Jolabokaflod for Megan’s family in 2024

Choosing Jolabokaflod titles for my family every year is a pleasant challenge. What would interest each member that we don’t already have in our collection? As each boy reaches a new stage of maturity and I see their own characteristics developing, I want to find a good fit for their personal libraries.

Here’s what I chose this year.

My youngest son is eight. Until a week ago he mostly read comic books like Calvin and Hobbes, Asterix, Garfield, and graphic novels. He recently discovered the King and Kayla books and devoured the entire series from the library. Great, I thought, he’ll enjoy the Tales of Deckawoo Drive series because they’re a perfect bridge to longer chapter books! Then he announced that he wanted a longer book, and started reading the Hardy Boys #1, intending to work through all 30+ volumes we own. I decided to give him the Deckawoo Drive books anyway, because they’re fun, but thankfully I had ordered the necessary volumes to complete the Tree Street Kids set, so since he likes mysteries, I’m giving him those.

My second youngest is ten. He was slow to begin reading and although he’s confident now, he usually prefers audio books. He’s also the most hands-on of all my guys. But on Jolabokaflod, everyone cozies up with a new book and homemade hot chocolate, and he’s happy to read something good. When I saw Glenn McCarty’s new volume in the Tumbleweed series, I knew that would be perfect. (I wrapped it up before I had a chance to read it myself, so I look forward to my turn!)

My middle son is passionate about fairy tales and will wax eloquent if you’d like to hear how Disney ruined Hans Christian Andersen’s beautiful (though sad) story “The Little Mermaid.” We bought him a couple of collections that he can read through the break, but I knew he’d love something fun and whimsical like Impossible Creatures. (I’m adding it to my pile too, as soon as he’s finished with it!)

My second eldest likes thick books. He is happiest when lost in a book, especially if he’s stuck in a social situation and doesn’t want to converse. I chose Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson because none of us have read it, but Betsy and her kids loved it. It’s not terribly long, so we also put a copy of David Copperfield under the tree because it’s my husband’s favorite of Dickens’s novels. My son will be happily occupied for the rest of Christmas break.

My eldest is seventeen and it is challenging to find him something that will capture his interest. He’s into video games and plans to start college to pursue journalism next year, and nothing has really captured his imagination since Harry Potter. But he deeply enjoys the lore behind video games, he enjoys certain movies that don’t appeal to me, he enjoys engaging in theological conversations, and he loves to wax eloquent on how well a story was told (or not). His tastes are interesting, he thinks deeply, and when I came across Scythe at a bookfair, Betsy encouraged me to try that one.

My husband is an engineer and a reader with a broad range of interests. He requested Shepherds for Sale by Megan Basham and also reminded me that I haven’t given him the second volume of Martyn Lloyd Jones’s biography yet. Since Shepherds is hot off the press, that’s what I chose for my Beloved. I’ll get him the biography next year.

I look forward to seeing what my Conquering Hero chooses for me this year! I always put some things on my Amazon wish list that pertain to my hobbies, and I hope he picked Houses With a Story. If not, I am confident it will be something else delightful.

Also, for a bonus family read-aloud gift, I ordered the 20th anniversary set of The Wilderking trilogy. I enjoyed reading it with the older boys over ten years ago, and it’s my husband’s turn to read them with us.

I’m sorry I didn’t get this posted sooner so it would be easy to order from small presses! See what you can find at your local bookstore, and remember…you can still buy books after Christmas.

Related Reading at Redeemed Reader:

Reflection: Betsy has been celebrating Jolabokaflod with her family for years! Here’s a post where she shared a range of suggestions.