas Eve tradition? It’s called jólabókaflóð, which means yule book flood. In Iceland, pretty much everyone gives and gets a new book on Christmas Eve and then they settle down for a cozy read right then. Such a wonderful tradition!
If you decide to do this with your older kids, I’d love to hear how it goes!
Amanda Fowler
says:I LOVE this idea! I am going to do this. It’s hot summer right now, but it will be here before you know it!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceAmanda,
Since this picture book advent calendar is a pretty big project, starting early is a great idea!
Genevieve
says:Such a cute idea! We have a holiday book basket, but wrapping them would add a fun element; I can imagine the excitement on my littles faces st the reveal of each one😊
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceGenevieve,
I’m glad we could give you an idea for next year!
Jessica
says:We are enjoying the Advent Book Calendar. Thanks for the great idea!
Brittney Galloway
says:We do this and often hide it in a room and have a quick hunt for it!
Megan
says:Such a wonderful idea!
Sherry
says:We always have a holiday stash of books but I’ve never wrapped them. As I’ve been trying to not use wrapping paper, it looks like I have more fabric gift bags to make. And, if my boys don’t like the idea, then I have lots of gift bags to use next year!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceSherry,
I have long thought that fabric gift bags would be the best way to do this. Plus, fabric gift bags for books would be especial easy to make!
Rachel
says:We are trying this for the first time this advent!
Michele Davidson
says:Love, love, love this idea! Thank you for sharing!
Jennifer
says:Someday I’ll be on top of things and read about a great idea like this before Advent begins! : )
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceJennifer,
It’s not too late. You still have time to do two weeks before Christmas, or even more.
Melanie Christenson
says:Great idea. We’ve been read Tabitha’s Treasure which is an advent chapter book. Very good for many ages. It’s part of a trilogy.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThank you for the recommendation, Melanie! My children are far beyond picture books anymore (sniff), and I know others appreciate chapter book recommendations too.
Kari
says:Great ideas!
Tanya Bedford
says:Love doing this with my children. We have found some of our favorite authors by borrowing enough Christmas books from the library!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceTanya,
What a lovely way to explore new authors and find new favorites!
CyndiN
says:I love the idea of wrapping books to be read for Advent! I have a stack of books I am going to wrap this evening (better late than never lol). Thanks for sharing the tips :)
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceWay to go! It is better late than never, and it isn’t even all that late.
Amber
says:We have done this in the past and the kids really enjoyed it! Great idea about pulling all your holiday books out and putting in a basket under the tree! Going to do that tomorrow!!
Emily
says:I love this idea!
Megan
says:This is a neat idea!
Jennifer Sherrill
says:Like this idea. I want my children to love reading!
anita
says:that is a an amazing idea!
Melissa Bills
says:We started this tonight we absolutely love it!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceMelissa,
Thank you for coming back to let us know that your family enjoyed this!
Jennifer
says:We have not wrapped our books, but we are reading one a day. 😄
Robyn
says:I collect the Christmas themed books from bookshelf and put them in a prominent place on the living room. We read 1 (or 2 or 3) most days through the season.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceRobyn,
I do the same, to the point that the kids consider the books are part of the Christmas decorations! I have always been very open to the children touching and playing with the decorations (at least the ones not high up!), so the books go right along with that.
Amy Stathos
says:I love this idea, but I wonder if my boys would be begging to open them all at once ;)
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceAmy,
Yes, that could be a problem. Maybe you could view it as a lesson in patience?
Andria
says:I could see that happening with my boys…. you could always put one at a time out or under the tree.
Amanda
says:We might have to try something like this. Love it!
Michelle Paul
says:Love this idea!
Gina
says:Love this idea!
Dandi D
says:I should do this with my children–they’d love it!
Judith Martinez
says:I would love to do this! It’s on my wish list for next year. This year we have no room for that many books.
