School Holiday Reading List Malaysia (Dec 2026) | Wau Books [![Wau Books](https://waubooks.com/logo/logo-wordmark-502.webp)Wau Books](https://waubooks.com/) [Discover](https://waubooks.com/discover) [Collections](https://waubooks.com/collections) [Journal](https://waubooks.com/journal) [About](https://waubooks.com/about) [Contact](https://waubooks.com/contact) [← Journal](https://waubooks.com/journal) 1. [Home](https://waubooks.com/)/ 2. [Journal](https://waubooks.com/journal)/ 3. Year-End School Holiday Reading List for Malaysian Children (2026) Reading Guides # Year-End School Holiday Reading List for Malaysian Children (2026) Malaysia's 2026 year-end school holiday runs to 31 December. A reading list for ages 0 to 12, two or three picks per age, and a no-pressure plan. ![Dayang](https://waubooks.com/about/author-avatar.webp) By Dayang Co-founder & Lead Curator · 12 Oct 2026 · 7 min read ![Three Malaysian children sitting on a woven mat in a living room, reading picture books together beside a stack of books, with tropical plants outside an open window](https://waubooks.com/journal/year-end-school-holiday-reading-list-malaysia.webp) _A long school break is the easiest time of year to make reading feel like play rather than work. Illustration generated with AI._ Malaysia's 2026 year-end school holiday runs through December. According to the Ministry of Education's circular on the 2026 academic calendar ([Surat Siaran KPM Bil. 3 Tahun 2025](https://www.moe.gov.my/storage/files/shares/pekeliling_dan_garis_panduan/surat_siaran/bahagian-pengurusan-sekolah-harian/Surat%20Siaran%20KPM%20Bil.%203%202025%20-%20Kalendar%20Akademik%202026.pdf)), the _cuti akhir persekolahan_ is **4 to 31 December 2026** for schools in Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu (Group A), and **5 to 31 December 2026** for schools in all other states and federal territories (Group B). The same circular sets the start of the 2027 school year on **4 January 2027** for both groups. That gives most families about four weeks. The short version of this list: for ages 0 to 2, board books with flaps or songs; for 3 to 5, look-and-find and join-in books; for 6 to 8, a comic, a fact book and a project; for 9 to 12, funny books. Below are two or three books for each age band, with one honest reason for each, plus a realistic way to think about how much to read. ## [Ages 0 to 2: books to touch, sing and repeat](#ages-0-to-2-books-to-touch-sing-and-repeat) At this age, a "reading list" really means books you share. Board books survive being chewed and dropped, and books with sound, flaps or texture give a baby something to do with their hands while you read. **Where's Mr Lion?** is a board book with soft felt flaps to lift, hiding animals underneath. Lifting a flap is one of the simplest ways for a baby to take part in a book rather than just listen. ![Where's Mr Lion?](https://waubooks.com/book-covers/wheres-mr-lion.webp) Storytime & Read-Aloud Where's Mr Lion? Peekaboo, where could Mr Lion be? Lift the soft felt flaps to find the hidden animals. A bright, tactile board book little hands won't want to put down. [View this book](https://waubooks.com/book/wheres-mr-lion) **The Wheels On The Bus** is a sing-along board book with a button that plays the music. If your child already knows the song, this is an easy way to turn a familiar tune into a book. ![The Wheels On The Bus](https://waubooks.com/book-covers/the-wheels-on-the-bus.webp) Songs & Rhymes The Wheels On The Bus Round and round the wheels go, and every page is ready to sing! Press the button, start the music, and watch your little one join in with the wipers, the horn, and the whole happy bus. A sing-along board book that turns story time into a joyful, musical adventure. [View this book](https://waubooks.com/book/the-wheels-on-the-bus) **Twinkle Twinkle Little Star** is a musical board book built around the bedtime rhyme. Holiday days can be long and late; a calm, familiar song is a gentle way to end one. ![Twinkle Twinkle Little Star](https://waubooks.com/book-covers/twinkle-twinkle-little-star.webp) Songs & Rhymes Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Twinkle, twinkle, little star. A gentle, glowing bedtime rhyme for the very youngest readers. The perfect calm-down song to share at the end of