Advent Book Basket
Is it really Advent already? How is that even possible?!? This month (year!) has flown by…
We have had our college kids home all week which has been wonderful! I sure love it when everyone is home and I am already looking forward to having them back for Christmas break in a few weeks. They drove home last weekend and had been planning to drive back to school this weekend, but another couple snow storms are hitting and we decided to book them one-way flights back to school instead of having them risk the long drive over multiple mountain passes… Hopefully they will have safe flights (early Sunday morning) and not end up stuck at their connecting airport! 🙏
It was such a nice Thanksgiving! I’ve been enjoying lots of family time and staying busy in the kitchen which hasn’t left any time for sharing online (or preparing for Advent!)… I snuck away for a little while this afternoon so I could finally decide which books to include in this year’s Advent Book Basket. I’ll probably wrap them up tomorrow afternoon after Mass and try to round up the rest of our Advent decorations to start setting up while our little girls nap.
The length of Advent always varies from 22-28 days, beginning with the Sunday nearest to the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle (November 30th) and embracing four Sundays. The first day of Advent can fall as early as November 27th or as late as December 3rd. This year Advent begins on Sunday, November 27th and we get a full four weeks of Advent!
Every Advent our family counts down the days until Christmas with picture books, Advent Calendars, and the Jesse Tree. Years ago, when we didn’t have enough Christmas themed picture books to wrap one for each day of Advent, I would check some Christmas books out from the library just before Advent began, using Christmas Mosaic as a guide. We have added many books to our home library since then, giving one Christmas themed book to each of our children on the feast of St. Nicholas, and our collection has definitely grown. (You can find this year’s St. Nick books here!)
In the past I have filled our Advent basket with Christmas Mosaic titles and our children’s 35 Favorite Christmas Picture Books (or at least what they were back in 2014!). One year I picked twenty-six of my favorites (although I still find new favorites to add to my list each year!) and one year I left the choosing up to my husband and our oldest daughter. You can find even more lists here: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 or by scrolling through all past Advent Book Basket posts.
This year I decided to focus on our collection of picture books from Catholic publishers. I also included some that tie in to our Jesse Tree readings for various days throughout Advent.
Here’s what I’m wrapping up for this year:
2022 ADVENT BOOK BASKET
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
November 27 – 1st Sunday of Advent: – The Curious Christmas Trail(NEW) – set up Advent Calendars, Advent Wreath and Jesse Tree
November 28 – The End of the Fiery Sword: Adam & Eve and Jesus & Mary
November 29 – Little Star
November 30 – Feast of St. Andrew: A Child’s Christmas ABC Book (or direct from TAN)
December 1: A Child’s Christmas Counting Book(or direct from TAN)
December 2 – First Friday: God the Father’s Loving Plan
December 3 – First Saturday & Rorate Mass at Dawn: Beloved Son: Joseph and Jesus (NEW)
December 4 – 2nd Sunday of Advent:: Saved by the Lamb: Moses and Jesus
December 5: – The Night the Saints Saved Christmas – write letters to Christ Child/Saint Nicholas, bake Speculaas or St. Nicholas Cookies, and decorate St. Nicholas Chocolate Coins to give to others
December 6 – Feast of St. Nicholas: Santa’s Priority: Keeping Christ in Christmas (or direct from TAN)
December 7 – Feast of St. Ambrose: The Miracle of St. Nicholas – Bake a Honeycomb Cake
December 8 – Immaculate Conception: Our Lady’s Picture Book – Decorate Christ Candle
December 9 – Feast of St. Juan Diego: Our Lady of Guadalupe and Her Dear Juanito(NEW)
December 10: The Beggar and the Bluebird
December 11- 3rd Sunday of Advent/Gaudete Sunday: Bambinelli Sunday
December 12 – Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe: Our Lady’s Wardrobe – Our Lady of Guadalupe Brunch
December 13 – Feast of St. Lucy: Into the Sea, Out of the Tomb
December 14 – Ember Wednesday: The Grumpy Old Ox
December 15: Guess Who’s in the Manger
December 16 – Ember Friday: A Little Camel for Baby Jesus
December 17 – O Sapientia and Ember Saturday: Ishmael: The Shepherd Boy of Bethlehem
December 18 – 4th Sunday of Advent – O Adonai: Spider’s Gift: A Christmas Story
December 19 – O Radix Jesse: The Shepherd at the Crib and the Cross (NEW)
December 20 – O Clavis David: A is for Angel: The Alphabet in Sacred Art (or direct from Holy Heroes)
December 21 – O Oriens and Winter Solstice: Joseph’s Donkey
December 22 – O Rex Gentium: The Wise Men Who Found Christmas
December 23 – O Emmanuel: The Spider Who Saved Christmas
December 24 – Vigil of Christmas: Bethlehem (Catholic Edition)
Many years ago I switched from our original purple and pink wrapping paper to brown paper with purple and pink ribbons (I save the ribbons to reuse each year). Sometimes I recycle brown paper bags and sometimes I pick up a roll of brown craft paper from the craft store to use along with our ribbons and homemade labels.
