‹ News / Book Reviews
Festive Reads to Enchant Your Classroom This Christmas
As the autumn term comes to a chilly close and classrooms begin to hum with festive excitement, there’s nothing quite like the magic of a great Christmas book.
Whether you’re building atmosphere before the nativity or supporting curriculum-linked literacy outcomes, the right story can transform the season.
At The Literacy Company, we know how powerful high-quality children’s literature can be. With the launch of our brand-new Pathways Literacy Platform, schools now have streamlined, online access to all Pathways to Write, Read, Spell and Poetry resources. This Christmas, we’ve curated a roundup of festive favourites that work beautifully in primary classrooms and at home for a cosy evening. For some of these gorgeous books, we have created both free and paid planning, so keep your eyes peeled for links throughout!
Recommended Christmas Books for Your Classroom
Perfect for early storytelling, sensory language, and early comprehension.
Slinky Malinki’s Christmas Crackers by Lynley Dodd
Key Stage: EYFS, KS1
Why we recommend it:
Get in the festive spirit with this rhythmic rhyming story all about Slinky the mischievous cat who finds the Christmas tree rather interesting…
The Night Before Christmas by Clement Moore
Key Stage: EYFS, KS1
Why we recommend it:
A gorgeous wintery poem that will have your EYFS and KS1 class bewitched by the atmospheric illustrations and cozy happenings on the evening before Father Christmas comes!
Three Little Monkeys at Christmas by Quentin Blake
Key Stage: EYFS, KS1
Why we recommend it:
Bustling with chaos and hilarious moments. Sure to bring joy to your class at this time of year.
The Jolly Christmas Postman by Allan Ahlberg
Key Stage: EYFS, KS1
Why we recommend it:
Another magical Christmas classic for all children to enjoy! KS1 pupils especially love this one for the surprise element of opening all the festive post along the postman’s journey. A perfect end of day read for all KS1.
You Choose Christmas by Pippa Goodhart and Nick Sharratt
Key Stage: EYFS, KS1
Why we recommend it:
This story is an engaging Christmas adventure waiting to happen. Your class will love picking a new festive character and journey every time they pick it up. This book is great for building skills such as storytelling and inference.
The Christmas Truce by Hilary Robinson
Key Stage: KS1
Why we recommend it:
A heartwarming story about the spirit of Christmas and humanity during WW1. A great support to both your English and history curriculum as well as showing the true meaning of Christmas.
The Christmas Pine by Julia Donaldson
Key Stage: EYFS, KS1
Why we recommend it:
This book is full to the rafters with atmospheric illustrations which will engage all pupils! This tale is based on a long-standing relationship between Norway and England that was forged during WW1. This relationship now means, each year, London is gifted a beautiful spruce tree! Guaranteed to get the whole class in a festive mood.
Linked Pathways Units: This KS1 Unit is available here.
Inside the portal, head to your year group, then Autumn 2 to find your Christmas unit.
Dasher by Matt Tavares
Key Stage: EYFS, KS1, KS2
Why we recommend it:
A joyfully festive book brimming with magic, which will have your pupils enchanted. Join Dasher on a journey to follow his destiny and become one of Santa’s reindeer. We loved this book so much, we created free performance project units for the whole school!
Linked Units:
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
Key Stage: EYFS, KS1, KS2
Why we recommend it:
Linked Pathways Units:
View the Y3/4 unit on the platform.
View the Y5/6 unit on the platform.
Inside the portal, head to your year group, then Autumn 2 to find your Christmas unit.
A Christmasaurus Carol by Tom Fletcher
Key Stage: KS1, KS2
Why we recommend it:
Not only is this a fabulous Christmas adventure in its own right, but it is the perfect opportunity to also introduce children to the writings of Charles Dickens and his classics, specifically ‘A Christmas Carol’.
A Christmas Carol – Usborne Young Reading – Charles Dickens
Key Stage: KS2
Why we recommend it:
A complete classic! You cannot go wrong with ‘A Christmas Carol’ and this version is a simplified version with gorgeous illustrations to keep all readers engaged in the story. This also makes for a great story for KS1 to read aloud.
Linked Planning:
View the Year 5 short-term plan here.
Winter Magic by Abi Elphinstone
Key Stage: KS2
Why we recommend it:
This is a wonderful compendium of Christmas stories from classic children’s writers that will get your KS2 pupils ready for Christmas. Packed full of jolly stories and seasonal mysteries.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! By Dr. Seuss
Key Stage: KS1, KS2
Why we recommend it:
Another classic Christmas tale that focuses on the true meaning of this festive season – love, joy and true acceptance. As always, Dr. Suess delights with laugh out loud moments as well as highlighting deeper topics for the class to discuss. The illustrations are so unique and joyful, meaning pupils will be drawn to their finer details.
The festive season offers a unique opportunity to ignite pupils’ imaginations. Themes of kindness, community, gratitude and wonder naturally lend themselves to rich discussion and thoughtful writing outcomes. High-quality Christmas texts provide diverse entry points for storytelling, vocabulary enrichment, drama, reading fluency and shared reading experiences.
And with busy end-of-term schedules, having ready-to-go, high-quality units at your fingertips can make planning simpler and more joyful, leaving more time for hot chocolate!
Make Planning Merry and Bright with the Pathways Literacy Membership Platform!
Our newly upgraded Pathways Literacy Platform brings all your favourite resources into one easy-access digital space:
- No more lost planning – everything is stored securely in the cloud
- Instant access to Pathways to Write, Read, Spell and Poetry
- Clear navigation and updated layouts to save time
- Perfect for supporting curriculum-aligned festive units
If you’re already a member, you’ll find the relevant Christmas-linked units ready and waiting for you under Pathways to Write and inside Autumn 2. If not, this season is the perfect time to discover how Pathways can support high-quality English teaching all year-round. Find out more about the Platform.
We hope this festive book list brings inspiration to your classroom over the coming weeks. Whether you’re diving into a well-loved classic or exploring a new Christmas tale, we’d love to hear what your pupils enjoyed most.
Here’s to a season filled with storytelling, sparkle and stress-free planning!
