We love reading aloud as a family during the holiday season. I have a pile of “Holiday Books” we get down from the shelf each year. It’s always exciting to see them again. Each person in the family has a favorite of their own, but as a whole our family favorites are Arnold Ytreeide’s series. These are wonderful stories. As we are learning Bible History and even some current events throughout the year, the children will often say something like, “Oh, that’s like in Jotham’s Journey!” (click to tweet) I love books that encourage connecting the dots between historical places and events and real life circumstances. If you are looking for a great family tradition to add to your holidays, I strongly suggest getting these books.
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Jotham’s Journey
Description: In this widely popular, exciting story for the advent season, readers follow ten-year-old Jotham across Israel as he searches for his family. Though he faces thieves, robbers, and kidnappers, Jotham also encounters the wise men, shepherds, and innkeepers until at last he finds his way to the Savior born in Bethlehem.
Bartholomew’s Passage
Description: 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!
Tabitha’s Travels
Description: Curious, competent, and courageous Tabitha is the daughter of a shepherd who is taking his family on caravan to his birthplace. Along the way, she meets and becomes friends with Jotham and Bartholomew, watches as Romans take her father prisoner, spends time with Zechariah and Elizabeth, helps Mary and Joseph just before Christ’s birth, and ends her travels at the stable in Bethlehem.
Amon’s Adventure
Description: When Jotham is accused of a terrible crime, his 13-year-old son, Amon, races to save him. Along the way Amon joins the crowds on Palm Sunday, outwits Roman soldiers who plan to kill his father and Jesus, witnesses Judas’s betrayal, and beholds Christ’s crucifixion. End-of-chapter meditations make this ideal for family Lenten devotions. 208 pages, softcover from Kregel.
This is actually considered an “Easter” book, but we feel the best way to wrap up the Fall Holidays is with the “Reason for the Season” which is the act of salvation itself. These books are meant to be read as advent type devotionals. Hubby and the children can’t stand for me to only read one “day’s” chapter at a time. We can easily go through a book a week. For those who celebrate the Feasts of YWHW instead of Christmas, these books could be started during Sukkot and ending in Hanukkah. We usually start them right after Thanksgiving and use some of the stories & discussion questions during our Hanukkah celebrations. These books can definitely be flexible and fun!
See more fun ideas at Paradise Praises What to Read Wednsday Link Up. Come visit to find more holiday reading ideas!
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Mary-andering Creatively’s Book Musings Mondays Lots of book ideas there!
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Mary-andering Creatively’s Book Musings Mondays Lots of book ideas there!