Explore love in all its forms with the following terrific reads.
BOARD/TODDLERS
‘Happy Valentine’s Day, Mouse!’
by Laura Numeroff
Our friend, Mouse, celebrates Valentine’s Day by celebrating his love for each of his friends. Each one is special: Pig is strong, Cat is brave, and Dog always knows the perfect way to help his friends. But Mouse is special too, and his friends use Valentine’s Day to celebrate their love for him. Written by the author of “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” this book will please little ones and their grownups.
‘The Itsy Bitsy Sweetheart’
by Jeffrey Burton
Using the tune of Itsy Bitsy Spider, parents and little ones can sing along with Itsy Bitsy as she shows her love with Valentine’s cards for all of her family and friends. The song paces the creations step by step, encouraging little ones to create their own cards using markers, paints and glue. This sweet story is accompanied by gentle illustrations showing loving and smiling facial expressions.
Picture Books
‘Love’
by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff
Simple and straightforward, “Love” is a book that draws you in, right from the cover, with a collection of smiling children looking back lovingly at the reader. Sparse text and colorfully illustrated scenes depict children, from all walks of life, expressing all the ways people show love. We see small acts of love in everyday moments—as a virtual hug to a mother serving in the military, a child sharing a book with a new friend and a little one drawing a picture for a favorite teacher. This heartwarming picture book perfectly illustrates the spirit of the holiday.
‘Mirabel’s Missing Valentines’
by Janet Lawler
Mirabel is so shy, but she loves Valentine’s Day and her classmates! She carefully and lovingly creates beautiful cards for all of her classmates. She hurries to school so overwhelmingly worried and shy about delivering them to her classmates that she doesn’t realize the cards are falling out of her backpack. Soon they’re all gone! Follow Mirabel as she unknowingly delivers Valentines around town, bringing happiness to those who need it and making new friends along the way. Shy children will especially connect with Mirabel and find her story a source of encouragement.
Young Readers
‘What Is Valentine’s Day?’
by Elaine Landau
How do people celebrate Valentine’s Day? What is the history of Valentine’s Day? Learn about the meaning, the symbols, the customs and the traditions of this holiday. This book provides a clear and informative nonfiction book for children describing Valentine’s Day, its meanings and origins. As a bonus, the book includes a fun hands-on craft suitable for all ages!
‘Too Many Valentines’
by Margaret McNamara
All of the students at Robin Hill School are looking forward to giving and receiving Valentine’s Day cards, but not Neil. Neil doesn’t want any frilly, pink Valentine’s cards. He thinks Valentine’s Day cards are silly and tells everyone that he doesn’t want any. But on Valentine’s Day, when Neil says he doesn’t get any cards, suddenly they don’t seem so silly, and Neil is sad. Maybe his teacher and friends know him better than he knows himself? Join our lovable grump, Neil, as he discovers what Valentine’s Day means to him.
Middle Readers
The Third Wheel’
‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel’
by Jeff Kinney
In this seventh installment of the “Wimpy Kid” series, Greg Heffley’s school is having a Valentine’s Day dance. As his classmates rush to secure dates, Greg is determined to get a date for himself too. Greg develops a desperate plan to secure a partner for the dance. Of course, his plan goes hilariously awry and Greg has no option but to attend the dance with his best friend Rowley and a female classmate as a group of friends. This book is an excellent pick for students in grades 4 through 7 who prefer a comedy over romance for Valentine’s Day tales.
‘Drama’
by Raina Telgemeier
Callie loves working in the theater department at her middle school. This year’s musical is “Moon Over Mississippi.” Callie really wants to be in the play but knows she can’t sing. Instead, she has found the perfect role as the set designer for the stage crew and is determined to create a Broadway-worthy set. But, as it turns out, Callie has quite a few obstacles to overcome and her lack of carpentry skills is the least of her worries. The offstage drama among the cast and crew is distracting—and so are the two cute brothers who just enrolled at her school. This graphic novel is a must-read for fans of Telgemeier’s “Smile” and “Sisters” and is recommended for grades 4 and higher.
Teens
‘You Should See Me in a Crown’
by Leah Johnson
Liz Lighty cannot wait for her next greatest adventure: the prestigious Pennington College, where she can leave behind all the silly drama and people who drive her crazy in her tiny Indiana town. When saddled with a hefty financial aid bill and no way to make a dent in it, she decides to run for her school’s Prom Queen and its large scholarship prize. New girl Max is also running for Prom Queen, and even though she is Liz’s competition, there’s no denying that sparks are flying between them. This perfect romantic read will have you rooting for Liz and cheering through to the end. It is recommended for grades 8 and higher.
‘10 Things I Hate About Pinky’
by Sandhya Menon
The author of the 2017 best-seller “When Dimple Met Rishi” presents another rom-com page turner. Pinky Kumar is a teen passionate about social justice causes and embarrassing her conservative parents. To appease her parents after endless complaints about her life decisions, particularly when it comes to her boyfriends, Pinky hatches a plan by enlisting the help of her frenemy Samir, a “Harvard-bound Mama’s boy.” In exchange for an internship, Samir must pose as Pinky’s boyfriend for the summer and impress her parents. As the summer heats up, Pinky realizes Samir is not as annoying as she thought he was. This book about contentious parental relationships and unexpected love is recommended for grades 8 and higher.
