Here are the top 30 bestselling holidays & celebrations books for 12 year olds. Please click Read Review to read book reviews on Amazon. You can also click Find in Library to check book availability at your local library. If the default library is not correct, please follow Change Library to reset it.
1. Christmas Fun Mad Libs: Deluxe Edition
by: Roger Price, Leonard Stern Release date: Oct 18, 2016 Number of Pages: 48 Find in Library Read Review |
2. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
by: Barbara Robinson Release date: Apr 12, 2005 Number of Pages: 128 Find in Library Read Review |
The Herdmans are the worst kids in the history of the world. They lie, steal, smoke cigars, swear, and hit little kids. So no one is prepared when this outlaw family invades church one Sunday and decides to take over the annual Christmas pageant.
None of the Herdmans has ever heard the Christmas story before. Their interpretation of the tale — the Wise Men are a bunch of dirty spies and Herod needs a good beating — has a lot of people up in arms. But it will make this year’s pageant the most unusual anyone has seen and, just possibly, the best one ever.
3. Gobble Gobble Mad Libs
by: Roger Price, Leonard Stern Release date: Aug 15, 2013 Number of Pages: 48 Find in Library Read Review |
4. Jotham’s Journey: A Storybook for Advent
by: Arnold Ytreeide Release date: Aug 26, 2008 Number of Pages: 168 Find in Library Read Review |
5. Disney 5-Minute Christmas Stories (5-Minute Stories)
by: Disney Book Group, Disney Storybook Art Team Release date: Sep 13, 2016 Number of Pages: 192 Find in Library Read Review |
6. What Light
by: Jay Asher Release date: Oct 18, 2016 Number of Pages: 272 Find in Library Read Review |
“A beautiful story of love and forgiveness.”
—Stephen Chbosky, New York Times bestselling author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Sierra’s family runs a Christmas tree farm in Oregon—it’s a bucolic setting for a girl to grow up in, except that every year, they pack up and move to California to set up their Christmas tree lot for the season. So Sierra lives two lives: her life in Oregon and her life at Christmas. And leaving one always means missing the other.
Until this particular Christmas, when Sierra meets Caleb, and one life eclipses the other.
By reputation, Caleb is not your perfect guy: years ago, he made an enormous mistake and has been paying for it ever since. But Sierra sees beyond Caleb’s past and becomes determined to help him find forgiveness and, maybe, redemption. As disapproval, misconceptions, and suspicions swirl around them, Caleb and Sierra discover the one thing that transcends all else: true love.
What Light is a love story that’s moving and life-affirming and completely unforgettable.
7. The 12 Screams of Christmas (Goosebumps Most Wanted Special Edition #2)
by: R.L. Stine Release date: Sep 30, 2014 Number of Pages: 192 Find in Library Read Review |
Kate Welles doesn’t want to be special. She just wants to play the lead in her school’s Christmas play. Her annoying “friend” Courtney is constantly getting in the way of that. Can you even call someone a “friend” if all they do is make fun of you and ruin everything all of the time? But Kate has to get along with Courtney or else neither of them will be allowed to take part in The 12 Screams of Christmas.
Kate and Courtney’s teacher decides they need to find a special place to rehearse. A certain house with a special history. The kind of place that Kate would normally be pretty frightened to go into. The kind of place that gives new meaning to the term: Christmas Spirit.
8. Christmas Carol Mad Libs: Very Merry Songs & Stories
by: Roger Price, Leonard Stern Release date: Sep 13, 2007 Number of Pages: 48 Find in Library Read Review |
9. Santa’s Big Big Book to Color (Jumbo Coloring Book)
by: Golden Books Release date: Sep 26, 2006 Number of Pages: 80 Find in Library Read Review |
10. Frozen Olaf’s Night Before Christmas Book & CD
by: Disney Book Group, Disney Storybook Art Team Release date: Sep 15, 2015 Number of Pages: 32 Find in Library Read Review |
11. Bartholomew’s Passage: A Family Story for Advent
by: Arnold Ytreeide Release date: Aug 25, 2009 Number of Pages: 176 Find in Library Read Review |
Bartholomew’s Passage is an engaging story that guides families through the Advent season. Young Bartholomew’s adventures start when Roman soldiers destroy his village and disperse his family, continue through his enslavement to a tyrannical master and his escape with his new friend Nathan, and end with a reunion with his family in Bethlehem. Along the way Bartholomew makes a new friend, a young boy named Jotham!
12. Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances
by: John Green, Lauren Myracle, Maureen Johnson Release date: Oct 02, 2008 Number of Pages: 352 Find in Library Read Review |
Major motion picture in the works!