As always, we’ll unwrap and read one book each night during Advent, following our family rosary. The rest of our book collection will be placed in additional baskets to read during the seasons of Advent and Christmas.
If you’d like to use my little labels too, you can download my Advent Book Basket Labels for 2022 over at Dropbox.
.: ADVENT BOOK BASKET GIVEAWAY :.
Prize #1: Planner & Calendars from Sophia Institute Press!
Includes: Fiat: Traditional Catholic Planner and The Illustrated Liturgical Year Calendar Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany 2022 – 2023 (value $67.94)
Congratulations, Anna!
Prize #2: Blindside Series Books & Gifts from Leslea Wahl!
This prize includes a signed copy of the award-winning Catholic teen series by Leslea Wahl along with several related items. (Signed copy of The Perfect Blindside, signed copy of eXtreme Blindside, signed related short story One Blessing at a Time, a St. Sebastian prayer card and medal, a metal bookmark, lip balm, sticky note pad, and an inspirational magnet.) (value $51.00)
Congratulations, Elizabeth!
Prize #3: Set of Three Christmas Books from Ignatius Press!
Includes:
Ishmael: The Shepherd Boy of Bethlehem
24 Christmas Stories to Welcome Jesus
sponsored by Ignatius Press (value $38.97)
Congratulations, Melodee!
Prize #4: Two BRAND NEW books from St. Paul Center!
Includes:
Beloved Son: Joseph and Jesus and
The Shepherd at the Crib and the Cross
sponsored by St. Paul Center (value $35.90)
Congratulations, Michelle Fol!
Enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter box below:
Note: If you have any trouble with Rafflecopter just send me an email or message with your name/email address and I can add you manually. I’ve been looking for alternatives, but haven’t found a free option yet that offers what I need for these annual giveaways that I love hosting for you all! I may not be able to personally respond to every email but I’ll be sure to add all the entries before drawing names.
For additional Christmas book suggestions you can find some of our lists in the archives:
Feasts & Seasons :: Advent & Christmas Collection
Feasts & Seasons :: Our December Book Basket
35 Favorite Christmas Picture Books for Children
Last Year’s Advent Book Basket
December :: Month Dedicated to the Divine Infancy
Christmas Mosaic :: A Review & Featured Book List
You can find the rest of our booklists here.
P.S. There is still time to enter the St. Nicholas Giveaway and the huge Christmas Giveaway!
Love this! Excited to incorporate many of these books this Advent. Especially love the planner and calendar prize!
-Ashley Figueroa
Thanks! I am wanting to fill our book basket with more meaningful books!
I love the Blindside Series especially since I have older kids in my home. – Laura G.
Jessica I wanted to thank you for the work and ideas that you and your family bring to all of us. You have taught me so much to live the faith and teach it to my children. My name is Mercedes and I live in Switzerland but I am from Argentina. I would like it very much
Prize #1: Planner & Calendars from Sophia Institute Press!
Thanks again. Mercedes
Thank you for all you do!
You've got such excellent recommendations. I greatly enjoy your book lists!
Great giveaway! I'd love prize #3 ❤️
Thank you for sharing your life and inspirations with us!! Prize #1 Melanie
I REALLY enjoy your liturgical living help. Thanks for posting this. I, especially, like the illustrated liturgical year calendar.
It’s always so fun to see the different books and prizes you come up with!! Great ideas all around for things to add to our stash or as gifts for others!
