Valentine's Day
"Love is life. All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love.
Everything is, everything exists, only because I love." — Leo Tolstoy
Valentine's Day mixes a bit of Christian and Roman traditions with modern practices to become the secular holiday we know now. Today, people exchange cards, flowers, candy, and other gifts with their families, friends, and loved ones. Approximately 1 billion cards are sent each year, which puts this holiday only second to Christmas. The exchanging of cards is thought to date back to the Middle Ages.
Valentine's Day is about so much more than romantic relationships; letting people in your life know you love them is something everyone can participate in. Share the fun by reading aloud the books featured below. Who better than Amelia Bedelia to illustrate silly Valentine's Day greetings like Bee My Honey! For older tweens and teens Love? Maybe follows grumpy teen Piper who is horrified to have Valentine's Day as her birthday until a few adventures change her mind.
For activities and more information about the history of Valentine's Day visit:
http://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day
http://familyfun.go.com/valentines-day/valentines-day-cards/
http://pbskids.org/vday/
Contributor: Emily Griffin
Reviews
Amelia Bedelia's First Valentine
Herman Parish
Illustrated by Lynne Avril
Valentine's Day is just around the corner and hearts fill young Amelia Bedelia's mind. At home, Amelia Bedelia prepares her Valentine's Day cards for her classmates by making various adjustments based on her literal interpretations. She places a bandage on the broken heart of the heartbreaker and she adds drops of honey on the card that says, "Bee my honey!" During the Valentine's Day party at school, Amelia Bedelia enjoys the games and treats. When time arrives for the card exchange, Amelia discovers that she left her valentines on the bus; however, she comes up with a clever solution. The author, Herman Parish, picks up the series that his aunt (Peggy Parish) started about a maid named Amelia Bedelia; he adds a new series about Amelia Bedelia as a young girl. Amelia Bedelia's confusion with idioms continues to bring about funny situations. The illustrations provide some support in understanding Amelia Bedelia's interpretations. Some children may need additional support understanding the word play. 2009, Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins Publishers, Ages 4 to 8, $9.99. Reviewer: Carrie Hane Hung (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780062032751
Everybody Bugs Out
Leslie Margolis
Annabelle Stevens slides into the New Year at Birchwood Middle School in a cozy cocoon of close friends, until the love bug strikes. With strong characterization of the wide spectrum of middle school girls and boys, the author sets in place a conundrum of secret hopes and fears among Annabelle and her classmates. The hottest topic is the buzz of the upcoming Valentine Dance, while preparing for a science fair project due on the same day is the imminent reality. As the story unfolds, Annabelle gladly drifts along with the personalities of her friends–from the fashion savvy, Claire, to the dictionary totting, Emma–in a typical desire to fit into the school scene. When the science fair project pairs Annabelle with Oliver, an attractive, friendly, and intriguing lab partner, Tobias insists there is some attraction between Annabelle and Oliver. Annabelle's attempt to keep her crush on Oliver from her close friends eventually backfires. Not only does the protagonist struggle with secret hopes, she also battles secret suspicions which lead her to rescue another student from a poor choice. By the end of the story Annabelle discovers her own strengths and more fully understands her heart. This novel includes the high-drama of one middle school student who matures through conflict, but also encompasses a few others who date, text, keep secrets from parents, and have reputations of collecting kisses. Students who enjoy Annabelle's adventures will also eagerly read other books for middle schoolers by Leslie Margolis. 2011, Bloomsbury Books for Young Readers, Ages 10 to 12, $15.99. Reviewer: Krisan Murphy (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9781599905266
A Kiss for You!
