Winter Holiday Booklist Collection
The following Colorín Colorado booklists highlight diverse stories about the winter holidays (and winter weather!) across cultures and languages. Related resources for schools and families are also included below.
Image: Miracle on 133rd Street by Sonia Manzano and Marjorie Priceman
Colorín Colorado Booklists
Winter Holiday Booklist
Colorín Colorado presents a diverse collection of winter holiday books to share about Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Many of these stories deal with themes of starting over in a new home, as well as special family traditions across cultures.
Christmas Stories: Hispanic Heritage
From the adventures of Santa's Mexican cousin to the rituals of preparing for Three Kings Day and Las posadas, these stories celebrate time-honored Latino holiday traditions with warmth, wit, and fun.
Christmas Stories: American Indian Heritage
In these holiday tales, find out what happens when Coyote goes Christmas shopping and when children in the Arctic circle who haven't seen trees before are presented with strange, spindly Christmas trees!
Winter Stories: Asian Pacific American Heritage
These stories celebrate highlight winter tales and snow-themed stories written by Asian Pacific American creators, as well as special winter holiday traditions that many Asian Pacific American families carry on, adapt, and remember.
Snow, Snow, Snow!
These cozy, snowy stories are perfect for bedtime or for curling up on the couch! From beautiful wordless books to colorful stories about the first snowfall in a new home, these stories will provide enjoyment for readers young and old alike. Many of the books are available in Spanish.
Related Resources
More booklists
- Multicultural Book Award Winners (Colorín Colorado)
- The Gift of Reading: Beautiful Books for Children (Colorín Colorado)
- Books as Gifts: Holiday Buying Guide (Reading Rockets)
- Hanukkah Books for Kids of All Ages (PJ Library)
- African-American Children’s Books for Christmas and Kwanzaa (InCulture Parent)
- Read Across America: Celebrating a Nation of Diverse Readers (National Education Association)
Booklists for young adults
- Diverse Books for Young Adults (Colorín Colorado)
- Themed Booklists for Young Adults (AdLit.org)
Articles and tips: Families
- The Gift of Reading (Colorín Colorado)
- Language & Literacy Tips for Families in 16 Languages (Colorín Colorado)
- Parent Tips in 13 Languages: Reading with Your Child (Colorín Colorado)
- Winter Vacation: 10 Reading Ideas for Parents (Colorín Colorado)
Classroom resources
- Culturally Responsive Instruction for Holiday and Religious Celebrations (Colorín Colorado)
- The December Dilemma: Acknowledging Religious Holidays in the Classroom (Edutopia)
- The December Dilemma and English Language Learners (everythingESL)
- Teaching Elementary-Age ELLs the Hidden Curriculum (TESOL Blog)
- TESOL Resource Roundup: December Holidays (TESOL Connections)
- The December Dilemma: Webinar (Learning for Justice)
- Winter Holidays for ELLs (A World of Language Learners)
- Teaching the Holidays: The December Dilemma (Education Week)
- How Are You Approaching Holidays with Sensitivity in the Classroom? (BAM! Educators Radio Network)
- Islam in the Classroom (School Library Journal)
- Classroom Resources About Religion (Learning for Justice)
Multilingual Videos for Families
The following multilingual videos offer ideas for how all families can support literacy at home in their home language!
Being Bilingual Is a SuperPower: Animated Video 8 Languages
These animated videos, available in 8 languages, offer ideas on how families can support their child's literacy through activities that celebrate language, culture, and special time together at home! This project features the artwork of award-winning illustrator Rafael López.
Family Literacy Tips for All Families: Video Series in English and Spanish
All families can help their children become readers! These videos offer practical tips for all families on how to support reading at home, regardless of the adults' literacy level. These videos are available in English and Spanish and feature early literacy expert Bernadette Pilar Zermeño.
