The holidays are around the corner which means holiday travel—with road trips and airplane terminals—might be in your near future.
If not, perhaps bad weather will keep your family from enjoying the great outdoors during holiday vacations. Maybe your family is looking for quiet entertainment amidst the whirlwind of candy canes and holiday festivities.
Whether you are looking for Thanksgiving travel tips or Christmas vacation ideas, long holiday travel days call for books the whole family can enjoy and discuss together. With that in mind, here are 9 books that I personally enjoy.
I’ve also added links for the recommendations which include an audio book option. I’ve not listened to most of the audio books (I prefer physical books), but at least the option is available should you choose to explore it.
As always, our team recommends that parents check books to ensure the content fits parental expectations.
Holiday Travel Book Ideas for Families with Younger (and Older!) Children
These books all combine light-hearted adventure and valuable topics like friendship, integrity, and courage.
- Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White – In today’s information overload, it is easy to forget classic children’s novels! This story of a farm girl (Fern), her pig (Wilbur), and a spider (Charlotte) will make you laugh and cry. It seems like a light-hearted story, but the whole family will appreciate the deeper, underlying themes.
- Hank the Cowdog by John R. Erickson – Hank the Cowdog is written from the perspective of a cowdog and his adventures (and misadventures) on a Texas ranch. Erickson’s characters are rich in personality, highly memorable, and simply enjoyable. There are over 80 books and while I’ve not read all of them, this series is one of the few where I genuinely love the audio books—read by the author himself!
- By the Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischman – East coast culture clashes with the West in this 1840’s Gold Rush fictional tale. The story is gripping and the characters charming. Whenever I wanted a fun road trip book growing up, I’d try to find this book on our shelf. “Try to find” is a key phrase since my mother kept giving away our copy for friends to enjoy.
Holiday Travel Book Ideas for Families with Pre-Teens
These books combine exciting quests with deeper themes.
- The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis – Were you expecting to see this series here? These seven classic books about the imaginary world of Narnia will make you want to keep reading even after you reach your destination. Magic, classical references, and biblical illusions will make this series appealing to the whole family.
- The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy – I reread this novel almost every year! Set during the French Revolution in the late 1700s, this thrilling adventure includes mystery, secret identities, and daring rescues. It’s a story that will keep your family on the edge of your seats, while loyalty, trust, and forgiveness unfold in the narrative. (Read more about The Scarlet Pimpernel on our Foundations in Writing course materials section.)
- The Trailblazers Series by Dave and Neta Jackson – This fairly obscure but award-winning series is a collection of stories—often written from the perspective of a pre-teen—about the impact of Christian individuals and organizations. There are approximately 40 books; George Muller, Harriet Tubman, Amy Carmichael, and Nate Saint are just a few examples of the real people these engaging stories are based on.
Holiday Travel Book Ideas for Families with Mature Children (including Adults!)
These books prompt rich conversations and meaningful dialogue through complex storytelling.
- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury – There are a wealth of dystopian novels available, but this classic piece of American literature is a shorter story with a plethora of thought-provoking and mature topics relevant to today’s culture. There are a few disclaimers to be aware of—you can find those on our English 3 page in the course materials section. Be prepared for some interesting conversations after reading this novel!
- The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel – Interested in non-fiction? This New York Times bestseller was written by investigative journalist, Lee Strobel, in his pursuit to determine whether or not Jesus existed. It reads more like a novel than non-fiction, potentially stimulating some great follow-up conversations. Strobel became a Christian while writing this book.
- Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky – Are your children older high school students or adults? This novel is not for the faint of heart, but for mature readers interested in serious themes and complicated characters. In this novel, the main character wrestles with his guilt over murder, prompting the reader to seriously think about justice, morality, and the fallen human condition. (Read more about it on our AP Literature course materials section.)
The image of a cozy fireside chair with a good book, a hot chocolate, and a faithful dog by your side while snow gently falls in the darkness outside, is quite nostalgic. When traveling, however, that idealism is rare which means improvising is key.
Slipping in simple elements of those idyllic moments—like an engaging book or a hot chocolate to-go—can help shift those frustrating aspects of holiday travel into memorable journeys. There is nothing quite like a book to engage the mind and prompt meaningful conversations while you “Take a bus, take a train, go and hop an aeroplane / Put the wife and kiddies in the family car…[because] There’s no place like home for the holidays.”
