December 2025’s set of recommendations for book clubs features STEM, friendship, reconciliation, adventure, mystery, wintry enchantment, myths, magick, romantasy, and Christmas in every imaginable and unimaginable form. December 2025’s picks include titles by Rachel Bright, Jim Field, Monika Singh Gangotra, Sam Hutchinson, Jim Smith, Isabella Harcourt, Serena Patel, Sophie Anderson, Serena Holly, Meera Trehan, Lucy Edwards, S.A. Reyhani, Denise Brown, Natalie Lucy, B Wheeler, and Natasha Preston.
December 2025 book club recommendations
The Turtle Who Turned the Tide by Rachel Bright and Jim Field
When Tula, a baby turtle, hatches on the beach, she instinctively races toward the sea. But when her brother loses his way, she stops to help him, even though it means giving up her lead. Her kindness inspires the other animals to lend a hand too. With its gentle story and clear message, this gorgeous and vibrantly illustrated hardback picture book introduces 3+ year olds to ideas of bravery, teamwork, and how even small actions can make a big difference. Highly recommended for EYFS classes.
3+ year-olds | Author’s website
Harmony House by Monika Singh Gangotra, illustrated by Nicci Martin
When a band of arguing musicians cannot agree on whose tunes deserve the spotlight, each one cranks up the volume! The awful racket soon sparks complaints and even the threat of eviction. Desperate to save their home, they work on a solution. The answer arrives in an unexpected twist: blending their sounds instead of battling them. What began as clashing noise turns into a shared harmony, proving that cooperation can outplay conflict. Harmony House is a wonderful illustrated picture book to read with KS1 children that will spark discussions about working together, respecting boundaries and not giving up. It is also ideal for frazzled music teachers! At the back of the book, there is a practical guide to making music at home.
5-7 year-olds | Author’s website
You Think You Know Everything About Space? by Sam Hutchinson
Sam Hutchinson’s space-themed quiz book, with illustrations by Vicky Barker, features 200 questions in a lively game show style. Children can play solo or act as quiz host, scoring 1, 2 or 3 points per answer, with tiebreakers ready for close calls. All the solutions are at the back for quick checking. Part of b small’s brightly illustrated and exciting Brain Boosters series, it is highly recommended for space-inspired 6+ year olds and is ideal for KS1 and KS2 classrooms.
6+ year-olds | Author’s website
My Big Fat Christmas Poo Diary by Jim Smith
Pedro, Olga and Ozzy, better known as the Poopies, tumble through a set of Christmas-themed comic strips packed with toilet humour and chaotic mishaps. They try selling novelty reindeer poos, search for a missing roll of golden loo paper, and even cross paths with Santa in a sewage pipe. The jokes come thick and fast, but there are life lessons on teamwork and sorting out problems too. It’s anarchic, laugh-out-loud, Christmas-themed easy reading for pleasure for 7+ year-olds.
7+ year-olds | Author’s website
Flora Stormer and the Wishing Stone by Isabella Harcourt
Flora Stormer travels to India with her friend Pavan after his explorer sister uncovers a clue to a long-lost wishing stone, in this fourth instalment of the illustrated first chapter adventure series. Their journey takes them through dense forests, fierce storms, and brushes with danger, all while Flora begins to doubt Naya’s true intentions. As they race to find the stone before it disappears, Flora and Pavan face tests of friendship, courage, and self-belief in this accessible story for 7+ year olds that balances adventure with humility.
7+ year-olds | Author’s website
Christmas Chaos by Serena Patel
When Santa’s sleigh goes missing right before the school’s festive fayre, Anisha jumps straight into detective mode. With her friend Milo and her lively family in tow, she follows a trail of clues to crack the Christmas mystery in time. Packed with humour, teamwork, and festive chaos, this story celebrates family, friendship, and clever problem-solving. Illustrated by Emma McCann, it’s another fast-paced, fun instalment in the Anisha, Accidental Detective series for 7-11 year olds.
7-11 year-olds | Author’s website
The Snow Girl by Sophie Anderson
When Tasha moves to her grandad’s farm, she builds a snow girl who unexpectedly comes to life. Together, Tasha and Alyana explore the frozen woods and share secret adventures under the stars. But as spring nears, Tasha must choose between keeping her magical friend or saving her family from an endless winter. Blending magical folklore with an uplifting story of courage and friendship, it features enchanting wintry artwork by Melissa Castrillón. It’s a wonderfully atmospheric modern fairy tale to gift or read to 7+ year olds during the festive season.
7-12 year-olds | Author’s website
The Other Father Christmas by Serena Holly
Ten-year-old Mikey signs his grandad up for a magical contest to choose the next Father Christmas, and before they know it, they are swept into Christmasland. There, they join other families in a run of enchanted challenges, some heart-warming, some chaotic, and all very festive. The cast is genuinely diverse, and the illustrations add plenty of warmth in this fu,n festive story that explores the power of community, family, and tradition.
8-11 year-olds | Author’s website
Snow by Meera Trehan
After a wish goes wrong, an imprisoned princess finds her kingdom buried in snow and her people lost. She spends her days digging for answers until Ela, a mysterious girl from our world, suddenly appears. Together, they race to set things right before the ice takes over for good. Mixing magic, mystery, and science, the story explores friendship, courage, and what it means to make amends. Snow is highly recommended and would make a great Christmas book gift for 9+ year olds, or an atmospheric class reader for the run-up to Christmas.
