December Reading List: Winter Warmers

christmas book list header

The festive season is here, and although it might look a bit different this year, we’re here to awaken your Christmas spirit with a collection of winter warmers. These cosy classics will boost wellbeing for the end of term and leave you and your class with a warm glow that will last throughout the holiday season. 

The Christmas Unicorn

The Christmas Unicorn
By Anna Currey
Age 2+

Christmas is only days away when Milly meets a unicorn. He patters softly into Grandpa’s house on a snowy night and suddenly her world is filled with magic, friendship, and the happiness she’s been hoping for. This is a heart-warming story for everyone who believes in the magic of Christmas.

Buy The Christmas Unicorn on Amazon

The Elves and the Shoemaker

The Elves and the Shoemaker
Oxford Reading Tree Traditional Tales
Oxford Level 1 (Reception/P1)

Share a bit of magic with this enchanting wordless book, based on the traditional tale by the Brothers Grimm. The elves come to the rescue of a poor shoemaker and his wife, who look for a way to repay them for their help and kindness. It includes an engaging story map to help young children retell the story.

Take a look at the whole Oxford Reading Tree Traditional Tales Level 1 pack or buy The Elves and the Shoemaker on Amazon.

The Scarf

The Scarf
Oxford Reading Tree
Oxford Level 4 (Reception-Year 2/P1-3)

Anneena has knitted a cosy scarf. It’s a bit too long, but when the children go to the park, and someone falls through the ice on a frozen pond, Anneena’s scarf is just what they need to save the day. This is a cautionary tale to enjoy from the warmth of the classroom!

Read the eBook for free on Oxford Owl or buy The Scarf on Amazon.

Monster Sprouts

Monster Sprouts
Hero Academy
Oxford Level 5 (Year 1/P2)

Sprouts are often a topic of heated debate at Christmas dinner, so how do your class feel about monster sprouts?! When Mrs Butterworth accidently adds extra vitamin drops to her sprout pie, they begin to grow, and soon become uncontrollable, terrorising the dinner hall. Can the heroes-in-training save the day? It’s time for some teamwork!

Take a look at the whole Hero Academy Level 5 pack or buy Monster Sprouts on Amazon

Christmas Adventure

Christmas Adventure 
Oxford Reading Tree
Oxford Level 6 (Reception-Year 2/P1-3)

Biff, Chip and Kipper find themselves with a very important job to do during a Christmas Eve magic key adventure: they need to help Santa enjoy Christmas! Join the children as they find out that there’s more to the festive season than presents.

Read the eBook for free on Oxford Owl or buy Christmas Adventure on Amazon.

East of the Sun, West of the Moon

East of the Sun, West of the Moon
Oxford Reading Tree Traditional Tales
Oxford Level 9 (Year 1-3/P2-4)

It may be set in snowy Norway, but this retelling of a Nordic fairytale will warm you from the inside out. It’s an enchanting story that puts a feisty female character in the role of rescuer and shows how love and goodness can triumph over evil.

Read the eBook for free on Oxford Owl or buy East of the Sun, West of the Moon on Amazon.

The Snow Queen

The Snow Queen
TreeTops Greatest Stories
Oxford Level 16 (Year 5-6/P6-7)

Travelling through the seasons to find her missing friend who has disappeared with the cold-hearted Snow Queen, can Gerda’s warm heart keep her safe in the frozen north, and will she have the strength to melt the heart of the Snow Queen? Best enjoyed somewhere cosy, this story of ice and snow is heartwarming in more ways than one.

Take a look at the whole TreeTops Greatest Stories Level 16-17 pack or buy The Snow Queen on Amazon.

A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol 
Oxford Children’s Classics
Oxford Level 20 (Year 5-6/P6-7)

No collection of Christmas stories would be complete without Dickens’ tale of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge and his at once spine-chilling and uplifting journey to discover the true meaning of Christmas. The vocabulary here is pretty challenging but we think Year 5 and above will enjoy this as a read-aloud book, or it would offer a festive challenge for your most able readers.

Buy A Christmas Carol on Amazon.


Merry reading! We’ll be back in the New Year with lots more reading recommendations to help you nurture your children’s love of reading.

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 book blogs? Sign up to receive email updates from the blog.