Reading not only entertains but also enhances vocabulary, imagination, and critical thinking, and the school holidays offer a perfect opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the world of books, exploring captivating stories while enjoying the festive spirit!

In this blog post, we've put together our recommended Christmas and winter-themed reading lists for year groups 5 to 6th form, and offer our top suggestions for educational toys and games ideal for the student in your life!

Recommended Reading Lists:

Year 5 (Ages 9-10)

• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

• Winter's Tales by Lari Don

• The Snow Merchant by Sam Gayton

• The Girl Who Saved Christmas by Matt Haig

• The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher

Year 6 (Ages 10-11)

• A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig

• The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell

• Frost Hollow Hall by Emma Carroll

• Krampus: The Yule Lord by Brom

• The Snow Sister by Emma Carroll

Year 7 (Ages 11-12)

• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

• The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper

• Skellig by David Almond

• Northern Lights by Philip Pullman

• The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder

Year 8 (Ages 12-13)

• Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

• The Ice Dragon by George R.R. Martin

• The Secret of Snow by Mark Wellman

• The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen

• Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Year 9 (Ages 13-14)

• Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

• The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand

• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

• The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman

• Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

Year 10 (Ages 14-15)

• My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories edited by Stephanie Perkins

• Blankets by Craig Thompson

• The Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffmann

• The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

• Every Day by David Levithan

Year 11 (Ages 15-16)

• Dash & Lily's Twelve Days of Christmas by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

• A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos

• Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

• The Christmas Train by David Baldacci

• Snow Falling by Jane Gloriana Villanueva

6th Form Students (Ages 16-18)

• The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

• The Dead of Winter by Chris Priestley

• Hogfather by Terry Pratchett

• Winterspell by Claire Legrand

• The Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffmann
  

Additionally, educational toys and games serve as great gifts to encourage learning and engagement beyond the pages of a book, making the school holidays both enjoyable and educational for secondary school students.

Check out our suggestions below:

• Coding Kits: Encourage STEM learning with coding kits like Raspberry Pi or Arduino starter sets.

• Puzzle Games: Brain-teasing puzzles and games such as Rubik's cubes, Sudoku, or logic puzzles.

• Educational Board Games: Games like "Catan," "Ticket to Ride," or "Codenames" promote strategy, critical thinking, and teamwork.

• DIY Science Kits: Experiment kits for physics, chemistry, or biology that allow fun, hands-on learning.

• Educational Books: Non-fiction books covering various subjects of interest or study guides for upcoming exams.

Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and happy holidays from all of us here at EduBridge Tutoring!