December is the most wonderful time of the year to cozy up with and read great Christmas read alouds. Give your kids the gift of literacy and the experience of reading great books, this Christmas and beyond. Often, your kids will not remember the presents under the tree, but they will always remember your presence while sharing great read alouds together. Here are some fun books that will make the season even merrier and brighter while keeping everyone laughing and smiling throughout.
Here I share the nine best Christmas read alouds for elementary age kids.
There’s nothing more special than bonding with your children while reading aloud stories. It’s a tradition that should never end. Here are some great books to share with your kids this holiday season. These picture books read aloud will help your voracious and reluctant reader repeatedly fall in love with reading. The benefits of the 15 minute daily Read Aloud are amazing. Learn more about these benefits here in this Free Guide.
Here, some of the best christmas read alouds for elementary children shared.
Great Christmas picture books to read aloud
I carefully selected and reviewed 9 books. I deliberately chose black book characters, so children and families can have a deeper connection to the text by seeing more of their cultural Christmas and holiday traditions shared.
Christmas Read Alouds: I got the Christmas Spirit by Connie Schofield-Morrison
Making Spirits bright is what this Christmas Read Alouds does from the cover to the last page. I got the Christmas Spirit engaged all my senses while I followed a joyful little girl and her mother throughout the day. The sounds of jingle bells, the taste of roasted chestnuts, the sound of a favorite Christmas carol, the sights of beautiful twinkling colorful lights, and the feel of wet snow and whirling wind all remind us of the wonders of this time of the year.
From the JINGLE! JINGLE! bells ringing to the BLING! BLING! of the twinkling lights this book is a pure delight. It will surely bring a big grin to your face as you turn every beautifully illustrated page that magnificently captures the essence of Christmas. This beautiful picture book read aloud encourages us to allow our Christmas spirit to soar 365 days of the year.
Christmas Read Alouds: Silent Night by Lara Hawthorne
Silent Night by Lara Hawthorne is a captivating Christmas Read Alouds that gloriously depicts the birth of Jesus Christ and the journey of his parents through the lyrics of the beloved popular Silent Night carol. A special way to celebrate Christmas Eve is to read about the celebration of the holy child. The illustrations on every page transported me into this special night illuminated by the beauty of the stars and the moon as we follow Joseph and Mary into the manger where Christ is born. Diverse shepherds, angels, and wise men fill the pages. Silent Night is an uplifting Nativity story everyone should readily embrace.
Christmas Read Alouds: Carla and the Christmas Cornbread by Carla Hall
Carla and the Christmas Cornbread is a heartwarming Christmas Read Alouds story from beginning to end. The most treasured gift given to a child is to spend time with family and make memories. Carla loves Christmas and grandma’s delicious cornbread. Carla made a mistake she believes ruined Christmas. However, Carla and grandma make a Christmas cornbread that saves the day. Those of us blessed to have a Big Mamma and Pop Pop know that there is nothing more magical than spending the Christmas holiday with our grandparents. They have a way of making everything all right and teaching us valuable lessons along the way. Lessons that last a lifetime. This book may help you and your child begin a new Christmas tradition. A shared cornbread recipe makes this a delightful and treasured story for both parents and kids.
Christmas Read Alouds: Santa’s Secret by Britney Harris
What is Santa’s Secret?
In Santa’s Secret, Carson’s only wish is to spend the day with Santa. Carson has a Christmas adventure with Santa that includes an elf village made out of gingerbread houses, a reindeer, a sleigh, a tasty cookie shop, and a magical snow globe that takes him back home. Upon returning home Carson discovers his beloved grandpa shares the same secret as Santa. Grab this Christmas read alouds. This well-written story is whimsical and magical. On the cover illustration is a little boy. However, I recommend you read it with your upper elementary child. The book has a complex vocabulary. You and your child will both love discovering the secret together.😉
Christmas Read Alouds: Charlotte and the Nutcracker by Charlotte Nebres
The Nutcracker ballet at Lincoln Center in NYC is a beloved yearly production that announces the Christmas season for all. People travel from all over the world to see this production. In 2019, Charlotte Nebres made history as the first Black female to get the role of the main character Marie with the New York Ballet Company. She was only eleven years old.