the day. [View this book](https://waubooks.com/book/twinkle-twinkle-little-star) More for this age: [books for ages 0 to 2](https://waubooks.com/collections/books-for-ages-0-2). ## [Ages 3 to 5: books that reward a second, third and tenth read](#ages-3-to-5-books-that-reward-a-second-third-and-tenth-read) Preschoolers love repetition. The best holiday books for this age are ones that change a little each time you open them, or that invite the child to join in. **Spot A Lot (Animals Escape)** is a look-and-find book: busy scenes where children search for and count runaway animals. Searching and counting can be enjoyed before a child reads words, which makes a book like this useful for car journeys and waiting rooms. ![Spot A Lot (Animals Escape)](https://waubooks.com/book-covers/spot-a-lot-animals-escape.webp) Storytime & Read-Aloud Spot A Lot (Animals Escape) The animals are on the loose, can you spot them all? Search every busy, colourful scene to find and count the runaways. A lively look-and-find adventure that keeps little eyes hunting page after page. [View this book](https://waubooks.com/book/spot-a-lot-animals-escape) **The Three Billy Goats Gruff** retells the classic folk tale in rhyme, with lift-the-flap surprises. The catalogue excerpt opens with "Trip, trap, trip, trap, who's that crossing my bridge?", the kind of line a child can soon join in with. ![The Three Billy Goats Gruff](https://waubooks.com/book-covers/the-three-billy-goats-gruff.webp) Storytime & Read-Aloud The Three Billy Goats Gruff Trip, trap, trip, trap, who's that crossing my bridge? The classic tale of three clever goats and one grumpy troll, retold in playful rhyme. A bright, bouncy read-aloud with lift-the-flap surprises. [View this book](https://waubooks.com/book/the-three-billy-goats-gruff) **You Choose Fairy Tales** lets the child choose the hero, the quest and the baddy, so the story is different every time. Over a four-week break, that variety matters. ![You Choose Fairy Tales](https://waubooks.com/book-covers/you-choose-fairy-tales.webp) Storytime & Read-Aloud You Choose Fairy Tales Make up your very own fairy tale adventure, where YOU choose what happens next! Which hero will you be? Where will your quest take you? Which baddy would you least like to meet? The possibilities are infinite in this spell-binding creative toolkit. [View this book](https://waubooks.com/book/you-choose-fairy-tales) More for this age: [books for ages 3 to 5](https://waubooks.com/collections/books-for-ages-3-5). ## [Ages 6 to 8: comics, facts and a project](#ages-6-to-8-comics-facts-and-a-project) Many children between prasekolah and Tahun 2 are still building reading stamina, and a holiday is not the time to force it. Mix formats: a comic, a fact book and something hands-on. **Sweet Ana Solehah Siri 1** is a locally published comic in Bahasa Melayu about three siblings growing up, with themes of friendship and resilience. It is an easy way to keep Malay reading going while school is out. ![Sweet Ana Solehah Siri 1](https://waubooks.com/book-covers/sweet-ana-solehah-siri-1.webp) Islamic Sweet Ana Solehah Siri 1 A meaningful comic series about three siblings growing up through life's challenges, filled with friendship, resilience, and values inspired by everyday experiences. [View this book](https://waubooks.com/book/sweet-ana-solehah-siri-1) **Encyclopedia Of Space** is an illustrated fact book about stars, the Sun and astronauts. Fact books suit children who would rather know things than follow a plot. ![Encyclopedia Of Space](https://waubooks.com/book-covers/encyclopedia-of-space.webp) STEM Encyclopedia Of Space Did you know that some stars are bigger than our Sun? Or that astronauts can float in space because there is almost no gravity? Get ready to blast off on an exciting journey through the universe and discover amazing facts about planets, stars, rockets, astronauts, black holes, and more! [View this book](https://waubooks.com/book/encyclopedia-of-space) **Little Engineers STEM Series** packages hands-on STEM activities and engineering challenges as a story-driven adventure. It gives a long holiday afternoon a project, with reading built in. ![Little Engineers STEM Series](https://waubooks.com/book-covers/little-engineers-stem-series.jpg) STEM Little Engineers STEM Series