Twelve Classic Christmas Stories is a lovely collection of short stories about Christmas that may inspire you to revisit classic authors in the coming year.
Twelve Classic Christmas Stories: A Feast of Yuletide Tales edited by Timothy Larsen. Moody Publishers, 2024. 328 pages.
Reading Level: Teens (ages 12 and up)
Recommended For: Teens and up
Maybe your kids have outgrown the Christmas picture books they enjoyed when they were younger. Maybe you’re looking for a change of pace for reading aloud in the month of December. Maybe you have a teen who loves classic books and needs a cozy sampler of work from authors who are well-known for their novels and other work.
Twelve Classic Christmas Stories offers short stories from familiar American and British authors such as Louisa May Alcott, Anthony Trollope, Willa Cather, G.K. Chesterton, George MacDonald, and L.M. Montgomery. While not all of them mention the Christian significance of the holiday, all of them manifest the unique spirit of compassion, love and miracles that are often associated with Christmas. The shortest story was written by Fanny Jackson Coppin who was born a slave and became quite an accomplished educator.
The stories come from a variety of genres, and although some may be a bit long for one sitting, others are conveniently divided into chapters. If you don’t finish them by Christmas Day, you can continue until Twelfth Night (or resume next year!).
Each story is prefaced by an introduction to the author and his or her other work, along with a little background to the story. Footnotes are provided for terms that may be unfamiliar, and the appendix answers the question, “Is Christmas Unbiblical and Pagan?”
Twelve Classic Christmas Stories is a lovely addition to the seasonal shelf that may inspire you to revisit classic authors in the coming year.
Related Reading From Redeemed Reader
- A Review: Home for Christmas: Stories for Young and Old is another literary collection of short stories by well-known authors.
- A Resource: Hmmm…what did Gladys Hunt have to say about Christmas Books?
- A Review: Do you have younger children? Here’s a list of Nostalgic Christmas Picture Books.
We are participants in the Amazon LLC affiliate program and others; purchases you make through affiliate links like the ones below may earn us a commission. Read more here.
Buy Twelve Classic Christmas Stories from Amazon
Stay Up to Date!
Get the information you need to make wise choices about books for your children and teens.
Our weekly newsletter includes our latest reviews, related links from around the web, a featured book list, book trivia, and more. We never sell your information. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Support our writers and help keep Redeemed Reader ad-free by joining the Redeemed Reader Fellowship.
Stay Up to Date!
Get the information you need to make wise choices about books for your children and teens.
Our weekly newsletter includes our latest reviews, related links from around the web, a featured book list, book trivia, and more. We never sell your information. You may unsubscribe at any time.
We'd love to hear from you!
Our comments are now limited to our members (both Silver and Golden Key). Members, you just need to log in with your normal log-in credentials!
Not a member yet? You can join the Silver Key ($2.99/month) for a free 2-week trial. Cancel at any time. Find out more about membership here.