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Health & Fitness

10 Best Holiday Reads for Elementary School Students

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

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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 to finish.

The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo

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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 her destiny.

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 by Eoin Colfer 

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 obstacles.

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.

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