Thank you for sharing your books each year!
My kids love unwrapping books each day!
Thank you so much! I look forward to these posts every year and have added so many books to our collection thanks to them. You are such an inspiration! -MaryLiz
Would love to win the two new books from St. Paul Press. Thank you for these posts throughout the years! You’ve been a big part of how our family celebrates the liturgical seasons as our kids have grown to adults, and now waiting any day to start with the next generation!
Thank you! I do some of the ordering for our volunteer run parish religious gifts store and am happy to see some of the books we ordered are on your list- and I got a lot of other good suggestions!
Thanks for the new book recommendations! I love to see your new finds. I would like to win #1, followed by #4.
These are great, especially #1! Thank you again for all you do! Have a blessed Advent!!!
Thank you for hosting this giveaway and for making the book labels so easy to implement every Advent! My six year old woke me up this morning asking if I was going to wrap books this year because she looks forward to the tradition!
I hadn't seen the new books sponsored by St. Paul. We are always looking for new titles to add to our collection.
I would love prize #1. They are so beautifully done. Blessed Advent! God bless!
I love seeing book selections. Still building up ours but it’a fun to find new finds each year. Would love the St. Paul center picture books -Jen Vilcan
Thank you for the work in compiling the book titles and hosting the giveaway. We would love any of the prizes, but our favorites are the planner/calendar and the Ignatius Press books. My youngest loves the Advent book tradition!
Thank you for all you do! I always come here for guidance on books and gifts for Advent and Lent. We’d especially enjoy the coffee and magazines or any of the books. We have ages 1 to 14. Thank you!!
Always something new here! Would love the St. Paul Center books
I would especially love prize 1 or 2. Thank you!
I am especially interested in Prize 1 and Prize 3. God bless! (Molly deTar)
Thank-you!!!!! #3 or #4 would be amazing!!!! God bless you!!!! ❤️❤️❤️
Advent has so many great feast days! I would especially love the Planner & Calendars from Sophia Institute Press.
Always love the books that Jessica posts here every year. We have several.
I would love #2,3, or 4. Thank you!
I get so excited all year to explore the amazing ideas and recommendations from Jessica. They are always so fulfilling and fruitful for my family. ❤️
Cannot wait to open our first book tonight! We do this all the way through Epiphany…such a wonderful tradition. We would LOVE basket 1. I ordered the posters last year and they are just amazing.
Thank you for this lovely giveaway! You are so sweet and thoughtful to share all of your wonderful book titles and ideas. Our family has been enjoying this tradition for awhile now thanks to you! God bless you.
I look forward to all of your new book finds, thank you!
I know you are always so busy but it would be great if we could get the printable and list a few days before advent begins. I'm Andrea C. You always have such great selections and I love seeing your family grow up!
Always fun to see your book selections and suggestions! I ordered the Spider That Saved Christmas to give to my youngest for St Nicholas Day! I’d love to win prize 1 or 2, but always great giveaways! Thanks Jessica! Glad you had a great Thanksgiving and may you have a blessed Advent! Tracy Bua Smith
Praying a shower of blessings upon you for the inspiration you offer so many, including myself. Our family has cultivated many traditions due to the inspiration from your blog. Thank you for sharing your faith, it has been an inspiration to live out my vocation more liturgically 🙂
Thank you for this lovely gesture! I found this while planning for tomorrow’s Little Flowers meeting. Gift #3 would be great, but then, they all look wonderful!
What a wonderful gift! I was searching for ideas for tomorrow’s Little Flowers meeting. Prize #2 would be great, but they all seem wonderful! Blessings!
Thank you for finding all the wonderful books!
I started this practice in our house a couple years ago after reading it from your blog – Thank you for your ideas!
I would love prize #1 and 3.Thank you!!
Love this! We would be thrilled with Prize #1! Debbie Cowden
All of these are such wonderful gift ideas! Thank you for running yet another beautiful giveaway for our Catholic families.
Beautiful ideas! Thank you!
Always such amazing gift ideas! Thank you for hosting another wonderful giveaway!
I enjoy seeing your book selections for Advent! Thank you for the giveaway!! Have a blessed Advent Season.
Thank you!
