Holiday reading

This Christmas story is an accessible story that remains a must read for all ages. Throughout the rhyming poem, the Grinch, a grouchy being who doesn’t care for Christmas, learns what the holiday is really all about.  Written in 1957 it is still just as relevant today, with its message that “Christmas doesn’t come from a store”. 

A Christmas poem that is lyrical and moving, this book focuses on embracing the peace and promise of Christmas. Maya Angelou read this work at the 2005 lighting of the White House Christmas tree, a recording of which can be found online. It continues to inspire readers and listeners to find hope and love in Christmas. 

This book is a collection of three stories that take place in the same town during a snowstorm. Written by three celebrated authors for teenagers, and with a host of different characters, readers are sure to find a story they enjoy! The film adaptation can be found on Netflix.  

A classic tale that’s perfect for December. Focused on the March family, it follows the four daughters and their neighbour Theodore Lawrence, as they grow up during late 1800s America. A novel that explores themes of family, friendship and domestic living, it is still as relevant and enjoyable today as when it was first written.

Written in 1892, this short story follows Sherlock Holmes as he takes on a Christmas-time mystery. When a priceless blue jewel turns up inside a Christmas goose, Holmes and Watson must work together to find out who’s responsible. Perfect to read in a single sitting!

A perfect read for the winter months, this novel is focused on two magicians with very different ideas about how to study and practice magic. Though it was published in 2004, Clarke writes in the style of a nineteenth-century novel, taking stylistic notes from Dickens and Austen. This is a longer novel, full of footnotes and anecdotes, allowing the reader to get wrapped up in the mystery and magic of the tale.