When your students are in elementary school, one of the best gifts you
can give them is a desire to read. Reading books adds to your cache of
general knowledge, improves your vocabulary and spelling and encourages
great communication. Learning to read comprehensively and quickly will
stand your student in good stead when they are faced with large amounts
of reading in high school and college. Here are some great holiday reads
for students in elementary school.
Note: There are some manga/anime books here which are illustrated novels.
These work well for students who are not as enthusiastic about reading
as they are a great segue into the world of books.
Kringle by Tony Abbot
This intriguing book about the heroism of an orphan who triumphs over dark
forces is a great coming-of age tale. Featuring elves, goblins and flying
reindeer, this thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat from start
The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
Peter is a ten-year-old boy whose sister is lost and presumed dead. When
he visits a fortune teller, he learns that she is still alive and sets
out on an adventure to save her.
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
This delightful collection of Chinese folklore tales is beautifully illustrated.
They tell the tale of a little girl who goes on an epic quest to fulfill
How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
This hysterical book looks at the adventures of the unfortunately named
Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III; a boy Viking who must catch and train his
dragon before becoming a hero.
The Graveyard Book
by Neil Gaiman
Bod may seem like a perfectly normal boy, except for the fact that he was
raised by ghosts and lives in a graveyard. This is a terrifying and thrilling
look at the challenges Bod faces both in the graveyard and in the real
world beyond its walls.
Artemis Fowl is a criminal mastermind who craves fairy gold. He hatches
a plan to kidnap a fairy and demand a ransom. But he bites off more than
he can chew as his prisoner, Holly Short, soon wins his heart and teaches
Artemis that he isn’t as cold and calculating as he thinks he is.
A series of unfortunate events by Lemony Snicket
A wonderful series which follows the lives of siblings Sunny, Violet and
Klaus who lose their parents at a young age and must overcome some difficult
Angelic Layer by Clamp (manga series)
Misaki Suzuhara is a seventh-grader who just relocated to Tokyo to live
with her aunt where she learns about Angelic Layer; a game where components
manipulate robotic dolls with their minds.
Astro Boy (manga series)
This was first published in 1952 and is credited as the first ‘anime’
series. Astro boy is a robot hero created by the head of the Japanese
Ministry of Science, Doctor Tenma. Astro Boy goes on adventures to save
the city from a host of villains.
Kilala Princess (manga series)
Kilala loves the Disney princesses and, when she wakes a sleeping prince,
she gains all the magical power of the princesses which she must use to
help the prince.