Children's book lovers! - fave xmas books please

[Laugs]

I love a good Christmas story, but there are so many rubbish ones out there.

Every year we read Lucy and Tom's Christmas by Shirley Hughes and the story about Christmas in Bullerby by Astrid Lindgren. Also like Julia Donaldson's Stick Man, though we do read that all year round.

Does anyone have any favourite Christmas books they want to share? Not too bothered about age range, as it is really for my enjoyment . My kids are 5 and 2 though.

This one written Rod Green. It's all about Father CHristmas and the north pole. With pull out bit to look at and read and pages to open out.

I can't belive no-one has mentioned The Story of Holly and Ivy (Rumer Godden)

Read it but prepare to sob just a wee little bit :)

Hadn't thought of The Dark is Rising as a Christmas book, but it is of course - that's this years bed-time story for Christmas time sorted!

I buy a new Christmas book for the DC's each year which goes in a special present with some pyjamas that they're allowed to open on Christmas eve.

Snuggling into bed in new PJs and reading their new Christmassy book really gets them in the mood for the big day.

The past years books all go in a box and come out with the Christmas decorations on the 18th December - DD's birthday is the 17th so we don't do Christmas before then.

I'm adding all of these suggestions to my wish list for Christmases to come. DS is 4.5 this year and will be getting "How Santa Really Works" in pop up which is absolutely amazing, the pop ups are so lovely and DD will be 2 and is getting "A Very Snowy Christmas" which only arrived today so I've only had a quick flick through but looks good.

We got "Dear Santa" last year which is a variation on "Dear Zoo" which was lovely for DD. I've looked all over for "The Jolly Christmas Postman" but it seems to be sold out everywhere or rather expensive if I can get it. SIL is buying DS The Jolly Postman" as a present too so it may have been a bit overkill anyway. Maybe next year... :)

Oooh I love reading The Dark Is Rising at Christmas time - I try and read it so I'm reading it in 'real time', if you see what I mean.
'Tonight will be bad, and tomorrow will be beyond all imagining.'

So do I Blatherskite.

I love christmas book. Although this year choice by DC was 'Aliens love Panta Claus' .

Amazon are doing really well due to this thread, just ordered three of the suggested titles above...I am SO excited - we moved to Australia this year where Christmas is more about the beach and bbq plus books are ridiculously expensive. I cannot wait to get some Englishy books to read to the kids - thank you for all the suggestions

Have a look online too at the Book People website - loads of lovely christmas books at silly prices. Bought a lovely copy of The Snowman (Raymond Briggs) with a cd for my friend's son for about £4. Worth a look!

My 2 are older now, so past the "being read to" stage, but they ahd a beautiful edition of The Night Before Christmas, which we still have, and a lift the flap Farmyard book (one of those ones by usborne, set inin the farmyard) it was a great favourite.

I've just done a huge Amazon order based on this thread. We have tons of christmas book but I DS loves them. I'm going to get them out of the loft this weekend so I can see what we've got. Fab thread, thank you.

Dick Bruna's the Christmas Story (I think-don't have it to hand) is my Christmas classic-simple and beautiful. Have just ordered The Jolly Christmas Postman-I can't wait-I had forgotten that one!

We like the Christmas Mr Men books.

Has no-one mentioned Russells Christmas Magic? If so why not? It's fab for the OP's DC's ages. You can also get a paperback with CD read by Richard Grant.

Just discovered The Church Mice at Christmas - beautiful detailed illustrations.

To The Dark Is Rising fans above - would this be a good present for a 14 year old girl or is it aimed at younger and I may offend her?

Nobody's mentioned "Father Christmas" yet by Raymond Briggs, which is lovely. Also would second the Tolkien. For slightly older children, what about "The Giant Under the Snow" which is not specifically about Christmas, but is set in the magical period in the run up to Christmas?

munsters - I don't think so - have a look at the Look Inside the Book on Amazon, there's a fairly large chunk of the beginning on there. I'm going to get The Dark Is Rising for myself, I think! I didn't read it as a child.

I haven't read the whole thread but when my older DCs were younger they loved christmas at exeter street - I brought it out last year for old time's sake but they weren't having any of it!

That should be christmas in exeter street (I hope!)

Not for tiny ones but I always loved reading The Box Of Delights (and in summer read the prequel Midnight Folk) and The Wolves of Willoughby Chase. They always gave me a Christmassy feel for some reason!

Jostein Gaarder has two Christmas books you could read then put on the shelf for when your two are teens - Through A Glass Darkly and The Christmas Mystery.

Reviving thread as linked in another one.

Just read get well soon father Christmas by Alan durrant. It also has letters/ gifts.

Am going to get jolly postman and tolkein book after seeing these recommended.

It would be lovely to build a collection that would be read for years to come.

The Christmas Please and Thank You by Bernadette Bainbridge is a delightful children's story book for 3-7 years olds. Just right or this time of year, our children love it. Available on Amazon.co.uk.

oh yes, we got The Christmas Please and Thank You this year. It is lovely. It was a gift for dc from our Christmas Elf after a day when they had been particularly bad "demanding" things in a very rude way
Also loved The story of Holly and Ivy. and am enjoying reading The thriteen days of Christmas to dd1 and 2
I LOVE the children of Green Knowe - was one of my absolute favourites when I was little
We get a new Christmas book for each dc every year and then they get put away in the loft and brought out again next year....we have quite a collection now!