Winter holidays are upon us, bringing the opportunity to spend time with family and friends—a time to recharge, relax, and read together. If your family is like mine and you have a list of holiday movies you enjoy watching to get into the spirit of the season, I invite you to add a twist to the tradition. Turn your screen time into book time—“BookFlix”! Try reading or listening to the book as a family before watching the movie. Invite each family member to read a page or chapter, depending on their reading abilities. This creates another opportunity for family discussions as you compare the book to its movie adaptation. Most of the time, the book is better than the movie anyway!
Is a long car trip in your holiday plans? An audiobook playing through the vehicle’s sound system helps the family stay connected in a hands-free way. Perhaps someone needs some time alone to recharge after all the celebrations—yes, even parents! For this, I recommend either a physical book or an audiobook with headphones, as we all need to give our eyes a break from screen time.
Here are some book-to-movie suggestions you might want to consider:
- The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
- A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (available as the original or as a graphic novel featuring Disney’s Scrooge McDuck on Sora)
- A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig (followed by The Girl Who Saved Christmas, not yet a movie)
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
- The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
- Paddington Bear by Michael Bond
- How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (part of The Chronicles of Narnia series)
- The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
- Night at the Museum by Milan Trenc
- Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (the Disney+ series is recommended over the movie)
- The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
- The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
- The Wild Robot by Peter Brown (part of a three-book series)
- Miracle on 34th Street (novella) by Valentine Davies
- The Princess Bride by William Goldman
- The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
- Shrek by William Steig
- The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern (the inspiration for It’s a Wonderful Life)
- The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffmann
- A Christmas Story by Jean Shepherd
So, mix up some hot chocolate topped with marshmallows, turn on the Christmas lights and fireplace, and cuddle up with your family and a good book. You’ll be transported to a wonderful new world or reconnect with old friends. Perhaps you’ll even create a new holiday tradition in the process. Enjoy your reading journey!
– Ms. Nicole McDaid
