If you are looking to spread some Valentine's love, look through the stacks of your local library or bookstore for these great books to inspire some love for the season!
Infants & Toddlers:
Elmo's Valentine - A chunky book is perfect for little hands and durable too! Elmo tries to figure out who should receive his big valentine!
Counting Kisses by Karen Katz - Read how a family tries to cheer up the baby in this colorful and child friendly book!
Things I Love by Duncan Maxfield - Another chunky book that will teach basic concepts while celebrating Valentine's Day.
Preschoolers:
The Night Before Valentine's Day by Natasha Wing - Probably just like your preschooler, the kids dream of candy hearts in another a take-off on Clement C. Moore's beloved poem. The next day at school is a day of parties and games-and a surprise visitor bearing a Valentine gift for the whole class!
Snowy Valentine by David Peterson - Even though this has been a mild winter in most of the USA, you and your preschooler can step out into a snowy Valentine’s Day with Jasper the bunny as he searches the forest valley for a special gift for his loved one. This beautiful picture book explores what is the perfect way to say “I love you.”
Happy Valentine's Day Curious George by N. DiAngelo - George and his friends celebrate Valentine’s Day with decorating, baking, card making and some unexpected hilarity along the way! Just how much mischief can a curious little monkey get into when balloons, frosting, and glitter are involved?
Grades 1-3:
The Great Valentine Mystery by Meagan E. Bryant - After many preparations are finished Ms. Jacobs whole class is ready for the Valentine's Party but, the treats are missing! What happened to those treats and who is trying to ruin Valentine's Day!
Happy Valentine's Day Mouse by Nancy Numeroff - Celebrate Valentine's Day with Mouse from If You Give a Mouse a Cookie as he celebrates Valentine’s Day with all the friends he loves.
Fancy Nancy : Heart to Heart by Jane O'Connor - Almost everything about Valentine's Day is fancy . . . especially with Fancy Nancy! Mystery is in the air when Nancy receives a valentine from a secret someone. Join Nancy as she follows the clues to find out who it is—all in her trademark fabulous style, of course.
Roses are Pink Your Feet Really Stink by Diane DeGroat - When Gilbert writes two not-so-nice valentines to his classmates, his prank quickly turns into pandemonium. But there's always time for a change of heart on Valentine's Day.
Grades 4-6:
Charlotte's Web by E. B. White - This story explores love that is found in many ways on the farm between a girl and her pig and a wonderful spider, Charlotte.
Valentine's Day Surprise (After School Club Series #2) by Marilyn Kaye - A Valentine's Day mix-up and President's Day are causing excitement. Both Bo and Jill are nominated for club president--but so is Donald, the meanest kid in the After School Club who will do anything to win the election.
Totally Crushed (Candy Apple Series #7) by Eliza Willard - Annabel is thrilled to find a red carnation at her locker on Valentine's Day. But when it turns out to be from her best guy friend Sam, things get messy - fast! Annabel could never like Sam THAT way. But her best friend Phoebe does! Annabel's perfect Valentine's Day is turning into a perfect disaster.
Larry Boy and the Mudslingers by Doug Peterson - It's a wonderful day at the Cannonball Water Park---playing in the sand, basking in the sun, and sliding down the water slide ... until the Bad Apple and her slimy sidekick, Curly, decide to play dirty! After tricking Laura Carrot and Junior Asparagus into starting a mud fight, one thing leads to another and soon everyone is covered in mud! But this is no ordinary mud---it's a sticky goo cooked up by none other than the Bad Apple herself. Can LarryBoy free Bumblyburg from this dirty disaster even when he's covered in mud? Kids will enjoy being a part of the fun as LarryBoy discovers the power of forgiveness.
Tweens & Teens:
All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin - In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight—at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.
Fallen In Love by Lauren Kate - In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight—at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.
Heading Home by Renee Riva - For eight years, A.J. Degulio has been itching to get back to her beloved Indian Island. It's home. But a lot has changed: Sailor moves slower, Danny has grown into a man and A.J. has a promise to keep, but it doesn't include Danny. When Danny discovers the truth, he's shocked and hurt. But he won't stand in the way of what he she really wants.
Adults:
Choosing to SEE by Mary Beth Chapman - Perhaps love is what this book should really be called or at least subtitled! Mary Beth's story is our story--wondering where God is when the worst happens. In Choosing to SEE, readers will hear firsthand about the loss of her daughter, the struggle to heal, and the unexpected path God has placed her on.
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - Nonagenarian Jacob Jankowski reflects back on his wild and wondrous days with a circus. It’s the Depression Era and Jacob, finding himself parentless and penniless, joins the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. There he meets the freaks, grifters, and misfits that populate this world. He introduces us to Marlena, beautiful star of the equestrian act; to August, her charismatic but twisted husband (and the circus’s animal trainer); and to Rosie, the seemingly untrainable elephant Jacob cares for.
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - In the 12th century in England Follett intertwines the lives of various characters from all walks of life in a brilliant tale of action, intrigue and passion. This takes place primarily in a monastery around the building a beautiful cathedral.
Defending Jacob by William Landay - Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney in his suburban Massachusetts county for more than twenty years. He is respected in his community, tenacious in the courtroom, and happy at home with his wife, Laurie, and son, Jacob. But when a shocking crime shatters their New England town, Andy is blindsided by what happens next: His fourteen-year-old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student.
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