Menke
says:I like the idea, but I too think that it would create some confusion with the library books. Whenever we go to the library, the kids choose their own books and we read them whenever they want, when we get books any other way, they’re for keeps. Not that we usually have wrapped books… so I’m sure I could explain it up front, but I think I’d lean more towards choosing just a few books that I would actually want to buy and then give them on the advent Sunday’s or something (and if possible maybe on Wednesday’s too). That would work nice for my 4-year-old who still really likes to re-read books more than once before moving to the next one. I think a new book a day might still be a little much for her.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceMenke,
What a great way to make this idea work with your child’s desire to reread new books a few days before moving onto the next one!
Ashley
says:We just talkes about doing a 12 days of Christmas theme this way, too.
Sarah
says:Love this idea!
CReed
says:Such a fun way to create some excitement around reading – thanks!
Emily
says:Love this idea,
M Foley
says:Love this idea for younger children!
Jennifer
says:This is awesome. Hopefully it’s not to late to start something like this with my kids. I think they’ll love it.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceIt’s not too late. Go for it, Jennifer!
Elizabeth
says:We’ve done this before! So fun!
Amy
says:Wonderful idea!
Jessica
says:I love this idea so much!
BrandyJ
says:I have never thought of doing a book tradition like this, but I’m planning on starting this year! My boys will love this! Thank you for this suggestion!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou are welcome, Brandy. I hope your children love it as much as so many others have!
Cassandra M
says:What a great idea :)
Amanda
says:Fun!!! Great idea! I may not wrap library books though as the kids may think they are books to keep.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceAmanda,
Ummm, that could be a problem. Maybe you could explain the reading of the book is the gift?
Nicole
says:My family loves this tradition as well! We have a sizable collection of Christmas books.😉
Sandra
says:We do this every year. So much fun!
Kristin
says:Awesome idea!!
Katrina
says:Super cute and fun idea!
Jodi
says:This is a fun idea!
Amity
says:This is neat idea
Jinny
says:Love this idea!!
Lori
says:Great idea! Not sure I will be able to get all the books around and wrapped by Sunday so I may just pick out books that we have (I have some new ones stored away to pull out periodically) put them in a basket and read one a day.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceLori,
A few families have told us they do the book basket approach and it has worked well!
Angela
says:We have SO MANY Christmas time books. This would be a fun way to go through all of them. :)
Jennifer
says:This looks like fun! I may need to dig through our shelves and find our Christmas books!
Chassidy
says:What a fun idea!
Cassandra Cameron
says:I love this! What a great way to show that reading is all fun!
Chanelle
says:I would love to incorporate this into our Christmas season! A little too late this year but plan on adding it to my list next year!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceChanelle,
It’s not actually too late. Many Christmas countdown calendars don’t start until 10 or 20 days before Christmas, and Advent this year doesn’t start until the 3rd. You would need to get busy, but you could make this work for this year!
MELISSA B
says:We should really do this thank you for the idea!
Mandy
says:What a great idea!
Candi Meadows
says:What a great idea, especially since we are book lovers!
Grace
says:What a great idea!
Melissa Holka
says:This is a wonderful holiday idea!
Rachelle
says:I think this is a great idea! Now to get organized enough to do it!
Beth
says:We do this each year! I hide the Christmas books away each year, and our three little ones LOVE unwrapping books, they get so excited to re-read each one they had ‘forgotten!’ It’s my favourite way to do advent!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceBeth,
I imagine you have lots of sweet, warm memories of snuggles with books during the Christmas season!
Sandra
says:This is a very helpful idea! Thank you! We have beeb using AAR and AAS for a few weeks now and we are loving it!
Heather
says:We read One Wintry Night by Ruth Bell Graham every December. My parents had the same book when I was a kid. The pictures are just so beautiful, and the story is told so well.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThank you for the recommendation, Heather. I love that you share this book with your children, just as your parents shared it with you. That sort of multi-generational love of a book warms my heart!
For our family, it’s The Christmas Day Kitten by James Herriot. My mother read it to me when I was little, and now I share it with my children.
Tammy
says:I know someone who did this when her kids were younger. I need to try it!
Kimberly W
says:I have a ton of Christmas books. This is an amazing idea!