A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven, the kind you see only in movies. Well, kinda. After all, a cold and wet hike from a stranded train through the middle of nowhere would not normally end with a delicious kiss from a charming stranger. And no one would think that a trip to the Waffle House through four feet of snow would lead to love with an old friend. Or that the way back to true love begins with a painfully early morning shift at Starbucks. Thanks to three of today’s bestselling teen authors—John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle—the magic of the holidays shines on these hilarious and charming interconnected tales of love, romance, and breathtaking kisses.
A New York Times Bestseller!
“Tender without being mushy, these carefully crafted stories of believable teen love will leave readers warm inside for the holidays.”—School Library Journal
“Contemporary culture, humorous romantic developments and strong characters enhance this collaborative effort.”—Kirkus Reviews
13. A Boy Called Christmas
by: Matt Haig, Chris Mould Release date: Nov 01, 2016 Number of Pages: 240 Find in Library Read Review |
Eleven-year-old Nikolas—nicknamed “Christmas”—has received only one toy in his life: a doll carved out of a turnip. But he’s happy with his turnip doll, because it came from his parents, who love him. Then one day his father goes missing, and Nikolas must travel to the North Pole to save him.
Along the way, Nikolas befriends a surly reindeer, bests a troublesome troll, and discovers a hidden world of enchantment in the frozen village of Elfhelm. But the elves of Elfhelm have troubles of their own: Christmas spirit and goodwill are at an all-time low, and Nikolas may be the only person who can fix things—if only he can reach his father before it’s too late. . . .
Sparkling with wit and warmth, A Boy Called Christmas is a cheeky new Christmas classic-in-the-making from acclaimed author Matt Haig and illustrator Chris Mould.
“Irresistibly readable. Destined to become a Christmas and anytime-before-or-after-Christmas classic!” –Chris Grabenstein, New York Times bestselling author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library
“The definitive (and funny) history of ho, ho, ho! My children loved it.” —Yann Martel, bestselling author of Life of Pi
“The most evergreen, immortal Christmas story to be published for decades.” —Stephen Fry
“Humorous and heartfelt, A Boy Called Christmas will grow your heart three sizes and make you believe in magic.” –Liesl Shurtliff, New York Times bestselling author of Rump
“Matt Haig has an empathy for the human condition, the light and the dark of it, and he uses the full palette to build his excellent stories.”—Neil Gaiman, Newbery-winning author of The Graveyard Book
14. Tabitha’s Travels: A Family Story for Advent
by: Arnold Ytreeide Release date: Jul 22, 2010 Number of Pages: 160 Find in Library Read Review |
15. The Witch of Blackbird Pond
by: Elizabeth George Speare Release date: Jan 10, 2011 Number of Pages: 272 Find in Library Read Review |
Sixteen-year-old Kit Tyler is marked by suspicion and disapproval from the moment she arrives on the unfamiliar shores of colonial Connecticut in 1687. Alone and desperate, she has been forced to leave her beloved home on the island of Barbados and join a family she has never met. Torn between her quest for belonging and her desire to be true to herself, Kit struggles to survive in a hostile place. Just when it seems she must give up, she finds a kindred spirit. But Kit’s friendship with Hannah Tupper, believed by the colonists to be a witch, proves more taboo than she could have imagined and ultimately forces Kit to choose between her heart and her duty.
Elizabeth George Speare won the 1959 Newbery Medal for this portrayal of a heroine whom readers will admire for her unwavering sense of truth as well as her infinite capacity to love.
16. Hanukkah Mad Libs
by: Roger Price, Leonard Stern Release date: Sep 27, 2012 Number of Pages: 48 Find in Library Read Review |
Celebrate Hanukkah with our newest original Mad Libs all about the Festival of Lights! Our book features a ton of hilarious stories about lighting the menorah, spinning the dreidel, and much, much more! With 21 stories, you’ll have more than enough blanks to fill in to cover the eight nights of Hanukkah!
17. The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily
by: Rachel Cohn, David Levithan Release date: Oct 18, 2016 Number of Pages: 224 Find in Library Read Review |
New York Times bestselling authors Rachel Cohn and David Levithan are back with a life-affirming Christmas romance starring Dash and Lily.
Dash and Lily have had a tough year since readers first watched the couple fall in love. Lily’s beloved grandfather suffered a heart attack, and his difficult road to recovery has taken a major toll on her typically sunny disposition.
With only twelve days left until Christmas—Lily’s favorite time of the year—Dash, Lily’s brother Langston, and their closest friends take Manhattan by storm to help Lily recapture the holiday magic of New York City in December.
Told in alternating chapters, The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily reunites two beloved characters and is bound to be a Christmas favorite, season after season.
