Our Favorite Books for Advent and Christmas

This past June our basement (and every other basement in town) flooded. It was a catastrophe caused by aging infrastructure and a breakdown at the water plant combined with a terrible storm. As bad as it was for us, we were hardly touched in comparison to some. And while some of the losses hit our wallet a little harder (hello new furnaces), nothing hurt as much as hauling our Christmas books to the curb. Unfortunately, there was a crack in the plastic bin I packed them in last year, and they were on a low enough shelf to get submerged.

I’ve been slowly saving up to replace them, and am really excited to start making some purchases, and so I thought I’d share with you what’s on the top of my replacement list, as well as a couple of new favorites that have just released.

(This post contains affiliate links, see the bottom for details.)

This one is a new title that just released. I’m blessed to know Gracie, and I was so, so excited when she sent us an early copy of The Night the Saints Saved Christmas. Our whole family loves her first book, God the Father and the Best Day Ever, and this one might be even better! Whether you are camp Santa or camp St. Nicholas (or a little bit of both, like us), you’ll love her charming story. Woven through it is information about the saints and why we ask for their intercession. And those illustrations! Wow!

What’s Christmas without Tomie de Paola? You’ll find a few of his books on here, and our collection wouldn’t be complete without Strega Nona! She has been one of my favorite characters since childhood, and now she is one of my kids’.

This is a book that I discovered a few years ago and absolutely fell in love. It tells the story of a young boy who wonders why the town church is empty and the miracle that he sets into motion by his questions. Fair warning- you will tear up, if not cry out right, while reading this book.

This is my favorite edition of the classic Christmas poem because of its gorgeous illustrations. You can peek inside on the Amazon page to see for yourself.

This one comes in all of the usual formats, but truthfully, I will only ever buy it as a board book, because it really is perfect for that medium. With lovely rhymes and soothing refrains, this one is a must with littles. It remains my very best find in a Free Little Library.

My kids love Punchinello, and this sweet allegory is a gentle and fitting reminder of the reason for the season. You’ll enjoy it, even if you haven’t encountered this series before.

I’m a huge fan of Demi, and her book on St. Nicholas is top notch. Whether you celebrate St. Nick or Santa, this book is beautiful. Not just a biography of the illustrious saint, it recounts the legends and follows how the various traditions started around the world.

These are just a few of the books we love at Christmas time. I’ll do my best to find time to add another post to this one, but in the meantime you can check out my previous post on the topic.