Joan Holub
Illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church
The eye is drawn immediately to a hand that wraps from the back to the front of the book. The youngster is holding it over his mouth because a hand can be used to blow a kiss. A hand is also useful to wave hello, pat a puppy and give a "high five." Kids will be able to use the hand that is part of the book to complete these scenes. But hands can do much more such as holding things like as a teddy bear or playing games like peek-a-boo and waving goodbye. The hand attached to the book is sturdy and should hold up well and is magnetically fastened to the front of the book. The illustrations of boys and girls, toys, pets and parents are a good size and filled with good cheer. A clever book that should be a hit with toddlers. 2011, Cartwheel/Scholastic, Ages 6 mo. to 2, $8.99. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780545349680
Love? Maybe
Heather Hepler
Despite being born on Valentine's Day and working in a candy shop, Piper is cynical, grouchy, and certainly not a romantic. In order to boost the spirits of a friend going through a breakup, she agrees to go along with a Valentine's Day plan, a fanciful scheme that includes selecting boys to pursue and developing a love potion. Piper never expected the plan to actually work, so it surprised everyone when the most popular guy in school is suddenly interested in her. Even more mysterious are the gifts she receives from a secret admirer. Regardless of her luck, Piper is still disenchanted, but with the help of a few good friends, she might be able to find that ounce of hope. Although Love? Maybe qualifies as a love story, it is not necessarily a romance. There are bits of romance, but the story goes beyond the usual teen romance and explores love from different angles–lost love, friendships, family love, forgiveness, and hope. Hepler establishes realistic, relatable, and strong characters with very endearing relationships. Some of the dialogue may sound somewhat cliché, but the charming banter between Piper and her friends more than makes up for it. Fun, light, with morsels of sadness and plenty of chocolate, this story is not exactly book-report-worthy, but it will attract readers looking for a quick escape into a coming-of-age novel. VOYA CODES: 3Q 3P M J S (Readable without serious defects; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2012, Dial Books/Penguin, 272p., $16.99. Ages 11 to 18. Reviewer: Jane Gov (VOYA, December 2011 (Vol. 34, No. 5)).
ISBN: 9780803737211
Love, Splat
Rob Scotton
Illustrated by Rob Scotton
Splat the cat returns with a Valentine's Day story. Splat takes special care in getting ready for Cat school. He has all his valentines made along with one extra special card in a red envelope for Kitten. Splat likes her more than fish sticks and ice cream. However, Splat feels that Kitten does not feel the same because she pulls his ears, pokes his stomach, ties his tail, and calls him smelly. Seymour, the mouse, has no explanation for Kitten's behavior. On his way to school, Splat literally runs into Kitten who reacts in her usual way of pulling his ears, etc. He is still puzzled about her behavior. At school, the students swap cards but Splat is hesitant to give Kitten the card that he made. Spike finds out that Splat likes Kitten and he challenges Splat as to which of them likes Kitten more. Splat feels outwitted by Spike. Will Kitten feel that Splat is special? In the illustrations, the limited use of color draws attention to Splat and his worried expressions. Those children who enjoy this story about Splat may want to read others in the series. 2008, Harper/HarperCollins Publishers, Ages 4 to 8, $9.99. Reviewer: Carrie Hane Hung (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780062077769
Nice Shot, Cupid!
Kate McMullan
Illustrated by Denis Zilber
The latest installment of the "Myth-O-Mania" series as told by Lord Hades is about Cupid and his wooing of Psyche, a mere mortal. Cupid's got braces on his teeth and zits on his face and a penchant for shooting his arrows at the wrong people so they will fall in love with inappropriate mates. Then he meets Psyche who's being held prisoner at Zeus' summer temple by Cupid's mother, Aphrodite. Aphrodite doesn't like competition in the beauty department. But she turns out not to be a match for her determined son and the even more resolute Psyche. The beauty eventually gets promoted to goddess status so she and Cupid can marry. Cupid discovers he is no longer a dorky teenager. An amusing way to introduce kids to Greek mythical characters; even boys will like this story. The writing is lively and the story also includes information about the lives of Hades, his wife Persephone, Zeus and other gods. Zephyr, the West Wind, has a prominent role in the story, which she carries out with much whining and kvetching. This book is a useful tool in getting young readers to relate to old myths. 2012, Stone Arch Books/Capstone Press, Ages 9 up, $23.99. Reviewer: Sarah Maury Swan (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9781434219855
Snowy Valentine
David Petersen
Jasper Bunny ventures into a snowy Valentine Day to find the perfect gift for his beloved wife Lilly. He visits his neighbors to find out what wonderful gifts they are giving. Unfortunately, Jasper cannot knit a scarf like the porcupines, nor does he think that Lilly would love Mr. Frog's chocolate-covered flies. After almost getting cooked into soup as Teagan Fox's Valentine to his wife, Jasper wanders home unhappy. He has not found the perfect present. In fact, he hasn't found any present at all! Luckily, he encounters Spalding the cardinal who points out that from his high vantage point, he has made a unique present in his wanderings. And yes, Lilly does love the footprint valentine that Jasper unknowingly marked in the snow. The beautiful illustrations and sweetly funny story will make this a wonderful bedtime read any night, but especially on February 14. 2011, Harper/HarperCollins, Ages 3 to 8, $14.99. Reviewer: Elisabeth Greenberg (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780061463785
To view a Valentine's Day feature from a previous year, click here
Updated 1/26/12
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