Ho ho ho! To help you celebrate the season of goodwill in your classroom, we’ve gathered together a stocking full of frosty and festive tales, including a few Christmas classics and some chilly adventures with favourite characters. So grab a few minutes of quiet between all those nativity plays, carol concerts and mince pie meet-ups, and settle down to enjoy one of our Christmas crackers with your class!
It is Freezing, by Rachel Russ
Hero Academy
Oxford Level 3 (Reception/P1)
We all know how much excitement there is at school when even just a few snowflakes begin to fall! In this fully decodable Hero Academy story, the heroes have fun in the snow and use Pip’s super power strength to build a giant snow cat.
Take a look at the whole Level 3 pack or buy It is Freezing on Amazon.
A Christmas Story, by Brian Wildsmith
Ages 4-5 (Reception-Year 1/P1-2)
This beautifully illustrated version of the nativity story is a festive favourite around the world. Retold through the eyes of a little girl as she travels to Bethlehem, it’s a great way to explore the story of Christmas from a different perspective.
Buy A Christmas Story on Amazon.
Christmas Adventure, by Roderick Hunt & Alex Brychta
Oxford Reading Tree
Oxford Level 6 (Reception-Year 2/P1-3)
Pay Father Christmas a visit in this magic key adventure. Biff, Chip and Kipper find themselves with a very important job to do on Christmas Eve: they need to help Santa enjoy his own Christmas Day. Why not ask your class what traditions their families have at Christmas time or during other religious festivals?
Buy Christmas Adventure on Amazon.
Snow Troll, by Margaret Mcallister
Oxford Reading Tree All Stars
Oxford Level 9 (Reception-Year 2/P1-3)
It’s the season of goodwill, but Tromso the troll is friendly and helpful to everyone in the village all year round. That’s why, when the village is threatened by an avalanche, it’s up to him to save the day! All Stars is a series of chapter fiction books written specifically for able readers aged 5 to 7, so it’s a great chilly challenge for readers who need stretching.
Take a look at the whole Level 9 pack or buy Snow Troll on Amazon.
Winnie and Wilbur Meet Santa, by Valerie Thomas and illustrated by Korky Paul
Ages 5-6 (Year 1-2/P2-3)
It’s Christmas Eve and Winnie and Wilbur are super excited, but disaster strikes. Santa gets stuck in their chimney! He desperately needs help with his deliveries otherwise Christmas just won’t happen. Will they make it on time? If that wasn’t already exciting enough, you can watch this jingle-all-the-way adventure being told by a professional storyteller over on our YouTube channel!
Buy Winnie and Wilbur Meet Santa on Amazon.
How Winter Came into the World, by Mal Peet
TreeTops Myths and Legends
Oxford Level 14 (Year 3-5/P4-6)
When Hades kidnaps Persephone, her mother makes it winter everywhere in the world – all the time. Can Zeus find a solution? This retelling of the Greek myth about how the winter season came about is a great tool for making some cross-curricular links and is the perfect way to give your class a seasonal story with a completely different focus.
Take a look at the whole Levels 14 and 15 pack or buy How Winter Came into the World on Amazon.
Short Christmas Stories, by Maggie Pearson
Ages 8-9 (Year 4-5/P5-6)
Only got a few minutes to spare before your class have their moment to shine in the school carol concert? Then this collection of festive (very short!) short stories is the perfect way to grab a few moments of calm! Each story is no more than two pages long and they’re guaranteed to bring a bit of Christmas sparkle.
Buy Short Christmas Stories on Amazon.
A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens
Oxford Children’s Classics
Oxford Level 20 (Year 5-6/P6-7)
We’re rounding off our list with THE Christmas classic about a miserly man who discovers the true meaning of Christmas. The vocabulary here is pretty challenging but the concepts and characters are clear, so we think Year 5 and above will enjoy this as a read-aloud book, or it would offer a festive challenge for the most able readers for guided or independent reading.
Buy A Christmas Carol on Amazon.
All that leaves for us to say is that we wish you a very merry Christmas and we’ll see you in the new year for more reading adventures!
If you can’t wait that long, don’t forget that you can create your own book lists using the Oxford BookMatch tool.
And why not make it your new year’s resolution to never miss our reading recommendations? Sign up to receive email updates from the blog.
A most awaited festive is coming, great list of crackers.