36 Free Vintage Christmas Books

Today I’m sharing a roundup of free Christmas e-books, with free audiobooks also available for most of them. These titles are in the public domain because they are very vintage, which means they may not always be politically correct. Additionally, the writing style is typically more formal, so it may require a bit more effort to read.

Some are classics that have stood the test of time; others are more obscure. Many of them were written for children or young people. What I appreciate about them is the authentic glimpse into generations past. Even if the story is contrived, it’s fascinating to consider that these stories were once read for entertainment decades ago.

E-books & Audiobooks

I’m providing links to Project Gutenberg, LibriVox, and Kindle when available. Project Gutenberg and LibriVox books are always free. LibriVox provides free audiobooks read by volunteers. E-books from Project Gutenberg can be loaded onto your Kindle if that’s how you prefer to read; however, an extra step is involved.

The Kindle books in this post were free when I posted them, but they are subject to change. Additionally, I’m obliged to remind you that I earn from qualifying purchases when you use my Amazon/Kindle links.

• The Abbot’s Ghost by Louisa May Alcott (Kindle | Project Gutenberg | LibriVox)
• Christie’s Christmas by Isabella Alden (LibriVox)
• The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum (Kindle | Project Gutenberg | LibriVox)
• The Christmas Reindeer by Thornton W. Burgess (Project Gutenberg | LibriVox)
• Christmas Holidays at Merryvale by Alice Hale Burnett (Project Gutenberg | LibriVox)
• Nan Sherwood’s Winter Holidays, or Rescuing the Runaways by Annie Roe Carr (Kindle | Project Gutenberg)
• A Budget of Christmas Tales by Charles Dickens and Others (Kindle | Project Gutenberg | LibriVox)
• The Chimes by Charles Dickens (Kindle | Project Gutenberg | LibriVox)
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (Kindle | Project Gutenberg | LibriVox)
• The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain by Charles Dickens (Kindle | Project Gutenberg | LibriVox)
• Mr. Pickwick’s Christmas by Charles Dickens (Project Gutenberg)
• Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates by Mary Mapes Dodge (Kindle | Project Gutenberg | LibriVox)
• Christmas with Grandma Elsie by Martha Finley (Kindle | Project Gutenberg)
• Campfire Girls in the Allegheny Mountains, or A Christmas Success Against Odds by Stella M. Francis (Kindle | Project Gutenberg | LibriVox)
• The Campfire Girls Solve a Mystery, or The Christmas Adventure at Carver House by Hildegard G. Frey (Kindle | Project Gutenberg)
• The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry (Kindle | Project Gutenberg | LibriVox)
• Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue at Christmas Tree Cove by Laura Lee Hope (Kindle | Project Gutenberg | LibriVox)
• Six Little Bunkers at Grandpa Ford’s by Laura Lee Hope (Kindle | Project Gutenberg)
• The Story of a Nodding Donkey by Laura Lee Hope (Kindle | Project Gutenberg | LibriVox)
• The Story of a Stuffed Elephant by Laura Lee Hope (Kindle | Project Gutenberg | LibriVox)
• Old Christmas by Washington Irving (Kindle | Project Gutenberg | LibriVox)
• Miss Santa Claus of the Pullman by Annie Fellows Johnston (Kindle | Project Gutenberg | LibriVox)
• A Christmas Mystery: The Story of Three Wise Men by William John Locke (Kindle | Project Gutenberg)
• ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas: A Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore (Kindle | Project Gutenberg | LibriVox)
• A Captured Santa Claus by Thomas Nelson Page (Kindle | Project Gutenberg)
• Santa Claus’s Partner by Thomas Nelson Page (Kindle | Project Gutenberg | LibriVox)
• Tommy Trot’s Visit to Santa Claus by Thomas Nelson Page (Kindle | Project Gutenberg | LibriVox)
• The Tailor of Gloucester by Beatrix Potter (Kindle | Project Gutenberg)
• Arne and the Christmas Star: A Story of Norway by Alta Halverson Seymour (Project Gutenberg)
• Betty’s Bright Idea by Harriet Beecher Stowe (Kindle | Project Gutenberg)
• Beasley’s Christmas Party by Booth Tarkington (Kindle | Project Gutenberg | LibriVox)
• The First Christmas Tree: A Story of the Forest by Henry Van Dyke (Kindle | Project Gutenberg | LibriVox)
• The Story of the Other Wise Man by Henry Van Dyke (Kindle | Project Gutenberg | LibriVox)
• The Birds’ Christmas Carol by Kate Douglas Wiggin (Kindle | Project Gutenberg | LibriVox)
• The Old Peabody Pew: A Christmas Romance of a Country Church by Kate Douglas Wiggin (Kindle | Project Gutenberg | LibriVox)
• The Romance of a Christmas Card by Kate Douglas Wiggin (Kindle | Project Gutenberg | LibriVox)

Do you see some familiar author names? Charles Dickens, of course. Did you know he wrote more Christmas stories besides A Christmas Carol? There’s also L. Frank Baum, whose most well-known book is The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; then Laura Lee Hope, who wrote the Bobbsey Twins series for children, and Kate Douglas Wiggin, who wrote Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm…

I haven’t read all of these myself, but one I especially enjoyed was Arne and the Christmas Star. It’s a heartwarming family story set in Norway in the mid-twentieth century.

How many of these have you read?