Always a great resource!! A very Blessed Advent to your!
Love your book advent! Build up our collection so one day we can start one with our little one! God bless and happy Advent
Would love to win the package from St Paul!
This is so exciting! I love the Old Testament typology picture books, so we already have those, but the other giveaway options look amazing!
Great Advent book selections! Prizes 3 and 4 are my top choices.
Thank you for the giveaway! All of the prizes look wonderful but 2 and 3 are my faves!
These look amazing! The calendar is so beautiful.
I’m so excited to be incorporating these books this year! Thank you for sharing
Alison Dunn
I would want the calendar and planner. I have been following Liturgy of the Home for some time now.
Love this giveaway! I would love to win the planner and calendars!
What are great list of books for the season! I will be looking in to getting some of these to start our collection.
The Fiat planner looks amazing as well as all of the books. ALWAYS such great ideas here. Thanks Jessica.
Beautiful book list again this year!
This is my favorite post of the year. Love all the book suggestions. Options 3 or 4 are my favorite!
This is my favorite post of the year!! Love your book lists so much.
The planner and calendar look beautiful! Happy Advent and a blessed year to you! – Emily Ellis
ALWAYS love your giveaways and book basket lists!
I look forward to this every year, thank you for sharing!!!
Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for sharing all the various traditions you have with your family. Your blog is a wonderful resource for those of us trying to weave the Catholic faith more into our daily activities/life. God bless!
Thank you! I always love seeing your book picks. 🙂
Jessica, you always host the best giveaways! 🙂 Thank you for all of the effort you put into these. The planner and calendar from Sophia Institute Press are beautiful! – Kathy B
I can’t wait to start advent traditions like the book basket with our son as he grows. The advent calendar and planner are great resources for weaving the Catholic Faith into everyday.
I can’t wait to start advent traditions like the book basket with our son as he grows. Thank you for sharing! The advent calendar and planner would be great for weaving Catholic Faith into our day to day!
Thank you so much for this!! This is awesome, and once we have a good collection of books I would love to do this!! Thank you for sharing!
That planner and those calendars are so beautiful!
And also those children’s books look great!!
Thank you for this generous giveaway. My choice would be #3 or #4.
Joan
Lots and lots of goodies!!
Have a blessed Advent!
This is Melodee. I would choose Prize #1.
God bless your family!
We would love the opportunity to enrich our homeschool library of truly Catholic books! Hope we win!
This is Christy. You have inspired my parenting and faith as I continue to parent our children 19 years old and down. How I have appreciated your book sharings throughout the years! #4 Beloved Son is perfect for Advent and is on my Advent purchase list for my Goddaughter. Advent blessings to you and your dear family! Pax Christi!
We have some of the books in your Advent basket and love the ideas for other books to add to our library. #1 would be well used in our family.
I always love seeing your ideas!!! Thank you!
I’m so happy to be building a little Catholic library because I have many of the advent books on your list. My oldest is only 8 but I’m happy to see the nice teen options!
I love all of your ideas!! So many gorgeous things to win the giveaway!!
I was hoping to get some books wrapped for this year, but it hasn’t happened yet. But I suppose it isn’t too late yet, right?
Not too late at all! We are adding things little by little this year. Today I'm hoping to pull out our Advent calendars that start Dec 1! Great time to add in books is you haven't been able to yet!
Thank you for another great giveaway! The Liturgical planner and calendar and the St. Paul Centre books are lovely.
Prize 2 and prize 4 I would love to have. Thank you!
Great book list! Would love prize #1!
All of these prizes would be wonderful! Thank you again for all you do to put this together every year!
What a lovely giveaway! Thank you! The calendar and music items look amazing. -Caitlin
Thank you for all your booklists, I’m constantly looking for book for my children that we can read together, (or separately), to build their faith, and not destroy it.
I would love to win the books to read to my granddaughters! From Emily
I would love prize 4, 2, or 1. Thank you!
Thank you for a great giveaway opportunity.
I would like to win prize 3 and 4 . Thank you for the giveaway.Merry Christmas
Thank you so much for the giveaway
Such fun to see what else you have discovered! Thank you for sharing.
Jessica! You are always so generous with all your give-aways. Would love #3 or #4. God bless you!
