Christmas Stories and Books Kids Can Read for Free

Christmas books for kids provide a wonderful opportunity to bring the magic of the season to life in their imagination. Filled with enchanting stories and heartwarming tales with delightful characters, Christmas books for children can teach your little ones about the meaning of Christmas, transport them to a winter wonderland or take them on a summer holiday.

Our curated collection spans the spectrum of children's literature – from picture books for early readers to timeless classics and festive chapter books, some even with a dash of holiday humour. Each book is handpicked to ensure a delightful reading experience, perfect for creating cherished holiday traditions.

Many of the books in our selection include a read-aloud feature to help young readers. Alternatively, you can cozy up with your little ones and listen to the story together. If you’d prefer that your child reads the books themselves, a reading age level is included to guide your choices.

Whether you have a preschooler who enjoys the colourful illustrations that accompany a story, or a budding reader ready for longer tales, our collection caters to a range of age groups.

You and your child can read all the books listed below for free as part of a 30-day trial of Reading Eggs. Start your free trial today!

Children's Christmas Picture Books

These Christmas picture books are perfect for toddlers and preschoolers, though older children will enjoy the enchanting and humorous stories, too.

Once you've set up your Reading Eggs account, click on the links below to read these delightful online picture books for children.

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  Bella Does Christmas

  Join Bella, the adorable ginger kitten, in a heartwarming tale that captures the magic of the holiday season.

  • 15 pages

  • Read-aloud feature: Yes

  • Reading age: 6

  • Lexile: 370L

  • Fiction

• 

  Spots and Stripes and the Very Merry Christmas

  It’s Christmas! Ms Green, Spots, and Stripes are at home opening presents. But when Spots and Stripes both give Ms Green the same gift, they think Christmas is ruined. Will this dog and cat duo find a way to have a merry holiday together?

  • 31 pages

  • Read-aloud feature: Yes

  • Reading age: 7

  • Lexile: 400L

  • Fiction

• 

  Building a Snowman

  How do you build a snowman? Dive into the snowy fun of creating a snowman with this delightful book.

  • 24 pages

  • Read-aloud feature: Yes

  • Reading age: 6

  • Lexile: 260L

  • Fiction

• 

  Three Pigs and a Gingerbread Man

  What would happen if the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf met the Gingerbread Man? Find out in this jumbled fairytale.

  • 31 pages

  • Read-aloud feature: Yes

  • Reading age: 7

  • Lexile: 500L

  • Fiction

• 

  A Silly Kitty Christmas

  Silly Kitty loves his human, Emma, and wants to help her at Christmas. But things keep going terribly wrong whenever he tries to help.

  • 24 pages

  • Read-aloud feature: Yes

  • Reading age: 7

  • Lexile: 460L

  • Fiction

• 

  Chloe's Adventure to Merlantis

  Chloe’s day at the beach turns into a trip to an underwater town full of Christmas and merpeople. What will she get up to and who will she meet?

  • 29 pages

  • Read-aloud feature: No

  • Reading age: 7

  • Lexile: 550L

  • Fiction

• 

  A Light in the Forest

  Set in a dark winter forest, this charming story features rabbits, badgers and deer in a tale of courage, friendship and finding light in the darkest of moments.

  • 16 pages

  • Read-aloud feature: Yes

  • Reading age: 7

  • Lexile: 590L

  • Fiction

• 

  Qiggle Sees Snow

  Embark on a whimsical journey with Quiggle, a small orange owl, as she encounters the magic of snow for the very first time.

  • 23 pages

  • Read-aloud feature: Yes

  • Reading age: 6

  • Lexile: 250L

  • Fiction

• 

  A Holiday Gift

  There is a giant gift for Fay under the tree. What could it be? Fay wishes her Mum was around to help her guess, but she is away until May for her job. What could be the greatest gift of all?

  • 29 pages

  • Read-aloud feature: Yes

  • Reading Age: 7

  • Lexile: 470L

  • Fiction

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  A Trip to the Coast

  Max, Pat and Dad are off to the coast for a week. They cannot wait to feel the cool sand and have a swim.

  • 13 pages

  • Read-aloud feature: Yes

  • Reading age: 6

  • Lexile: 510L

  • Fiction

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  The Jollys' Camping Holiday

  Mr Jolly was excited. He was taking the family on a camping trip. What could possibly go wrong?

  • 24 pages

  • Read-aloud feature: Yes

  • Reading age: 6

  • Lexile: 440L

  • Fiction

Christmas Chapter Books for Kids

The selection below are longer-form chapter books children can read over multiple days leading up to Christmas.

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  A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

  Discover where the legend of Scrooge began in this classic Christmas tale. The story explores the extreme difference between the poor and the rich in Victorian England. Ebenezer Scrooge is a mean, miserable man who loves only one thing, and that is money. He despises anything that brings happiness and joy to people and so he really dislikes Christmas.

  • 5 chapters

  • 187 pages

  • Read-aloud feature: No

  • Lexile: 1090L

  • Reading age: 11

  • Fiction

• 

  A Case of the Christmas Catastrophe

  Lyra is so excited for the Christmas concert that she has a hard time focusing on anything else. That is, until someone starts sabotaging the concert decorations. Who would want to get the concert cancelled?

  • 9 chapters

  • 59 pages

  • Read-aloud feature: No

  • Reading age: 8

  • Lexile: 630L

  • Fiction

• 

  The Velveteen Rabbit

  Immerse yourself in this heartwarming tale where a precious stuffed rabbit discovers the magic of becoming 'real' – an enchanting story that captures the spirit of the season.

  • 5 chapters

  • 47 pages

  • Read-aloud feature: No

  • Reading age: 11

  • Lexile: 1100L

  • Fiction

• 

  Grandpa's Gift

  Grandpa Thomas has come for a visit. He has brought Peter an unusual gift for his train set. As the nights go by, Peter realises there is something very special about this gift.

  • 5 chapters

  • 55 pages

  • Read-aloud feature: Yes

  • Reading age: 7

  • Lexile: 490L

  • Fiction

• 

  Plum Puddings and Paper Moons

  It’s almost Christmas in Cameron’s Creek and it’s a time for wishes, big and small. But Scarlet, the oldest of the Rainbow Girls, is not so sure if wishes can come true.

  • 3 chapters

  • 118 pages

  • Read-aloud feature: No

  • Reading age: 11

  • Lexile: 1010L

  • Fiction

We hope you and your child enjoy this treasure trove of online Christmas books for kids from the Reading Eggs Library. May the warmth, joy and spirit of the season unfold with every turn of the virtual page.

Looking for more Christmas reading activities for your child? Check out our article with ideas for fun, hands‑on and educational activities kids can do over the holiday break.