Hands-on STEM activities and engineering challenges packaged as an engaging story-driven adventure for primary schoolers. [View this book](https://waubooks.com/book/little-engineers-stem-series) If your child is still learning to read in English, the holiday is also a good moment for a structured reader. See our guide to [which Key Words with Peter and Jane level to start on](https://waubooks.com/journal/key-words-with-peter-and-jane-which-level), the [learn to read and phonics collection](https://waubooks.com/collections/learn-to-read-phonics), and our guide to [reading for 6 year olds](https://waubooks.com/journal/reading-for-6-year-olds). More for this age: [books for ages 6 to 8](https://waubooks.com/collections/books-for-ages-6-8). ## [Ages 9 to 12: funny books that keep pages turning](#ages-9-to-12-funny-books-that-keep-pages-turning) Older children who read during term sometimes stop in the holidays, especially when the books on offer feel like school. Humour is one of the best counters we know. **Diary Of A Wimpy Kid** is the illustrated diary of Greg Heffley, dodging trouble and chasing popularity at middle school. The diary format with cartoons suits children who find full pages of text heavy going. ![Diary Of A Wimpy Kid](https://waubooks.com/book-covers/diary-of-a-wimpy-kid.webp) Storytime & Read-Aloud Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Middle school is hard enough when you're not surrounded by morons. Meet Greg Heffley: dodging trouble, chasing popularity, and writing it all down. The laugh-out-loud illustrated diary that turned millions of kids into readers. [View this book](https://waubooks.com/book/diary-of-a-wimpy-kid) **How To Be A Kid Boss: 101 Secrets Grown-Ups Won't Tell You** is a humorous non-fiction book of 101 "secrets" for kids, from handling parents to winning sports day. A book of many separate secrets suits a child who reads in bursts rather than long stretches. ![How To Be A Kid Boss: 101 Secrets Grown-Ups Won't Tell You](https://waubooks.com/book-covers/how-to-be-a-kid-boss.webp) Storytime & Read-Aloud How To Be A Kid Boss: 101 Secrets Grown-Ups Won't Tell You Fed up of being told what to do by everyone? Then this is the book for YOU: 101 secrets grown-ups won't tell you. From brainwashing your parents to winning sports day, it's time to take charge (and cause a little chaos). [View this book](https://waubooks.com/book/how-to-be-a-kid-boss) For more at this age, see our guide to [the best comics and graphic novels for Malaysian kids](https://waubooks.com/journal/best-comics-graphic-novels-malaysian-kids). ## [How much to read in a holiday](#how-much-to-read-in-a-holiday) We will not give you a number of books or minutes, because we know of no figure that fits every child, and we would rather not invent one. What we can offer is what tends to work in practice: - **Aim for a routine, not a target.** A short read at the same time each day (after lunch, before bed) is easier to keep than a weekly goal. - **Count reading aloud.** Reading to your child, and your child reading to a younger sibling, both count. Reading aloud together still counts after a child can read alone; our guide to [reading aloud](https://waubooks.com/journal/how-to-read-aloud-to-children-malaysian-parents) has ideas. - **Let them choose, including comics and fact books.** A comic read with enthusiasm is still reading. - **Keep both languages going lightly.** If your child reads in Bahasa Melayu at school, one or two Malay books in the mix stops the break from becoming English-only, or the reverse. Our [Malay children's books collection](https://waubooks.com/collections/malay-childrens-books) is a starting point. - **Do not turn it into homework.