“Hilarious and heartfelt…[captures] the emotions of teen love, along with the hilarity of young adult life.”—School Library Journal
18. Diary of a Minecraft Zombie Book 9: Zombie’s Birthday Apocalypse (An Unofficial Minecraft Book)
by: Zack Zombie Release date: Oct 01, 2015 Number of Pages: 150 Find in Library Read Review |
It’s Halloween and it’s Zack the Zombie’s Birthday! But there’s a Zombie Apocalypse Happening that May Totally Ruin his Birthday party!
A Zombie Apocalypse is threatening to end Minecraft as we know it.
And it also just might totally ruin Zack’s 13th Birthday Party.
But, will Zack and his friends be able to stop the Zombie Apocalypse so that they can finally enjoy some cake and cookies at Zack’s Birthday Bash?
Jump Into the Adventure and Find Out!
Get Your Copy Today!
(An Unofficial Minecraft Book)
19. Duck & Goose, 1, 2, 3
by: Tad Hills, Tad Hills Release date: Aug 12, 2008 Number of Pages: 22 Find in Library Read Review |
One goose. Two ducks. Three friends. As the characters illustrate from numbers 1 to 10, children will love to follow along with the simple text and all-new original art.
A small trim size and Easter egg-colored art makes this the perfect Easter basket stuffer for young children everywhere! And don’t miss other books in the collection, including the picture books Duck & Goose and Duck, Duck, Goose, and the board books What’s Up, Duck? and Duck & Goose Find a Pumpkin!
20. Winter According to Humphrey
by: Betty G. Birney Release date: Oct 03, 2013 Number of Pages: 176 Find in Library Read Review |
The holidays are coming and Humphrey is unsqueakably excited. He loves to hear about all the different ways his friends in Room 26 celebrate and to watch them make costumes and learn songs for the Winter Wonderland pageant. (He even squeaks along!) But with so much to do, will the holidays go according to plan? Do-It-Now-Daniel is having trouble practicing, Helpful-Holly can’t stop worrying about making presents for her friends, and Humphrey still has to find a gift for Og! Good thing Humphrey is one smart hamster who can help them all fill the season with JOY-JOY-JOY!
Nominated for twenty-four state awards and the winner of seven, the Humphrey series is a hit across the country. And he’s becoming a one school/one book favorite!
21. Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares
by: Rachel Cohn, David Leviathan Release date: Oct 11, 2011 Number of Pages: 288 Find in Library Read Review |
“I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”
16-year-old Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on her favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. Dash, in a bad mood during the holidays, happens to be the first guy to pick up the notebook and rise to its challenges.
What follows is a whirlwind romance as Dash and Lily trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations all across New York City. But can their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions, or will their scavenger hunt end in a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?
Co-written by Rachel Cohn (GINGERBREAD) and David Levithan, co-author of WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON with John Green (THE FAULT IN OUR STARS), DASH & LILY’S BOOK OF DARES is a love story that will have readers scouring bookstore shelves, looking and longing for a love (and a red notebook) of their own.
From the Hardcover edition.
22. The First Christmas Night
by: Keith Christopher, Christine Kornacki Release date: Oct 01, 2013 Number of Pages: 32 Find in Library Read Review |
Here is a beautiful retelling of the birth of Jesus on that joyous night in Bethlehem so long ago. The poem begins with the arrival of Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem through Christ’s birth, the angels’ appearance to the shepherds, and the visit by the Wise Men. The simple, yet elegant, verses will appeal to little ones and are accompanied by the rich oil illustrations of Christine Kornacki. Ages 4-8.
23. Hot Cocoa Hearts: A Wish Novel
by: Suzanne Nelson Release date: Oct 25, 2016 Number of Pages: 256 Find in Library Read Review |
Emery Mason is not a fan of the holidays. She’s so over the tinsel, the shopping, and all the other trappings of the season. Unfortunately, this year, Em is forced to work — as an elf! — at her parents’ Santa photo booth at the mall. There, Em meets Alejandro Perez, who works at the hot cocoa shop next door and is always full of holiday spirit. Alex is cute, but he’s nothing like Em’s real crush — the brooding and artistic Sawyer Kade.
But the more time Em spends with Alex, the more she realizes that she may not be the Grinch she always thought she was. Soon, a blizzard, a Secret Santa surprise, and a family disagreement throw Em’s world upside down. Can Em embrace the magic of the holidays and find the perfect boy to kiss under the mistletoe?