9+ year-olds | Author’s website
Ella Jones vs the God of Noise by Lucy Edwards
Twelve-year-old Ella Jones, who is blind, returns for another myth-filled adventure as she races to stop the Greek god Homados from unleashing chaos through deafening noise. With her loyal guide dog, Maisie, her sister Poppy, friend Finn, and new classmate River, Ella sets out to find Hercules’ shield and restore peace. Along the way, she faces trials that challenge her deepest fears. Blending Greek myths, adventure, and authentic representation, this gripping page-turner is available in accessible formats for all readers. Highly recommended – it’s ideal to read on International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
9-12 year-olds | Author’s website
A Sequence of Cosmic Accidents by S.A. Reyhani
Arian lives quietly in Hertfordshire with his dad after his mum’s death, until Madlock arrives in foster care with strange habits and a firm belief in magick. Before long, Arian, Madlock and their friend Pete are pulled into Aerth, a parallel world where children wield magick and old enemies are waiting. The story entwines family loss, foster care, disability, and heritage with a sparkling burst of fantasy adventure. It’s a fascinating and memorable read for imaginative 9–12-year-olds. Highly recommended.
9-12 year-olds | Author’s website
No One Keeps a Secret by Denise Brown
Teenagers Haigh, Cherry, and Sunrise set out to find a missing chihuahua and instead stumble across a murder in an abandoned theme park. Their quiet village turns out to be anything but peaceful as they dig into long-held secrets and suspicious characters. Told through Haigh and Cherry’s alternating perspectives, the story blends friendship, neurodiversity, and small-town intrigue with a quick, twisty plot. It’s a good pick for 13+ year olds who enjoy contemporary thriller mysteries with plenty of surprises.
13+ year-olds | Author’s website
Searching for the Remarkable in Things by Natalie Lucy
Clover is still grieving her mum when she finds a bundle of old letters that draw her into her family’s past and its connections to the American South. The story moves deftly between her life in Cornwall and the 1850s, gradually revealing how the two timelines reflect one another. Deeply moving and highly relevant to current debates about historical injustice, it explores identity, loss and the weight of the past, showing how letters, memories and folklore can shift the way we understand ourselves and where we come from. Ideal for book club discussion in KS4.
13+ year-olds | Author’s website
How NOT to Kiss a Prince by B Wheeler
When Em’s best friend Carla is cursed, the two set off to track down a prince whose kiss might lift the spell before college pulls them in different directions. With the school ball getting closer, Em battles her nerves about admitting how she really feels while helping Carla hunt for a cure. Set in a world where magic sits comfortably alongside everyday life, this lively and page-turning young adult romantasy for 14+ year olds blends friendship, identity, and first love with a clever nod to classic fairy tales. It’s an ideal holiday read.
14+ year-olds | Author’s website
The Obsession by Natasha Preston
Sixteen-year-old Connie has grown up in front of her mother’s hugely popular vlog, but when her family leaves her home alone, the spotlight turns threatening. Online attention quickly spirals, and girls who resemble her start turning up hurt. With danger closing in and no one she can fully trust, Connie is forced to run and piece together what’s really happening. A devilishly tense, murky and fast-paced YA thriller, The Obsession peers into privacy, social media, paranoia and distrust. It’s ideal for sixth-form book clubs.
16+ year-olds | Author’s website
Themed day / social media opportunities for December 2025
These hashtag days might provide current and relevant talking points for secondary-aged pupils aged 13+ in KS3, KS4 and KS5, especially when linked to related literature.
- December is ‘Gift Of Sight Month’, highlighting the importance of eye health. Barlows Primary School has PowerPoint resources here.
- GCHQ runs a Christmas Challenge each December. There are packs that teachers and librarians can download and use in school. It’s ideal for end-of-term library sessions!
- December 3rd is International Day of Persons with Disabilities #IDPWD. United Nations has a page on its website that will inspire whole school ideas.
- December 3rd is Tree Dressing Day. The Woodland Trust has published lots of free ideas for schools to get involved.
- December 8th is Christmas Jumper Day. We recommend this website which has lots of ideas and fundraising opportunities.
- December 8th is also Pretend to be a Time Traveller Day. Wired Magazine has some interesting ideas that might be useful for librarians to integrate with science fiction books. It’s also ideal for late homework excuses or forgetting the Christmas Jumper Day.
- December 10th is Human Rights Day. The United Nations has produced a series of resources that will be useful for schools looking to organise awareness and events.
- December 29th is World Mangelwurzel Day (originally an ancient Cornish tradition.) Celebrate this unusual vegetable by carving it, cooking it, throwing it, making musical instruments out of it, reciting odes to one, writing a school policy for their appropriate use, or hiding lots of them in strange places for people to find unsuspectingly. In a controversial move for 2025, turnips have been cancelled. #wheresmewurzel
Extension activities:
- Have a look at our writing competitions for December 2025.
Other recently released titles to have a look at:
- Our latest December 2025 books of the month.
- Our rundown of the best books released this autumn 2025.
- Our December 2025 books of the day on X. These can also be viewed on uk.Bookshop.org.
- Our guide on how to run a school book club covers both primary school book clubs and secondary school book clubs.
Click one of the buttons below to buy all this month’s recommended book club titles, or class sets of any of these books, from Bookshop.org UK or Amazon.co.uk. As an Amazon Associate, schoolreadinglist.co.uk earns from qualifying purchases.
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