** The point of holiday reading is that it is chosen and enjoyed. If it becomes another task, it tends to stop. If your child's school runs the NILAM reading record and counts holiday reading, the break is also an easy time to add a few entries. Our guide to [story books for NILAM](https://waubooks.com/journal/buku-cerita-untuk-nilam) explains how the record works. ## [Frequently asked questions](#frequently-asked-questions) ### [When is the 2026 year-end school holiday in Malaysia?](#when-is-the-2026-year-end-school-holiday-in-malaysia) According to the Ministry of Education's 2026 academic calendar, it is 4 to 31 December 2026 for Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, and 5 to 31 December 2026 for all other states and federal territories. The 2027 school year starts on 4 January 2027 for both groups. ### [How many books should my child read during the holidays?](#how-many-books-should-my-child-read-during-the-holidays) There is no right number. A short daily reading habit that your child enjoys is more useful than a target, and reading aloud together counts. ### [Are comics and activity books real reading?](#are-comics-and-activity-books-real-reading) Yes. They ask a child to read words, follow a sequence and make sense of text and pictures together. For reluctant readers they are often the way in. ### [What if my child refuses to read during the break?](#what-if-my-child-refuses-to-read-during-the-break) Read to them instead, and leave a few books where they can pick them up without being asked. A funny book, a fact book about something they already love, or a look-and-find book often works better than a "good" book chosen by an adult. ## [Books in this guide](#books-in-this-guide) - [Where's Mr Lion?](https://waubooks.com/book/wheres-mr-lion) - [The Wheels On The Bus](https://waubooks.com/book/the-wheels-on-the-bus) - [Twinkle Twinkle Little Star](https://waubooks.com/book/twinkle-twinkle-little-star) - [Spot A Lot (Animals Escape)](https://waubooks.com/book/spot-a-lot-animals-escape) - [The Three Billy Goats Gruff](https://waubooks.com/book/the-three-billy-goats-gruff) - [You Choose Fairy Tales](https://waubooks.com/book/you-choose-fairy-tales) - [Sweet Ana Solehah Siri 1](https://waubooks.com/book/sweet-ana-solehah-siri-1) - [Encyclopedia Of Space](https://waubooks.com/book/encyclopedia-of-space) - [Little Engineers STEM Series](https://waubooks.com/book/little-engineers-stem-series) - [Diary Of A Wimpy Kid](https://waubooks.com/book/diary-of-a-wimpy-kid) - [How To Be A Kid Boss](https://waubooks.com/book/how-to-be-a-kid-boss) You can read more about [how we choose the books we list](https://waubooks.com/about/how-we-choose). ## The Curator's Letter Sign up for our letter: curated books and reading ideas for multilingual families. No sales. Email address Subscribe We respect your digital peace. Unsubscribe anytime. ## Continue Reading [![Seorang murid perempuan berpakaian seragam sekolah berbaring di atas tikar getah berwarna-warni sambil membaca sebuah buku](https://waubooks.com/journal/buku-cerita-untuk-nilam.webp) Reading Guides Buku Cerita untuk NILAM: Panduan Memilih Buku untuk Murid Sekolah Rendah](https://waubooks.com/journal/buku-cerita-untuk-nilam) [![Seorang murid perempuan berpakaian seragam sekolah menulis di dalam buku nota dengan pen di dalam bilik darjah](https://waubooks.com/journal/cara-menulis-rumusan-buku-cerita-nilam.webp) Reading Guides Cara Menulis Rumusan Buku Cerita untuk NILAM (Dengan Templat dan Contoh)](https://waubooks.com/journal/cara-menulis-rumusan-buku-cerita-nilam) [![A mother and her young son lying on a striped rug at home, reading a picture book together](https://waubooks.com/journal/key-words-with-peter-and-jane-which-level.webp) Reading Guides Key Words with Peter and Jane: Which Level Should Your Child Start On?](https://waubooks.com/journal/key-words-with-peter-and-jane-which-level) Wau Books Calm, editorial-first book discovery for Malaysian families who want thoughtful recommendations. [Discover](https://waubooks.com/discover) [Collections](https://waubooks.com/collections) [Journal](https://waubooks.com/journal) [About](https://waubooks.com/about) [How we choose](https://waubooks.com/about/how-we-choose) [For schools](https://waubooks.com/for-schools) [The letter](https://waubooks.com/newsletter/archive) [Contact](https://waubooks.com/contact) [Privacy Policy](https://waubooks.com/legal/privacy-policy) [Terms of Use](https://waubooks.com/legal/terms) [Affiliate Disclosure](https://waubooks.com/legal/affiliate-disclosure)Cookie settings © 2026 Wau Books. Some retailer links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. 1% of our shop sales supports [frontier carbon removal](https://stripe.com/en-my/climate/contribute). Built for Malaysian family reading life. Engineered by [GambitGrid](https://gambitgrid.com?utm_source=wau&utm_medium=client-referral)