Thank you for more book ideas Jessica! I'd love to win number 4.
Thank you for all the things you share! I can’t wait to us some of these books with my littles. I’d love to win #1.
Thanks for posting your booklist. Would love number 3 if my name is chosen.
Love to see the new books added each year!
Thank you!!
I look forward to this post every year! I love all the reviews and new book ideas so I can add to our own Advent collection!
Love this post! I always add a few more books to our collection. Our Advent book basket just keeps growing! Would love any of the gifts – thank you so much!
A blessed Advent to you! I love this yearly giveaway!! Thank you so much for putting this on! I would love prize#1 ~ Melinda Gudenkauf
Thanks for all the great ideas and giveaways! I would love to win prize #4.
I'd love to win #1 or #2…The calendar is lovely but I also think my 15 year old would love the books. It is sometimes hard to find fun books for teens!
Love this list! Many new titles with a few classics sprinkled in!
What a fun Advent tradition….thanks for sharing! 🙂 I would really love to win prize #1!!!! Thank you!!
Thank you for offering this lovely Advent giveaway! My favorite is prize #1: the beautiful set of calendars and the planner!
The new books (#4) look really interesting.
Thanks for all the wonderful book ideas! I love #3 and #4.
I love all the prizes but the books in #3 are my favorite!
Thanks for all the idea!
I’d love prize 1! I’ve been eyeing those beautiful calendars for months!!
They all look like lovely prizes! So hard to pick a favorite.
I would love the planner and calendars! I've been eyeing them for a while. Then the St.Paul Center books look lovely!
Hard to choose between #1 and #3 ! I’ve heard so much about those calendars.
Such awesome gifts! Would love #1, 3, or 4!
Prize number 1 looks awesome! Would be great to have liturgical calendar without having to google it!
Would love #1, 3, or 4. Such lovely giveaways!
Love the planner! Great book list as always:)
Wonderful advent ideas as usual! I just love all you have shared with us over the years! I love the calendars, but any of them could all have a place in our homes.
These all look fabulous and so generous.
Happy Advent!!! Love your book suggestions, always!
Love all your ideas and raffles! TY! God Bless!
Any prize would be an amazing gift. They all are beautiful. However I would love to win # 1 if ever I get that lucky 😄.
I’m getting married in January and learning how to live liturgically, so the feast day calendars would be so special for my new husband and I! -Faith Snyder
Hi! I have been following you for years and what a labor or love these posts are and a blessing they have been to our family. God Bless! So many great prizes.
I would love the liturgical year calendars. God bless you!
They are all wonderful but if I had to choose #1
I would love to win #1 or 2. I have been eyeing the planner and my teen loves to read, so many great prizes to choose from!
Good picture books are hard to find! Thanks for the list!
I would love prize#4 thank you
Thank you for this opportunity! I love prize #2.
Molly
Thank you for beautifully supporting and encouraging families to grow in the faith.
Thank you for this Advent giveaway. I am especially interested in Prize #3, Prize #4. From Dee.
Love the calendar!
Thank you for this giveaway! I would love #3.
Planner and calendar ❤ (Emily E)
The Sophia Institute Press calendars are BEAUTIFUL!
I love all the book ideas. Some we buy and many we borrow from the library.
Thank you for all your book suggestions and the list! Any would be amazing to win!
I am so grateful for your posts! My teen is always looking for decent things to read, so that prize is particularly of interest. I, however, love the planner and calendar. Happy Advent!
All of them, but PRIZE #1 caught my eye! I've been wanting to get that set for ages! -Julie
What great prizes. It's hard to choose one.
Thank you for doing this! I would love prize #1. Or prize #4!
We are starting the Advent book tradition this year. It's fun so far!
Still love this!
this is lovely! thank you! beautiful illustrations on the the new OLG book.
Another year, another amazing raffle. God bless your family and the fruits of your labor. Prize 1 has my eye but they're all lovely 🙂
Would love either #3 or #4 book prizes. Thanks for offering!
I would LOVE to win Sophia Institute’s planner and calendars! The calendars are so beautiful. Thanks for hosting the giveaway!
*recommenting with my name!* I would LOVE to win Sophia Institute’s planner and calendars! The calendars are so beautiful. Thanks for hosting the giveaway!