Kate
says:Love this idea!
JW
says:I love this idea but our bookshelves are already overflowing.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceJW,
We have had some blog readers say they used books they already owned, finding titles that have been forgotten for a long while. Also, others use library books that can be kept for a few weeks then returned.
N Spradlin
says:Love this idea, we are big readers in our home!
Jennifer Horton
says:We did this last year for advent and plan to do it again! The kids and I really enjoyed it!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceJennifer,
Thank you for letting us know your family enjoyed this last year and will be continuing it!
Trisha
says:This looks like so much fun! We’ll be trying this one
Valerie
says:Every year I want to do this! I’ve yet to wrap them but I do get all my seasonal books out. I plan to do this today.
Stephanie K
says:We have done this in the past and it’s so much fun!
Sarah Gentry
says:I love love this!
Trina
says:We have a ton of books (like a ton) so just for fun I wrap up ones we already home for this project! Nothing better than bringing a forgotten book back to life.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceTrina,
I love the idea of bringing back forgotten favorites in this way!
Kathryn Baird
says:What a great post! I have collected holiday books for the Christmas season but I love the added portion of wrapping them and connecting them to an Advent calendar. Thank you for sharing.
Jess
says:We love doing this!! So much fun for everyone.
Ollymarie
says:My daughter is barely learning to read and is really excited about it. Since it is Christmas I’m going to try to find some Christmas books that she can try to read to me.
Tylee fuller
says:Thank you for this idea! Great book list.
Nathan
says:Thank you for the wonderful resources!
Jenn
says:Trying this my girls this year. They are super excited just looking at the packages!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceJenn,
I love that feeling of children’s excitement! Enjoy it!
Elena Taylor
says:I love the idea of having a collection and am glad some answered my question about redoing this tradition yearly.
Holly Koprowski
says:I have never thought about this. I love advent calendars and will give this one a try.
Krystal
says:We’ve done this for a few years, but I really dislike wrapping! :) So now I just put all our Christmas books in a few different baskets and let each child pick one (or more) out each day to read. And if I want to read one on a specific day, then I always get a chance to choose too!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceKrystal,
I have thought about getting cloth wrapping bags for the books. It would have some of the fun of unwrapping, but would be reusable from year to year AND it would be much easier to set up than paper wrapping. However, your book basket allows for the perusing of the books at any time and may encourage more independent reading during the season. I guess there are benefits both ways!
Mikkel
says:I just put all the books on hold at the Library. I can’t wait to do this with my kids!
Tanya
says:Like the holiday book tradition. Your picture book suggestion has inspired me to have my kids create their own picture book using a 3-ring binder they can create by including all previous school artwork, activities etc. that they have done then adding to the binder each year all the holiday pictures they draw, color pages, mazes, stories etc The binder will be exciting to get out every year and keep out during the season to look at, read and share with others.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceTanya,
What a lovely idea! This will be such a special family tradition and provide such a lovely keepsake for years to come. Thank you for sharing this.
Linda
says:This is the first time I’ve heard of the book advent calendar, but I love the idea! This is great for kids.
Lara
says:What a great idea! My children would love it!
Kristin
says:I’ve been collecting books this year and will get more at the library to make my 22 needed. I like the comment too about doing it with books and movies.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceKristin,
Yes! I think Christmas movies are almost as wonderful as Christmas books. :D
Johnna
says:I love this idea! What a festive way to enjoy the season while sneaking in some good reading. Thank you for this beautiful suggestion.
Sky Scott
says:What a great idea! I love AAR and AAS ! My kids can actually READ now! :)
Emily
says:I love this idea!
Suzanne
says:We have a basket of Christmas books we get out every year. I try to add on almost every year. I love your advent idea too!
Jessica
says:We did this when my daughter was younger. She loved it.
Anneta
says:What a wonderful idea!!! Thank you for sharing your awesome suggestions.
G
says:We do a holiday reading book basket, but incorporating Advent is a neat concept :).
