25 Fun and Festive Middle-Grade Christmas Books for the Season

Description: A modern-day fairy tale full of frosty magic, Amy Wilson’s stunning debut about a girl who discovers that she is Jack Frost’s daughter will enchant fans of the Emily Windsnap series and Frozen.

Description: It is the near future, and the earth has entered a new ice age. Eleanor Perry lives in Tucson, one of the most popular destinations for refugees of the Freeze. She is the daughter of a climatologist who is trying to find new ways to preserve human life on the planet. Dr. Perry believes that a series of oil deposits she has found in the Arctic may hold the key to our survival. That’s when she disappears—but not before sending Eleanor a series of cryptic messages that point to a significant and mysterious discovery. Now it’s up to Eleanor to go find her.

This search will launch Eleanor on a breathless race to unlock the mysteries of what has happened to our planet, solving the riddle of the cold that could be humanity’s end—and uncovering a threat to the earth that may not be of this world.

Description: In the bleak winter of 1940, Nazi troops parachuted into Peter Lundstrom’s tiny Norwegian village and held it captive. Nobody thought the Nazis could be defeated—until Uncle Victor told Peter how the children could fool the enemy. It was a dangerous plan. They had to slip past Nazi guards with nine million dollars in gold hidden on their sleds. It meant risking their country’s treasure—and their lives. This classic story of how a group of children outwitted the Nazis and sent the treasure to America has captivated generations of readers.

Description: Eleven-year-old Nikolas–nicknamed “Christmas”–has received only one toy in his life: a doll carved out of a turnip. But he’s happy with his turnip doll, because it came from his parents, who love him. Then one day his father goes missing, and Nikolas must travel to the North Pole to save him.

Description: This Christmas, join Michael Rosen and Tony Ross with their unforgettable retelling of Charles Dickens’s beloved holiday classic. Harry Gruber plays the role of Scrooge in his school’s production of “A Christmas Carol,” and he is extra nervous about tonight’s performance because his father is in the audience — not away for business, as usual. Will the story’s message of Christmas cheer and the redemptive power of love reach his father’s distracted Scrooge heart?

Description: Carol really loves Christmas. The decorating and shopping, the Christmas sweaters and music—she wishes it all could be a year-round event. The only downside to the holiday is that she lives in Florida (not exactly the land of snow) and her only family is her Uncle Christopher, who adopted Carol when she was young, after her father’s disappearance and mother’s death. Her uncle owns a toy company and is super rich—but he’s a grinch and a workaholic.

Then, on a magical December trip to NYC, Carol meets her destiny. Santa—the real man with the bag—meets Carol at the top of Rockefeller Center, overlooking the tree. There he explains that Carol is descended from a long line of Defenders of Claus, those who protect and serve Santa. Carol’s dad was a Defender. And now Carol has been tapped to fulfill his legacy.

Who would want to hurt Santa? Someone pretty scary and shady, it appears—a masked man who’s trying to destroy Christmas! Carol is whisked off to the North Pole on the adventure of a lifetime. Can she help save Santa before it’s too late?

Description: Georgie has waited for this moment her whole life–to dance the part of Clara in The Nutcracker ballet. And when she finally gets the part, it’s like a dream come true. . . .

Literally.

Every time Georgie dances with the Nutcracker doll, she leaves the ballet studio and enters a world where everything around her-the old wooden furniture, the Christmas tree, the carefully wrapped presents-is larger than life. It’s so magical, Georgie can’t wait to return again and again.

Then the Nutcracker’s magic seeps into the real world, putting Georgie’s friend in danger. Everything is falling apart, and it’s almost Christmas! Can Georgie save her friend, the Nutcracker, and most of all, herself?

Description: Santa Claus is not his usual, jolly self. In fact, he’s in a terrible mood. He doesn’t believe that children appreciate Christmas anymore. This year, he has decided that he is not going to deliver any Christmas presents!

Luckily, his daughter, Sarah Claus, knows who to call for help. The Lambchop family! But can they convince Santa that there are still good children in the world? Just leave it up to Stanley.

Description: Christa is a holiday junkie. What’s not to love? There’s decorations! Gifts! Caroling with friends! But thanks to her parents’ recent separation, Christa’s favorite time of year is now filled with heartache. And when her mom announces that she’s taking her on a mother-daughter trip to Europe over winter vacation, Christa knows she should be excited. She just can’t imagine spending the yuletide season without her dad.

However, waiting at her hotel in Italy is a special package from her father: the first of twelve dares that take Christa to landmarks in three beautiful countries and introduce her to people who will show her that hope is alive in the strangest of places. 

Funny, genuine, and feel-good to the core, The 12 Dares of Christa is one fa-la-la-filled adventure that fans of Wendy Mass and Lisa Greenwald will love.

Description: 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.

Description: ‘She is the best-kept Christmas secret of all,’ whispered Santa Claus. ‘Which is surprising, because Christmas itself would not exist without her. She is older than time itself, yet still as young as tomorrow. She is known only as the Winter Witch.’

