Bookish Advent Calendar: Our Picks for 4 of the Best Festive Kids’ Books This Year

Last week I talked about some festive bookish traditions I love and at the top of the list was counting down to Christmas with a Bookish Advent Calendar. Our Bookish Advent Calendar is made up of four books, one for each Sunday of Advent. Today I’m sharing the books that caught my eye and have been included this year.

The Biggest Christmas Secret Ever by L.D. Lapinski

This book also got a shout-out in my Christmas traditions post last week as a perfect family read-aloud. There are 25 chapters so you can read it like an advent countdown all the way up to Christmas day. The Biggest Christmas Secret Ever is the sequel to Step-Father Christmas, which we loved reading together last year, so it was a no-brainer to be part of our Book Advent. Here’s the synopsis:

OK so your mum’s partner, Nick, has a big bushy beard, a thick red coat, a team of reindeer and just happens to be REALLY busy around Christmas Eve . . . what could that mean?!

​Harper and Will’s lives are already full of festive wonder, but baby sister Yula is about to bring a whole new meaning to the magic of Christmas. Indoor snowflakes, naughty gingerbread biscuits and reindeer running wild spell Christmas chaos!

​And with the Elf and Safety Department on the lookout for any unexplained festive magic, it’s up to their family keep the biggest Christmas secret ever . . .

Cluedle – The Case of Rudolph’s Revenge by Hartigan Browne

I’ve learned from past years that we don’t need a new novel every week during Book Advent – it’s too much for us to keep up with. My daughter loves a puzzle, we Murdle-d around England together on our holiday this year, so I knew this would be a popular pick for her. I also like that it gives here some extra festive non-screen based activity to keep her busy through December. It’s a good reminder that your Christmas books don’t all have to be novels or narrative stories – activity books like this, or how-to-draw, or even recipe books would be great too. Here’s a bit more info about Cluedle from the publisher’s website:

Team up with world famous private investigator Hartigan Browne and crack the case by solving 80 fun brain-busting Christmas puzzles. Unravel this funny festive Twelve Days of Christmas themed treasure hunt mystery set at Mistlehurst Hall.

Use your detective skills to discover:
* which bird is hiding in the family tree?
* what the dancing ladies in the hall clock are hiding?
* how faithful hound Monsieur Phideaux can help your investigation?

Packed full of codes to crack, evidence to evaluate, clues to unravel and maps to navigate, Cluedle – The Case of Rudolph’s Revenge is puzzling fun for the whole family.

Mistletoe and Murder by Robin Stevens

I figured by halfway through the month, with the end of the school year looming, my daughter might be ready to have a Christmassy novel to read on her own and she has read and enjoyed a few of the Murder Most Unladylike so a festive murder mystery looked like just the thing. This is the fifth book in the series, but I’m sure you don’t need to read them all in order. Here’s the blurb:

Charlie and the Christmas Factory inspired by the characters of Roald Dahl

I love short stories for myself during the Christmas season because they are so easy to dip in and out of when there is a lot going on, and for the same reason I was keen to include a collection of them in our Book Advent. We have a few on our shelves already, including some Enid Blyton collections, and The Very Merry Murder Club, which we loved last year, and when I came across this collection of stories by a bunch of different children’s authors, all inspired by Roald Dahl’s character, I felt like it would be a great addition. Here’s the info from the publisher:’s website

That’s our Bookish Advent for 2024! I’d love to know this is a tradition you’re trying this year, or if you have favourite festive kids’ books too. Please let me know in the comments!

xo Bron