Lakeshia
says:Alassane, has just turned one he has a passion for books and letters especially the letter A. It seems as if Alassane learned the letter A while in my belly. We’re always looking for fun and exciting ways to keep this passion Alassane has for books and letters going while not over overwhelming him. This would be a great tradition to adapt for our Alassane, as we look forward to getting started on the Christmas collection over this weekend.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceLakeshia,
Thank you for sharing Alassane’s enthusiasm for the letter A with us! He sounds like such a sweet and fun little boy!
Chelsea P
says:Thank you for the ‘library list’ and picture book list. This will be great for Advent!
Kris
says:We would really enjoy something like this for the holidays. We love the “All about Reading and Spelling curriculums.
Val
says:When the kids were younger I would buy a new Christmas book each year to add to our collection. Now I look forward to sharing them with grandchildren, though even my big kids still read their favorites.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceVal,
I absolutely love the idea of keeping books for sharing with my future grandchildren!
Nikki Albright
says:That’s a great idea!
Carla
says:Awesome idea and can easily be adapted and used in a classroom!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceCarla,
I hadn’t thought about that, but yes, I think it would work wonderfully in a classroom. Great idea!
Karla
says:What a great idea! Thanks for sharing.
Joy
says:I love the idea of the Advent reading of books. Thanks for sharing the great idea.
Jennifer
says:fun ideas, thanks!
Crystal Kerian
says:This is a great way to add books back into the mix that the kids have forgotten about too, especially for the little ones! The older kids always want to read it to them because they remember that book from when they were small, and being the big kids they are all ready to read it now!!
Elizabeth
says:Love this idea!
Stephanie R
says:What a fun idea.
Mary EM
says:I love this idea of the Advent book calendar. We need to spend more time together reading as a family and this would be a fun and easy way to do that.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceMary,
Yes, this is a lovely way to make warm-fuzzy memories together during the season. :D
Kelly H
says:Wonderful tradition– so much is learned through reading to children and discussing books together (and the kids don’t even realize they are learning or “doing school”
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceKelly,
Yes! We wholeheartedly agree!
Rachel
says:Thanks for the Christmas inspirations.
Tina Cook
says:Great tradition. (my original comment has an incorrect email)
Tina Cook
says:Sounds like a great tradition!
Carrie L
says:This is a favorite in our house!
Sylla Leeza Lee
says:Christmas Day would be forever exciting with your colorful and bright ideas. Especially the little ones. They will be jumping happily & can’t wait another minute for the celebration. Seriously a MUST do!
Tara
says:What a great idea! Thanks!
Jami
says:I love this idea! Thank you for the inspiration!
Kris W.
says:We started this last year and the kids love it!
heidi
says:Fun idea, I’m always late getting to the library for holiday books, will do this week!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceHeidi,
Yes, now is the time to snatch up the best Christmas books from the library. But after you read each one, return them so that others can enjoy them this season.
Trish Martinez
says:Love these ideas! Thank you for jump starting and inspiring our family to make this a fun,new and exciting Christmas!
Trish Martinez
says:Love these ideas!! Thank you for helping to inspire not only our children but our entire family! Wrapping Christmas books!! Yes!
Rachel
says:What a cute Idea! I’ll have to pull out our Christmas and winter books and do it! Maybe I can pick up a few new ones at the thrift store too. Each year we give the kids a new book for Christmas .
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceRachel,
Yes, thrift and used book stores will probably be pulling out their Christmas books right about now, making it especially easy to add to your collection.
Mikaela
says:Fun ideas! Thank you!
Lindsayann Anderson
says:I love this idea! Great family togetherness.
Amanda Ritter
says:Excited to get the books we own out and to put some new ones on hold!
LaKrisha C
says:We have done this in previous years, and we will do it again! Since our kids are older, we’ll do lengthier chapter books but not as many.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceLaKrisha,
That is where we are now too. This year my kids have requested Dicken’s A Christmas Carole again, even though we read it a few years ago.
Kelsey Demers
says:These are great picture book recommendations!
Julie
says:We have done this in the past, I think it is time to bring it back again.