Making Dreams Come True
Charlotte and the Nutcracker is an autobiographical picture book read aloud. It is inspiring and speaks to the importance of representation in every area of life. In this story, our children will learn about the hard work and discipline of Charlotte and her family. This made her dream of dancing in a big production a reality. Woven throughout this beautiful story are the Christmas traditions of Charlotte’s beautiful Trinidadian and Philipino family This Christmas read alouds will remind our children about the joy of Christmas with family, and the power of believing in themselves.
Christmas Read Alouds: The 12 Days of a Soul Food Christmas by LaShonda M. Steward
The author of this enchanting Christmas Read Alouds describes the book as a “new version of the 12 days of Christmas with a soul food twist.” I must warn you not to read The 12 Days of Soul Food when you are hungry. This nostalgic tale transported me back to childhood with my own Big Mama who I lovingly called Gram.
Big Mama’s house was the central gathering place for holidays. This book is in tribute to Big Mamas who spoil their grandchildren. They are the bedrock of the black community. As you read this book aloud you will undoubtedly find yourself singing to the tune of 12 days of Christmas and reminiscing about your own wonderful holiday meals and memories with family.
Christmas Read Alouds: Grace at Christmas by Mary Hoffman
This Christmas Read Alouds the newest addition to the acclaimed Amazing Grace Series by Mary Hoffman. Grace at Christmas gives us all the holiday feels from the beautiful cover art to every well crafted word written. Grace loves Christmas above all else. Normally it was just Grace, her mom, and Nana for Christmas.
The Real Meaning of Christmas
However, this year her mother would allow a friend’s relatives to stay with them during the holiday. Grace is annoyed. They stayed in her room. Nana and her mom tried to encourage grace to have a sharing and caring attitude. Will Grace learn the real meaning of Christmas this holiday season? Can an unexpected Christmas interruption be just the thing Grace needs this year? This is a great picture book read aloud to discuss themes of friendship, belonging, kindness, family, love, and the true meaning of Christmas.
Christmas Read Alouds: The Nutcracker in Harlem T.E. McMorrow
The Harlem Renaissance period is wonderfully captured in this splendid Christmas Read Alouds. The Nutcracker in Harlem displays the souls of black folks and our cultural relationship with music and arts. This jazzy retelling of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A Hoffman reimagines the music of Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet music with a different type of bopping beat.
The Magic of Christmas
When Marie’s uncle gives her a nutcracker for Christmas she goes on an incredible journey that features a drummer boy, a mouse army, and toy soldiers. This fantasy picture book read aloud concludes with Marie awakening from her dream and discovering the joy of her musical heritage. The Harlem Renaissance was the birthplace of so many different art forms within the black community and this wonderful Christmas Read Alouds will help your child discover this era and how it uplifted and shaped the artistic styles of today. Read the Author’s Note at the end to help begin conversations with your child.
Christmas Read Alouds: Soulful Holidays by Clara L. Hill
Cozy up with Soulful Holidays. This charming gem is a Christmas Read Alouds you and your child will both relate to. African American cultural traditions are celebrated. This book is poetically and lyrically appealing. The story is in rhyming verses. Highlighted is the way many black families celebrate Christmas and/or Kwanzaa.
Christmas and Kwanzaa
The author certainly captured many of my family’s Christmas traditions. We learn about the 7 guiding principles of Kwanzaa and how we can apply these principles daily and throughout the year. The merriment of Kwanzaa and Christmas are enhanced by our soulfulness. Soulful Holiday is beautifully illustrated and highlights our colorful and vibrant heritage. I love that this book also includes coloring pages for the kids to enjoy and they are able to draw a picture of their own soulful holiday.
Join our Monarch Literacy Reading Club
In addition to bonding with your children through Read Alouds, another way to gift them the joy of reading is to provide them with an opportunity to read with their peers. Recently, I became alarmed by the Nations Report Card (NAEP). It showed the largest drop in reading achievement since the 1980s. I must do my part to help. I will assist children with enjoying reading while improving reading comprehension through engaging with great books. Therefore I will be facilitating virtual book clubs for kids in grades 3-5 beginning in the Spring of 2023. Spaces are limited. Join the waitlist now.
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Many of the books shared celebrate Christmas traditions that reflect the African American experience. What are some of your favorite cultural Christmas traditions? I look forward to you leaving a comment below and sharing your Christmas with us in the spirit of building a soulful community.
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More Ideas for Reading Aloud and Bonding with Books Beyond Christmas
https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/read-aloud-to-children/
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