One year has passed since William Trundle’s incredible adventure with the most extraordinary dinosaur: the Christmasaurus. Now, William is swept back to the magical North Pole, where he meets the mysterious, icy Winter Witch – whose power to control time allows Santa Claus to make the long journey all around the world every Christmas Eve.

And when they learn that the fate of Christmas itself hangs in the balance, William and the Christmasaurus must work with the Winter Witch to protect it…

Description: Fans of the Big Nate and Diary of a Wimpy Kid series will love this laugh-out-loud funny Christmas adventure packed with comic illustrations.

When Bobbie’s hilariously bumbling efforts to save her brother’s Christmas actually land him on Santa’s Naughty List, she must travel to the North Pole to make things right again and save Christmas. Bobbie suddenly finds herself on an epic holiday adventure complete with rogue elves, dysfunctional reindeer, a lazy Santa, and more.

Description: The elves can’t be kept on shelves in this hilarious middle-grade debut about what happens when Santa opens a contest to find his successor.

These elves are off the shelves.Ollie and Celia think they know what the life of an elf is supposed to be like: Make toys. Help Santa. Make more toys. Help Santa. Try out a new ice-cream flavor. Help Santa.But then Santa rocks the North Pole with a surprise announcement! He’s decided this is going to be his last year in the Big Red Suit–and instead of letting his oldest son, the unfortunately named Klaus Claus, take over, he’s opening up the job to an kid who wants to apply–Claus or elf.The Santa Trials have begun!Ollie and Celia enter the contest, having no idea whatsoever that they’ll soon have to squeeze through impossible chimneys, race runaway sleighs, sweet-talk a squad of rowdy reindeer, and consume cruel amounts of cookies and milk. It’s both an adventure and a survival test, far beyond what any elf or Claus has been asked to do before. But whoever rises to the top will get a reward even bigger than Christmas . . .

Description: Rick Scroogeman hates Christmas. He can’t stand the carols and the pageants. He can’t stand the lights and the mistletoe. But what he hates the most is having to watch the old movie A Christmas Carol every year at school. Since his name is Scroogeman, all of his classmates start calling him Scrooge. And he hates being called Scrooge.

But everything starts to change when three ghosts visit him. At first, he thinks it’s a dream. But then he realizes that it might be a nightmare. A nightmare that could become real.

Description: When Aviva Davis and Holly Martin meet at the holiday pageant tryouts for their local senior’s center, they think they must be seeing double. While they both knew they were adopted, they had no idea they had a biological sibling, let alone an identical twin! The similarities are only skin deep, though, because while Aviva has a big personality and even bigger Broadway plans, Holly is more the quiet dreamer type who longs to become a famous author like her grandfather.

One thing the girls do have in common is their curiosity about how the other celebrates the holidays. What better way to discover the magic of the holidays than to experience them firsthand? The girls secretly trade lives, planning to stage a dramatic reveal to their families. Two virtual strangers swapping homes, holidays, and age-old traditions–what could possibly go wrong? Find out in this sweet as a sugarplum and satisfying as a latke middle grade novel by Marissa Meyer, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Lunar Chronicles, and Joanne Levy, award-winning author of Sorry for Your Loss and several other books for tweens.

Description: Welcome to Holiday High, a magical school that exists for those who believe in holidays most, a place where holidays inspire year-round. When legacy enrollee Eve December is surprisingly placed into the haunted Halls of Halloween High, all her Christmas dreams disappear into a thick moonlit fog. With only one chance to earn her way back to Campus Christmas, Eve must lead a misfit crew of ghouls, monsters, witches, and costume keepers to reignite a forgotten All Hallows’ Eve tradition of magic, music, and song… just in time for a Christmas miracle that proves there’s more than one place our hearts can belong. From the fantastic imagination of Hocus Pocus 2 co-writer Blake Harris

Description: Don’t think there’s anything worse than not getting what you want for Christmas? Try finding out that you’re getting that gift you always dreamed of — only to have it taken away.

That’s exactly what happens to seventh-grader Mitch Murphy.

Just hours after discovering that he’s finally getting a Playstation 4 for Christmas, Mitch’s cousins get into a blowout Thanksgiving food fight and lose their Christmas presents as punishment. A mere bystander in the brawl, Mitch receives no mercy and is caught in the collateral damage.

Stripped of the gift he spent the past two years obsessing over, all hope is lost for Mitch … that is until he discovers where all of their presents are being stashed. With new life and one shot at his Playstation, Mitch must corral his motley crew of cousins to help him steal their presents back. But if they want to stand any chance of pulling off their holiday heist, they must first learn to work togeth

Description: Krampus Night is coming, bringing dark fairy tales, waking legends and a magical battle for the heart of Christmas.

Gabrielle Greene has just been crowned the worst girl who ever lived, and she doesn’t know it yet but she’s leaped to the top of Krampus’ naughty list. Krampus, the mysterious sinister Winter King. Krampus the warden of Christmas who comes calling once a year seeking wicked children to haul back to his snowy lands.

When Gabrielle’s younger brother vanishes she sets out searching for him but soon finds herself hurtling into a shadowy otherworld. A place of terrible trolls, murky forests, coal-black mountains, Christmas charms and fearsome beasts.