Robbin
says:Last year we followed a December reading calendar from Rainbow Resource. It was such a special time for us, especially since many of the books were first time reads for our family.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceRobbin,
I didn’t know that Rainbow Resource has such a list. I need to go check it out!
Angela
says:Thank you for this amazing book list! I can’t wait to snuggle up and read as a family!
Mary S
says:I LOVE this idea! It will definitely become a new Christmas tradition in my family!
Dustyn Crocco
says:Awesome.
Val
says:Ahh. I love this idea! Another great way to bring the family together!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceVal,
Yes! I love how this idea is much more about the time together than about materialism.
Kristen Koenig
says:We love books in our home! What a great idea!
Andrea
says:Looking forward to this Advent twist of curling up with our littles and enjoying s Christmas story together. Great idea!
Angie
says:This is such a sweet idea!
Alissa
says:What a fun idea! My kids all love books and I’m always looking for more great books to add to our collection. Thanks for the list and ideas!
Jen
says:What a great way to celebrate the advent season! I appreciate all of your content. I am an American living in Switzerland and your work is a great roadmap as I plan my tutoring lessons each week. Thank you!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou are welcome, Jen. We are happy to be able to help you help your students!
Becky Uram
says:Interesting idea.
Angela
says:I love this idea!
Jamie
says:My kids love unwrapping gifts and reading–great idea to combine the two!!
Donna
says:Love love love this!
Nicole
says:Such a great idea!
Marie
says:Thank you- I love this idea!
Pat
says:This is such an interesting idea! I’d never heard of this.
Patsy Foy
says:Great idea! Thank you so much!
Melissa
says:We’ve done this in the past and the kids loved it!
Shannon Alexander
says:Great idea! Also, I never actually knew when Advent started, I just assumed it was the 25 days of Christmas.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceShannon,
I’ve never fully understood Advent either. However, this works just as well as a countdown calendar from the 1st to the 25th!
Laurie
says:Thank you for this idea!
M
says:This is right up our alley!
Courtney
says:I love this idea!
Cj
says:Marking this one down for next year! Thanks
Teresa
says:Love this! We give books as gifts for lots of occasions.
Jessica
says:Love this idea! I️ loving getting the kids new book for Christmas.
Kali
says:One of my favorite holiday memories is 25 days of books!
Jatina
says:Great idea!
Christina Fusco
says:I never thought to use library books! Good idea! I’m a book-a-holic, and I’m running out of shelf space, so as much as I love this idea, I was always hesitant to try.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceChristina,
The library is a wonderful resource!
Christine
says:We do this too!
Chris baad
says:This would be fun…
Sarah Budke
says:I our family we (the parents) give the kids books for Christmas. We started with books about Christmas, but now we have moved to any good literature.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceWhat a lovely tradition, Sarah!
Ashley
says:Great idea! Would love to try this next year!
Patricia Phelps-Gray
says:I love this idea! I always give books as gifts.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServicePatricia,
I love giving books as gifts to young children and parents of young children!
Saab
says:Love this!!!
Pamela Crane
says:I love this idea!
Hannah Johnson
says:Great ideas! Thanks for sharing!
Sarah
says:We love all sorts of advent calendars! Great idea!
Amanda
says:This is such a good idea! So simple yet just what I was wanting for my family! Thank you!
Tara
says:I am getting this ready right now because I remembered it from last year- such great suggestions on the Christmas booklist- Christmas Day in the morning was our favorite last year!
I love your curriculum- my kids look forward to reading so much I have to tell them they can’t do more lessons that day cuz we have to do other subjects. I would love to get the credit so I can purchase levels 5-7 of spelling!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceTara,
Thank you for letting us know just how well your kids are reading and how much they enjoy it! We love hearing that!
Trisha Szczodroski
says:This is a fantastic ideas!! And a great excuse to put more books in my library!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceTrisha,
Yes, this is a great excuse to get more books! Enjoy.
Brenley
says:I have been wanting to do this with my kids for years. I think I finally need to do it.
And I would love to win $100 credit. I have been wanting all about spelling for awhile.
