Every year I wrap 24 books and place them under a small Christmas Tree. Starting December 1st my daughter unwraps one each night. Then each night we sit together and read. The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is a busy time. People are running around buying presents, decorating, attending parties and everything else. Taking a little time each day to spend time together as a family can get lost. This is a wonderful way to make sure you take some time each day and spend time together.
The trick to having all 24 books ready to go by December 1st is spacing it out. Wrapping 24 books can be daunting. And buying 24 books all at once can break the bank. So I like to spread it out over the year and buy 2-3 each month, stick them in the closet and wrap them when I have spare time.
A few of my favorite places to buy books are Kohl’s (I love the Kohl’s Care books – not only is it easy on my budget but I’m helping a charity too!), Half Priced Books (these books are either gently used or brand new for a fraction of the price), Warehouse Clubs (like Sam’s Club or Costco), Book Fairs, Book Stores, Amazon and my local Target and Walmart.
Here are some wonderful books, broken out by age group that you could use for your own 24 books of Christmas. I’ve put a link to purchase each one so you can do it from the comfort of your home! Simply click on the picture of the title you would like to open and it’ll open a new window with the option to purchase! If you do decide to purchase from one of the links below, I will earn a small commission.
Preschool
Elementary
The Isle of the Lost: A Descendants Novel (The Descendants) by Melissa De La Cruz
Twenty years ago, all the evil
villains were banished from the kingdom of Auradon to the Isle of the Lost–a dark and dreary place protected by a force field that makes it impossible for them to leave. Stripped of their magical powers, the villains now live in total isolation, forgotten by the world.
Mal learns from her mother, Maleficent, that the key to true darkness, the Dragon’s Eye, is located inside her scepter in the forbidden fortress on the far side of the island. The eye is cursed, and whoever retrieves it will be knocked into a deep sleep for a thousand years. But Mal has a plan to capture it. She’ll just need a little help from her “friends.” In their quest for the Dragon’s Eye, these four kids begin to realize that just because you come from an evil family tree, being good ain’t so bad.
Return to the Isle of the Lost: A Descendants Novel (The Descendants) by Melissa De La Cruz
Mal’s an expert at intimidating her enemies, but she’s broken the habit since leaving her villainous roots behind. So when she and her friends Evie, Carlos, and Jay all receive threatening messages demanding they return home, Mal can’t believe it. Sure, she’s King Ben’s girlfriend now, and she’s usually nice to her classmates, but she still didn’t think anyone would be silly enough to try to push her around.
The thing is, it kind of worked. Especially since she and her friends have a sneaking suspicion that their villainous parents are behind the messages. And when Evie looks into her Magic Mirror, what she sees only confirms their fears. Maleficent’s just a tiny lizard after her run-in with Mal at Ben’s Coronation, but she’s the worst villain in the land for a reason. Could she have found a way to escape? Whatever’s going on, Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay know they have to sneak back to the Isle and get to the bottom of it.
Without its infamous leader, the island’s even worse than when they left it, but the comforts of home-even a home as gloomy as the Isle of the Lost-can be hard to resist for recently reformed villains. Will the kids be able to beat the evil bubbling at the Isle’s wicked core, or will the plot to destroy Auradon succeed?
Rise of the Isle of the Lost: A Descendants Novel (The Descendants) By Melissa De La Cruz
Deep beneath the waves, King Triton’s powerful trident has passed through the magical barrier that surrounds the Isle of the Lost-keeping villains in and magic out. And when Mal’s longtime rival Uma, daughter of Ursula, gets wind of this, she can’t believe her luck. The tide has dragged in something good for a change, and Uma is determined to get her wicked hands on it. But first, she needs a pirate crew.
A storm is brewing back in Auradon, and when Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay hear that the Trident has been washed away, they realize they’ll have to find it before anyone from the Isle does. Luckily, they seem to have a talent for locating missing magical objects.
As Uma readies for the high seas alongside Harry, son of Captain Hook, Gil, son of Gaston, and the toughest rogues on the Isle of the Lost, the reformed villains of Auradon devise their own master plan. And with King Ben away on royal business, they won’t have to play by all the rules. Using bad for good can’t be totally evil, right?
The thrilling, perilous race to the trident pits old friends-and current enemies-against each other with the future of Auradon on the line. Both teams might like to make waves, but only one will come out on top of this one.
Middle School
Young Adult
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