Christmas Novels for Youth (Ages 10+)

by Annie Ho

 

 

I just ordered a bunch of books for December reading and just can’t wait another minute to tell you about them. Never mind that Halloween hasn’t even arrived yet, or that I have a hundred things on my To-Do List…

This is just a book list, please click the book cover to get more information from Amazon. No book review, because almost all of them are hot off the press.

I know these may tend to lean heavier on romance, but hey, it’s Christmas and no one wants to write a dystopian Christmas story.

(Click HERE for my list of Christmas-themed picture books for children ages 3+)

My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories edited by Stephanie Perkins

Anthology with contributions by two of my favorite authors in the young adult field: Rainbow Rowell and Matt de la Peña.

Father Christmas and Me by Matt Haig

The first book A Boy Called Christmas was a bestseller translated into over 25 languages, and it was followed by The Girl Who Saved Christmas. This third title has all the makings of an unforgettable adventure: The adopted human child of Father Christmas dealing with the challenges of Elf School faces her biggest challenge when a jealous Easter Bunny tries to destroy Christmas.

The Afterlife of Holly Chase (by Cynthia Hand)

A retelling of A Christmas Carol may not hook everyone, but who can resist a tale with a twist: Teenager Holly gets a visit in the same way as Scrooge in the Charles Dickens classic. But instead of repenting, she remains selfish and spoiled and then… dies! The suspense of this mere plot summary is already killing me. Can’t wait to read it.

Nutcracked (by Susan Adrian)

As if the Nutcracker ballet isn’t fantastical enough, the author has added one more layer to the timeless tale: A girl (Georgie) who dances the part of a girl (Clara) who falls into a fantasy world, also finds her own real and fantasy world becoming blurred.

Top Elf by Caleb Huett

For those who love a good laugh, how can you not guffaw when reading about Santa’s eldest son, whose first name is… Klaus.

The 12 Dares of Christa by Marissa Burt

There are people who just absolutely love Christmas, and I’m one of them. So I can feel the pain of the “holiday junkie” girl in this story, who is so very *not* looking forward to her mother’s plans to take her to Europe for her first holiday away from home.

The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

A holiday romance to follow bestseller Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares (a cute New York story about a romance that resulted from a red notebook and the scavenger hunt that ensues).

Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Miracle

Three interconnected stories from three bestselling authors. Enough said.

 

At Home With Books – Hong Kong