24. 11 Birthdays: A Wish Novel
by: Wendy Mass Release date: Jan 01, 2010 Number of Pages: 272 Find in Library Read Review |
25. 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving (I Am American)
by: Catherine O’Neill Grace Release date: Oct 01, 2004 Number of Pages: 48 Find in Library Read Review |
26. Nutcracker
by: E T a Hoffmann Release date: Sep 13, 2016 Number of Pages: 32 Find in Library Read Review |
27. A Little House Christmas Treasury: Festive Holiday Stories
by: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Garth Williams Release date: Sep 27, 2005 Number of Pages: 144 Find in Library Read Review |
Celebrate the holidays with Laura and her family with stories from the beloved Little House books!
28. Finally
by: Wendy Mass Release date: Jun 01, 2011 Number of Pages: 304 Find in Library Read Review |
Get a cell phone. Stay home alone. Go to the mall with best friend and No Parents. Wear makeup. Get contact lenses. Attend a boy-girl party. Rory Swenson has been waiting her whole life to turn twelve. And she’s got a list to prove it. Whenever Rory asks her parents for something, they always say, “When you’re twelve . . .” Well, in exactly, 18 hours, 36 minutes, and 52 seconds it will finally happen. Rory’s life will officially begin!
29. Jingle Bells (Horse Diaries Special Edition)
by: Catherine Hapka, Ruth Sanderson Release date: Sep 23, 2014 Number of Pages: 208 Find in Library Read Review |
For all lovers of horses, history, and the holidays, here’s a very special Horse Diaries book.
Wisconsin, 1915. Jingle Bells is a strong Clydesdale gelding. He enjoys his work on the farm, pulling the hay wagon in the summer and a sleigh in the winter, and he loves his human friend, Kari. But when Kari’s older brother comes home for Christmas with a new Model T Ford, will the family still need Jingle Bells?
30. A Shiloh Christmas (The Shiloh Quartet)
by: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor Release date: Sep 20, 2016 Number of Pages: 272 Find in Library Read Review |
Christmas is coming and Marty and his rescued pup Shiloh are sure glad about that—for their town is running low on love and understanding and they hope that the joy of the holiday will bring with it the generosity of spirit that’s so lacking.
It’s been a year since Marty Preston rescued Shiloh from Judd Travers and his cruel ways, and since then, Marty and Shiloh have been inseparable. Anywhere Marty goes, the beagle’s at his side, and Marty couldn’t be happier about that. Even Judd has been working to improve his reputation.
But just as the townsfolk grow more accepting of Judd, a fire in the woods destroys many homes, including Judd’s, and Judd’s newly formed reputation. Doubt, blame, and anger spread faster than the flames—flames that are fanned by the new minister, who seems fonder of fire and brimstone than love and mercy. And why are his daughters so skittish around him? And what’s happened to Judd’s dogs? With Christmas right around the corner, Marty has a lot of questions, and getting the right answers might just take a Christmas miracle.
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor’s fourth book in the Newbery Award–winning Shiloh series—following Shiloh, Shiloh Season, and Saving Shiloh—“seamlessly interlaces themes of tolerance, compassion, and forgiveness…[and] explores the interconnectedness of family members, communities, and the dogs they love” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
Best Selling Books for 12 year olds:
- Action & Adventure
- Activities, Crafts & Games
- Animals
- Biographies
- Classics
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Technology
- Early Learning
- Education & Reference
- Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths
- History
- Holidays & Celebrations
- Humor
- Literature & Fiction
- Mysteries & Detectives
- Religions
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports & Outdoors
- Children’s Cookbooks
Recommended Books for 12 year olds:
- Action & Adventure
- Activities, Crafts & Games
- Animals
- Biographies
- Classics
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Technology
- Early Learning
- Education & Reference
- Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths
- History
- Holidays & Celebrations
- Humor
- Literature & Fiction
- Mysteries & Detectives
- Religions
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports & Outdoors
- Children’s Cookbooks
Best Selling Holidays & Celebrations Books for:
- 1 Year Olds
- 2 Year Olds
- 3 Year Olds
- 4 Year Olds
- 5 Year Olds
- 6 Year Olds
- 7 Year Olds
- 8 Year Olds
- 9 Year Olds
- 10 Year Olds
- 11 Year Olds
- 12 Year Olds
- Teen & Young Adults
Recommended Holidays & Celebrations Books for:
- 1 Year Olds
- 2 Year Olds
- 3 Year Olds
- 4 Year Olds
- 5 Year Olds
- 6 Year Olds
- 7 Year Olds
- 8 Year Olds
- 9 Year Olds
- 10 Year Olds
- 11 Year Olds
- 12 Year Olds
- Teen & Young Adults
Last updated: Monday, December 5, 2016 9:27 AM