Brainstorm 127: ICS's favorite Christmas reads

It's now December. Christmas is just weeks away, so this for this Brainstorm I asked the faculty and staff at my school to share their favorite individual reads or favorite class/family reads for the Christmas holiday. I’ve also included some of the most popular books with students around this time of year. The top picks have been bumped up to the first in their sections, and after them it is alphabetical by title. So without further ado, here’s the International Community School of Bangkok’s favorite Christmas holiday reads.

Picture Books

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss
This modern classic was tied for the most popular picture book.

Twas the Night before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore, ill. by various 
And this poem was the other one tied for the top picture book spot. (There are many different illustrated editions. The ones by Jan Brett and John Steven Gurney are most popular at our school.)

Babar and Father Christmas by Jean de Brunhoff

The Christmas Mouse by Elisabeth Wenning

The Christmas Show by Rebecca Patterson

The Christmas Story for Children by Max Lucado, Randy Frazee, Karen Davis Hill, ill. by Fausto Bianchi

Country Angel Christmas by Tomie dePaola

The First Night by B.G. Hennessy, ill. by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher

The Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett

I Spy Christmas: a Book of Picture Riddles photos by Walter Wick, riddles by Jean Marzollo

The Jolly Postman, or Other People’s Letters by Janet & Allan Ahlberg

Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree by Robert E. Barry

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg


Lower Grade Books

Christmas Catastrophe by Geronimo Stilton

A Christmas Tale by Geronimo Stilton

Heidi Hecklebeck and the Christmas Surprise by Wanda Coven


Middle Grade Books

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
This was the most popular lower/middle grade title.

Kringle by Tony Abbott

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien


YA & Adult Books

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Hands down, this was the most popular holiday read of all.

The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding by Agatha Christie

All Wrapped Up (Geek Girl, #1.5) by Holly Smale

The Bridge by Karen Kingsbury

Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie

Luke Chapter 2 (from the Bible)

Saving Red by Sonya Sones

Truce by Jim Murphy

Two from Galilee by Marjorie Holmes

Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donita K. Paul


The Christmas break is also a great time to catch up on reading or have free time to devour your favorite book or genre. The following books were mentioned as titles/authors/genres that people like to read each year over Christmas break:

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

A book by Malcolm Gladwell or Tony Wagner

A historical fiction book

A science fiction book