Can Gabrielle rescue her brother from the fiendish Krampus? Will she become The Thief of Christmas?
As the clock ticks Gabrielle discovers her decisions have created terrible consequences, consequences that she must face if she’s going to stand a chance of saving Christmas.

Description: Eleven-year-old Juniper Lane is thrown into a Christmas adventure like no other when she seeks the help of a mysterious woodsman living in her local park, who she suspects is Santa himself, and accidentally gets exposed to North Pole magic. Join a boisterous cast of characters―including a neighbor who always believed in Santa, a young reindeer in training, and a cutthroat crime boss out to steal Santa’s magic―on an unpredictable journey bursting with Eoin Colfer’s signature exuberance and merriment. Complete with cheerful, festive illustrations, this is a beautifully packaged tale of wonder, sure to delight readers and inspire the Christmas spirit in the whole family.

Description: It’s the last day of school before Christmas vacation and Alex, Chase, and the rest of Mrs. Walter’s fifth-grade class couldn’t wish more for the final bell to ring. But the day takes a crazy turn when a mysterious meteorite crashes through the classroom window—and a genie pops out! Bob, as he’s called, is willing to grant only one wish for the class to share, and if they can’t agree on something before the bell rings in an hour, they’ll get nothing at all. What follows is a debate that is at turns thought-provoking and hilarious—and at all times irresistible.

Description: Shipwrecked in the Arctic Tundra, a young Nicholas and his loyal dog, Barry, stumble upon the enchanted and mysterious world of One True North—home to gnomes, fairies, and, of course, magical elves. Nicholas discovers that these special creatures protect a powerful relic known as the Lumistella Stone, a shard of the Christmas star that fell to Earth thousands of years ago. To those who believe, the stone holds the power to spread goodwill and love throughout the universe. But its strength can be extinguished. Gangleri, a powerful force driven by greed and hate, seeks to snatch the Lumistella Stone for his own sinister ambitions. With his army of twisted monsters and beasts known as Lightalfs, Gangleri will launch an attack that will end One True North forever.

Now caught in the crosshairs of an ancient prophecy, Nicholas and his new fellowship must battle Gangleri and his army. Can a little boy find the courage to become the noble hero that One True North—and the rest of the universe—so desperately needs? Only if he chooses to believe. . . . 

Description: Christmas is the most magical time of the year. Between the decorations, the movies, and the fun family traditions, you can truly feel the Christmas spirit. While visiting a local Christmas store, things seem to take a terrifying turn when Kelsey notices the store owner, Madame Trudeau, performing a strange ritual over the trio of elf dolls her younger brother Colby picked out.

Strange and chilling occurrences lead Kelsey to believe the dolls can come to life. What’s scarier than a creepy doll? How about three vengeful elf dolls?

Description: It’s going to be the best Christmas ever. Abigail’s cousin is visiting, plus there’s snow, presents, and a new puppy to play with. Best of all, Abigail has a plan for an amazing Christmas contest, which she aims to win!

But when the cousins come together, it isn’t long before jealousy threatens to steal Abigail’s joy.
Join the Christmas chaos as 9-year-old Abigail learns that the joy that Jesus brings is the kind of joy that can never be taken away, and see the good news of the Nativity story come alive in her life!

Description: A magical adventure to find the true recipe for Christmas.

When Lucas finds a mysterious, glowing cookie on his windowsill, he never imagines it will lead him on a magical Christmas adventure.

Together with his clever and courageous friend Ellie, Lucas follows a trail of golden crumbs that takes them to the long-forgotten Sugarplum Factory and a collection of enchanted recipes. But the factory’s power is cold, and its magic has faded, just like the Christmas spirit in their town, Silverpine.

Guided by a friendly talking snow globe and the spirit of a magical oven, Lucas and Ellie must gather selfless wishes, bake the legendary Heartspice Cookies, and awaken Silverpine to the true meaning of Christmas: sharing, kindness, and believing in the impossible.

Full of heart, wonder, and the warm, comforting scent of freshly baked cookies, The Christmas Cookie Chronicles is a timeless holiday tale that proves the sweetest gifts are always the ones shared from the heart.

Description: New friendships, school drama, and a dash of Christmas magic-The Jingle Bell Pact is a feel-good middle grade novel perfect for readers who love heartwarming holiday stories with real-world lessons about kindness and courage.

When Julia moves from Kansas to New York, she’s ready for a new start-until she runs into Francesca, leader of the “Gridlock Girls,” a group that rules the halls of Bellows Middle School. Luckily, Julia quickly bonds with Savannah, a spirited science lover from Georgia, and the two become inseparable.

But as the holiday season approaches and the school begins planning its annual Jingle Bell Dance, tensions rise. Can Savannah and Julia melt the ice between the “in-crowd” and the new kids by spreading a little Christmas cheer? Or will old grudges ruin their season of joy?

Through laughter, challenges, and the power of friendship, Julia and Savannah learn that the truest gifts aren’t wrapped under a tree-they’re found in the people who stand by you when things get tough.