Snuggle up! 5 family read-alouds and the perfect drink pairing
Published on January 15, 2026
We all love curling up with a steaming, warm mug and a good book. Each of these themed drinks will immerse you and your family deeper into the imaginative worlds that jump off the page. These read-aloud suggestions and warm drink pairings will quickly become a wintertime tradition!
Book: Farmer Boy by Laura Ingles Wilder
Beverage: Hot apple cider
Almanzo Wilder and his family are always hard at work on their family farm in upstate New York, and that means they need to eat heartily to keep up their strength! A warm mug of hot apple cider is sure to keep anyone cozy from fingertips to toes. If you want to take it up a notch, you can replicate the scene described in chapter 3, ”Winter Night,” by enjoying your sweet cider alongside apples and popcorn!
Book: The Curious Christmas Trail (A Sister Seraphina Mystery) By Haley Stewart
Beverage: Cinnamon spice hot chocolate
Sister Seraphina is an intrepid mouse who lives under the floorboards of G.K. Chesterton’s home with a convent of schoolteacher mice. Mystery stories always have a surprise in store and so does an unexpectedly sweet and spicy hot cocoa! Start with your favorite hot chocolate recipe, but add a sprinkling of cinnamon (and the tiniest dash of cayenne pepper for warmth, if you’re up for it!). Lastly, add a dash of salt to bring out the complex flavors. Your family will love solving the mystery of why this hot cocoa tastes so amazing!
Book: My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannet
Beverage: Orange spice tea
When your imagination travels to the land of Tangerina, let your tastebuds enjoy warm and comforting citrus aromas! Elmer Elevator frequently snacks on tangerines in the book, so a citrusy beverage is fitting. You can find orange spice tea bags at many large grocery stores, or make your own by steeping fresh orange slices with cloves, cinnamon sticks, or whatever warm spices you have on hand. Steep for 10-15 minutes and then enjoy!
Book: Betsy Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace
Beverage: Gingerbread steamer
Betsy Tacy recounts the friendship of two young girls living in Minnesota at the turn of the century. The story recounts their various imaginative adventures and play. Betsy Tacy’s vintage charm pairs perfectly with the nostalgic flavor of gingerbread. To make a gingerbread steamer, add a spoonful of molasses along with classic gingerbread spices (ground ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon) to milk and heat until warm and flavors have infused. You can froth the milk (with an electric frother or by shaking it in a mason jar) when you are ready to serve. If you don’t have all the gingerbread flavorings, a simple cinnamon steamer is just as much of a treat!
Book: The Story of Dr. Doolittle by Hugh Lofting
Beverage: Decaf English breakfast tea with cream
Dr. Doolittle is a proper English doctor whose unique ability to talk to animals takes him far from home. What English gentleman would turn down a proper cup of English tea? You can use any black tea that you like, but be sure it is decaf if your read-aloud is occurring right before bedtime! Pair it with a hearty splash of cream, and you are ready to voyage.
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Characterization of dragons as friendly or something to be rescued clouds children’s moral vision. See Michael Davies’ book, A Landscape with Dragons.
I completely agree!
What a load of BS.
I read the My Father’s Dragon books as a kid. Multiple times. I’ve even read these same books to my kids, multiple times. I borrowed them from my best friend and they are some of my fondest memories for childhood reading.
I’m still friends with him 30 years later. He is devoutly Catholic and see him at Mass all the time and in a Catholic men’s group with him. I still see his parents at daily Mass. Clearly, the “moral clouding” either didn’t take for us or it’s a load of BS.
Same crap from people that said Pokemon was demonic back in the 90’s.
I believe you mean Michael O’Brien?
I suppose that could be true for families that don’t share stories, read aloud, or talk to their children/parents about those stories. THAT clouds children’s moral vision or allows outside influences to cloud it.
I’m so happy to see Maud Hart Lovelace’s Betsy Tacy. I read all of them when I was young and I reread them every few years (I’m 54!). Now I am passing them down to my own children.
What a wonderful idea!!!! Great books!
Denise-
While I have no experience with this particular book, I agree that the idea that turning villains into heroes is a clear and present danger in our current storytelling.
I applaud your courage in saying so publicly.
Well I wonder if stories that turn villains into heroes could be a starting point for talking about/planting seeds for understating the amazing power of Jesus redeeming power.
Oops typo “UNDERSTANDING”
Red wall series
I’m so glad Farmer Boy is the first one on the list! It is THE BEST family read aloud (at least as far as secular books go).