Favorite Christmas Read-Alouds

Does your family read aloud during the Christmas season? There's so much activity in December that I find settling down under a cozy blanket to read with my children - even for 15 minutes a day - brings peace to our home.
     
I want to recommend our four very favorite Christmas read-alouds, and if you swipe, a collection of longer picture books to consider reading aloud (each of these could be spread out over more than one sitting). You truly can't go wrong with any of these picks! They are deeply meaningful, heartwarming books.
     
Click on the links below to find these books on Amazon (These are Amazon affiliate links and I will earn a small commission if you purchase through them, without additional cost to you. Thank you!): 
     
+ The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson - The Herdman siblings - six rowdy, challenging children - have taken over the annual Christmas pageant and are, themselves, learning the Christmas story for the first time. This is the book my kids are begging to read again... it's laugh-out-loud funny and ends in happy tears (for me!). 

+ A Tree for Peter by Kate Seredy - This is a short, classic novel that can be read in a few sittings. It's the story of Peter, a young boy who lives in a shantytown, who is visited by a mysterious friend bearing the gift of a small tree and spade. This is a feel-good story that inspires hope and faith and one I would (and do) happily read every year.

+ The Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson - This is the story of Armand, a homeless man who lives on the streets of Paris. One day, he comes back to his spot under the bridge to find a family of three small, hungry children. He makes it his mission to find them a real home. This one awakens empathy in children and I couldn't be more grateful for that.
     
+ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis - Perhaps this one is too obvious, but if you haven't read it before, now is a great time (especially by a cozy fire)! It would also be fun to watch the film adaptation after reading it.
      
     
Longer picture books I recommend: