Tuesday 1 December 2015

5 Holiday Season Books for the Tween Homeschooler



We have a LOT of books for the Holiday season.  
Most are aimed at younger readers. Which has been fine till this year when my 10 year old found his love of reading and has well and truly moved on from the
 'Holiday Picture Book' stage.

So as a tween (I'm told that at 10 you become a tween LOL), what do you give them to read over the holiday season to get them in the festive spirit?

Well I found 5 good ones and I wanted to share.



1. That Aussie Christmas Book,
 by Andrew Daddo
http://www.andrewdaddo.com/books/that-aussie-christmas-book/

Honestly this one is hilarious.  I mean the first page mentions poo - in a very grose, very tween boy humourous way.  So it has to be a winner right?  It is illustrated by Terry Denton so those familiar with the 13 Storey Treehouse books will love this one.  




2. The Horrible Histories 
"Horrible Christmas" books,
by Terry Deary and Martin Brown 
http://horrible-histories.co.uk/9781407136264/horrible-christmas

We have the first one in the picture and we love it.  It really is a wealth of knowledge and funny at the same time.  For a child who is eager to find the origins behind traditions of the season, then this is perfect.




3. The Angel Tree,
by Daphne Benedis-Grab
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20894027-the-angel-tree

My son has started this one and he is liking it.  The book summary is listed as:
"A heartwarming Christmas mystery and friendship story!
Every Christmas in the small town of Pine River, a tree appears in the town square--the Angel Tree. Some people tie wishes to the tree, while others make those wishes come true. Nobody's ever known where the tree comes from, but the mystery has always been part of the tradition's charm.
This year, however, four kids who have been helped--Lucy, Joe, Max, and Cami--are determined to solve the mystery and find out the true identity of the town's guardian angel, so that Pine River can finally thank the person who brought the Angel Tree to their town.
This is a heartwarming Christmas mystery, full of friendship, discovery, and loads of holiday cheer!"




4.  The Truth About Santa,
by Gregory Mone
http://www.booktopia.com.au/the-truth-about-santa-gregory-mone/prod9781408810248.html

I've heard great things about this book. For the kids who are growing out of 'Santa' and want to believe a little longer then it's a good read and I think those who have already grown out of Santa can have a bit of fun with this one.  So it's on my wish list.




5. A Christmas Carol,
by Charles Dickens

A classic and a must have for any bookshelf.  I think by the tween age range they are capable of reading this (although some may disagree).  There are picture book versions, abridged versions (check out the Classic Starts series of books for an abridged copy), graphic novels (comic style books) and full novel versions.  


Obviously there are plenty more books on the market for the Holidays but these were a few that we have and that are on our wishlist.  I would love to know your favourite books for the holidays for your tween so please leave me a comment below! 

Season's Greetings and a Blessed Yuletide to you all.