Christmas Gift Guide: Book Advent Calendars

Posted on 20 November 2015

As Christmas fast approaches, our digital marketing specialist and top tea maker Hayley is putting together her first book advent calendar for her daughter this year. Using book packs and a few extra special treats, it turns out finding 24 books for 24 days is easy – the hard part is narrowing it down!

As the shops start gradually start filling with all things Christmassy I’ve realised it’s time to not only dust off our Elf on the Shelf but also think about this year’s advent calendar for my eldest daughter Eva.

She’s 5 and in year 1 and is just starting to take her very first steps in independent reading. Up until this point, I’ve managed to avoid the chocolate advent calendar (no fun mum) and she’s just had a straight festive one but this year she’s older and wiser and yule-themed pictures behind cardboard doors aren’t going to cut the mustard.

So, I’m going to try my first book advent calendar both in a bid to support her increasing interest in reading herself whilst still indulging the absolute pleasure that she has in being read to.

Right, that means 24 days to fill, and 24 books to find and wrap and leave in a ready pile for the 1st December…

Here goes!

First off, the perfect pack to get started and get us in a Christmas mood is the Christmas Picture Book Pack – 5 classic books including moggy of the moment, Mog, all for £9.99.

The Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler pack is also a great choice.

5 down! 19 days left…

With her first steps in reading to support I’ve spied this set to introduce her to her first ever Enid Blyton books, with the Famous Five Colour Reads Pack (4 for £9.99.) The Roald Dahl Colour Editions Pack would be a great choice too.

Gah! Still 15 days to fill.

As some brilliant first books that she could read to her younger sister I’m going to also add in some younger board books and the Christmas Board Book Pack (5 for £9.99) is the perfect option for this. (You might also like Usborne’s That’s Not My…Pack .)

Only 10 days left now!

Next up is a liberal sprinkling of activity books for rainy weekends and once she breaks up from school. The Scholastic Activities Pack (5 for £5.99) and My Christmas Sticker and Activity Pack (4 for £6.99) are ridiculously great value.

5 days left, and I’m finding it hard to narrow down my choices.

I’ve decided to add in 5 special books that aren’t in packs, and I think she will just love these picks.

This will be the second Frozen Christmas for us. Hopefully not quite as all-consuming as last year but Olaf is definitely still a favourite in our house, so Olaf’s Night Before Christmas (£3.99) looks perfect.

I’m also really looking forward to sharing Cerrie Burnell’s beautiful Christmas story Snowflakes with her.

Stick Man is an all-time favourite in our house, so this Stick Man Sticker Activity Book (£2.99) is a must-have, especially with Stick Man set to hit the TV screens on Christmas Day.

For day 23, this full colour hardback edition of the classic The Adventures of the Wishing Chair (£7.99) looks like a special longer read.

And as much for me as for Eva, I think our 24th book will have to be the hugely exciting and beautifully illustrated new Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone . It might not be read straight away but I’ll be really looking forward to introducing Eva to Harry Potter at some point in 2016.

Merry Christmas!

If you want to put together your own Book Advent Calendar for a bookaholic child, have a look at all the great value packs here which are the best way to buy 24 books without breaking the bank. Or, have a look at the whole range for more inspiration and to search by age.