Melynda
says:I really love this tradition! My kids are always so excited to have a new story every night.
Miranda Brooks
says:Cool idea!
Amie Wouda
says:excited to do this this year. We have collected a mix of story books, activity books (like Christmas craft, decoration And baking) and educational books (like a lift the flap atlas)
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceAmie,
I love your idea to mix in Christmas craft and baking books with the storybooks! Thank you for sharing this.
gloria
says:Im excited to get started!
Elise
says:What a fun tradition! Thanks for the idea!
Hollie
says:I love this idea! Now, finding enough Christmas Books…………….
Belinda
says:We’ve done books under the tree for several years. It’s always been fun for the kids. Now my girls are 14,12, 10 so we’ll all take turns reading a book this year instead of just me reading to everyone each night. They each have their favorite books and it should give them a good chance to practice reading outloud to people.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceBelinda,
I like the way you have found to have this tradition grow with your children! Thank you for sharing this.
Carrie
says:Thanks for the ideas listed here. I have a few Christmas books I pull out every year, but I appreciate that you included a list of books I can look for at the library.
Mary
says:Marie,
Your Advent list of Christmas books has a wonderful mix of titles. This is a fun and do-able idea to keep some sense of peaceful and relaxation (reading a good book is always relaxing to the spirit) during a busy season.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceMary,
I agree! Marie’s book Advent calendar is such a lovely idea for the Christmas season!
Nicole
says:This is a great idea!
Heather
says:I’ve always loved this idea but we haven’t managed to implement it yet. We do have 2 advent traditions that relate to books, though. One of our activities on the advent calendar is to spend an evening reading a bunch of our Christmas library books as a family. Even Daddy enjoys this one! We also wrap a new book for each child that is deposited somewhere on their bed after they are asleep on Christmas Eve. That way when they wake up Christmas morning they can enjoy their new book for a while as the rest of the family wakes up. :-)
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceHeather,
I love your tradition of waking up to a new book on Christmas morning! Thank you for sharing this.
Vicky
says:Love this idea. We did something similar last year but we didnt wrap the books. This year i will definitly wrap the books for added excitement!
Rebekah H.
says:I purchased 6 of the books on the list and wrapped them up for my sons to unwrap every half week during Advent. We all enjoyed the books and I will probably get another set of them for next advent.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceWhat a clever way to do fewer books but still have the enjoyment. Thanks for sharing this idea, Rebekah.
Jane
says:Hi Robin,
So great to find someone else who loves The Christmas Day Kitten–it’s one of my favorite James Herriot stories. We did the Book Advent Calendar this year and my family agreed that it’s a tradition that we’re going to continue. I wrote a post with reviews of the books we read. I’ll be adding some of the books mentioned here for next year!
http://actively-reading.squarespace.com/blog/2017/2/3/aftermath-of-the-book-advent-calendar
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceJane,
Thank you for this great blog post and the detailed review of so many Christmas books!
I’ll add that we read The Last Holiday Concert by Andrew Clements this year, and my short review is that it was okay. It has some good ideas about the difference between popularity and leadership, but wasn’t as good as other Andrew Clements books we’ve read.
Mehgan Brooke
says:The past two years I’ve tried to read a Christmas or winter themed picture book every day of December leading up to Christmas with my boys. Somehow it always ends up getting put off until later or I completely forget about it until the boys are already asleep. This past Christmas I think I only read the books about 10 of the 24 days that I had planned to! BUT I had honestly never thought of wrapping all of the books and putting number tags on them all. The excitement of opening a Christmas book of the day would definitely ensure my boys wouldn’t let me forget! Thanks for the lovely tip! It’s so simple, I can’t believe it never occurred to me!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou are welcome, Mehgan. Next year should be especially literature full!
Kim
says:Love this idea!
Cindy
says:Great idea! I will remember this for next year:)
Laurie Hanson
says:Love family reading time during advent.
Christine
says:Love this idea! Sounds like a tradition we may be starting next year!
Nicole
says:My son is love the advent books this year. It’s going to be a great tradition for my family!