Are there any Christmas themed books that would be good for older children?

[jennymac]

We always include a Christmas book in the kids Christmas Eve box but this year they are 8 and 10 so am running out of ideas. They still like us to read the Night Before Christmas anyway but we usually have a second new option also. Any ideas or should I just resign myself to the fact that they are too old now?!

A boy called Christmas or The girl who saved Christmas by Matt Haig.

Thanks Shumway - haven't heard of those so will google them now.

Those Matt haig books are brilliant.

A Boy called Christmas was enjoyed by the whole family last year. Its a lovely book and we read a bit aloud every day.

We've bought the new one The girl who saved Christmas for this year. A bit each night around the fire from 1st December.

A Christmas Carol for the older one

You could look for a winter theme instead of a Christmas one? Winter Holiday was for a long time my favourite of the Swallows and Amazons books and I think your eldest might be old enough for it?

Letters from Father Christmas, by Tolkien

Although definitely don't do letters from Father Christmas if your DC believe.

Thanks for the tip Atticus - they do still believe (probably for the last time!)

The Children of Green Knowe? Beautiful descriptions of snow, Christmas build up etc alongside the main story about the children. I read it every Christmas.

Honestly OP you won't go wrong with the Matt Haig Books. I have bought a copy for DN and it is sitting in the kitchen ready to be sent (in readiness for 1st December). DS1 (11) said "Oh please can we read it again this year!". It's fab.

Sorry, good catch Atticus! Mine haven't believed since they were 5/6 so it didn't occur to me. Maybe one for a couple of years time!

I'm getting The Snow Spider trilogy for DD (10) this Christmas. I love a bit of Welsh mysticism...
Last year The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder fell flat. Can't win 'em all.

I've bought The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher to read to DD (6) this December.

When Santa fell to Earth by Cornelia Funke. At that age though I would give them the book on the 1st December and read to them each day. These books are a bit much to do in one setting on Christmas Eve.

We are Germans and in Germany they now do Book-Adventcalendar where you buy a book with 24 chapters, the pages are closed, you need a penknife each day to open the chapter. I haven't found these style in the UK, a shame, DD loved hers last year.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, by Barbara Robinson. It's an American Christmas classic and very funny, about a family of terribly behaved children who take over the church nativity play. We read it aloud every Christmas, a chapter a night, and the kids get the humour a little better every year.

My only warning is that as an adult you realise that the children are badly neglected, and so some of the jokes against them feel a little harsh in that context. Having said that, busy-body church culture and self-righteousness are also targets.

It's also a nice way in to thinking about the Christmas story too, and the meaning behind it. But it is very amusing. The first couple of chapters are on Amazon if you want to look.

this is nice if morpurgo's your bag

We read the letters from Father Christmas by Tolkein and my children very much believe. Possibly helped that they get their own letter from Father Christmas each year with a continuation of the same characters in it.