Share the Love...of Books...this Valentine's Day!

Valentine's day! Ah...the day every husband rushes out to buy ...chocolate! or flowers! or flowers AND chocolate!...for his love. Right? Well, no.  My dear hubby long ago gave up on the chocolate (I am one of the 2 women on earth who don't like it) and the flowers (I grow gorgeous roses, seems like a bit of a waste to spend money on them) for something he knows I will truly enjoy: books.  (Mind you, I make it pretty easy: We share a linked set of amazon accounts, and I keep a wishlist going!) In fact, we love to gift our kids with books on Valentine's Day too! (Last longer than candy, and SO much better for them!)  I suspect you are not surprised?

If you're like me, and you want to share your bibliophilia with your children, read on! I have worked hard to seek out a few great books for every age and stage that I think would make absolutely perfect Valentine's Day treats for your family to enjoy! 

Let's start with some picture books that are perfect for your littlest Valentines!:

​Love Is by Diane Adams may be among my all-time favorite picture books!  It just has great illustrations, its few words are just enough, and the building relationship between this little girl and her duck will tug at your heart strings! Somehow, this is one of those books that just appeals to everyone. It is a "mama-can-you-read-it-again?" sort of book. Don't miss it! 

​Next up, my family just loves Sandra Boyton.  Her books are always FUN to read - and this one does not dissapoint. Snuggle Puppy is one of Boynton's rhymingestly lovely books. It is a board book - 24 pages long, so nice and chunky - but it is a fast read, no doubt. For the little ones, though, it is absolutely a reassurance of parental love in every page. ​ We, of course, always wind up singing the song through after we read the book! (You can too, no trick, just find it on YouTube - and it is available on Boyton's children's music albums too!). 

I struggled trying to decide what book to list last in this section. Truthfully, there are so many fun Valentine's books - all great - starring your favorite literary kids' characters. The Berenstein Bears, Clifford, Llama Llama, Danny & the Dinosaur. Really, you can't go wrong getting those tried and true favorite friends to read with your son or daughter!

But, I knew I had to include When God Made You in my list today, simply because it is one of my new favorites. WIth all that is going on in the world outside our homes, perhaps you can sense a theme in these books for our little ones this year? I long for each child to know they are loved and adored, specially treasured, the apple of their mama and daddy's eyes, and yes, the dearly beloved of the Creator God! I honestly don't know when I have read a more life-affirming, joyous book for children! Not only that -the illustrations are incredible: visually arresting, slightly fantastic, & utterly charming! 

​What about those slightly older, chapter readers?
These may not all be "traditional" Valentine's themed books, but  in keeping with  my OWN Valentine theme (see above!) I'm really not worried about these books being "about" Valentine's Day as much as simply giving kids books that reinforce the idea of their being loved, valued, and treasured. 

But how do you get that across to an 8 year old boy? Maybe Nate the Great and the Mushy Valentine can help! If your kids haven't encountered Nate the Great yet - then it is time! These are great first chapter-reading books that introduce kids to the detective/mystery genre with a generous side-helping of humor. Giggles will be heard throughout reading time, let me forewarn you! :D The dry humor, combined with the "just the facts, ma'am" delivery, make Nate a lovable hero - and some kids (er...the BOYS in my house!) will totally identify with Nate wanting to get rid of "all the mushy stuff" around Valentine's Day! Have fun with this one. It is #15 in a series of 25 - so if your child likes Nate, they can enjoy many more adventures with him! 

Really, are there better friends in literature anywhere than Frog and Toad? What better way to celebrate friendship than to read about the everyday adventures of this heartwarming pair of buddies? Perfect for beginning chapter readers (level 2), Frog and Toad books are always favorites. Understated, funny, beautifully illustrated, and timeless - these are classics every child will enjoy. Though there are three books, and you CAN buy them together in one volume, I encourage you to purchase the individual books. It is far more encouraging for a beginning reader to complete "a whole book" and each book contains several "stories" as it is. For Valentine's Day, I would suggest Frog and Toad are Friends,  as the perfect ode to friendship, gentleness, and thoughtful consideration of others! 

 This book is great children's literature, and I do not say that lightly. It is about a boy with a facial deformity who is transitioning from being homeschool to attending private school.  The author does not take the easy way out. It isn't a "feel-good" book about being kind, or loving, or overcoming obstacles. Wonder is  book that allows students to experience its plot through several different perspectives.  I don't want to dwell on the story too much - because there is a major motion picture out just now, many of you will have seen the trailer and have an understanding of what it is "about."  What I want to tell you about this books is its impact - this book will reach out and grab your kid. Do not be surprised to find them going back to read it again. The author's approach is unusual in children's literature, and I think the multi-faceted perspective helps the reader experience the story as it happens. I would recommend this for 4th grade and up. Read it with them. You will have so much to discuss! Towards the end of the book, the boy's father mentions that he LOVES the way his son looks - because he loves him. I found that students find that idea fascinating - they don't understand it. What a great opportunity to let your kids know - that's what parental love is! 

Alright, some of you may complain....WAIT...These aren't really "books"!  Sigh. I confess it's true -but I am so excited to feature the audio theatre that is Adventures in Odyssey as an option for you! My kids have loved and listened to AIO for years, and many a car trip has been measured by "how many more Odysseys till we're there?" Some of the Odyssey stories are time-travel historical investigations with a character-building theme. Some of the adventures take us back to Biblical times to explore Biblical concepts. Some of them are adventures set "today" exploring character and life choices. The Up in the Air adventure I have featured here is all about friendship, reconciliation, forgiveness, and really loving our friends! For nearly thirty years, AIO have been creating audio episodes, books (Imagination Station series) and more. (Disclosure: These books are based on a conservative Christian moral and Biblical worldview) I don't know anything that would be more appropriate than to introduce your kids to Adventures in Odyssey for Valentine's Day! And - I highly suggest playing them in the car! It is a terrific way to open up conversations with your kids.

​But what about my older readers? My kids that DEVOUR books? 
Never fear - we have those readers in our house too - they can read faster than I can - or at least have more time to read. How can I keep up with them in order to provide them with great, quality reading material?  I have some suggestions for them as well!  

I love Jane Eyre. It is rarely taught well, however, and generations of students have suffered through various sorts of critical lectures droning on about it being a romantic novel, a feminist novel, a....well, you get the point.  I admit the vocabulary and sentence length can be off-putting. Nonetheless, introduce this book to your older readers as a spiritual bildungsroman novel of compelling strength - perhaps they can find the true heart of this tale! Jane is finding Jane in this book, she is also sorting out what she believes about herself, about God, and about family and love.  I have found that young men as well as young women are drawn to this story - not for its romance, but for the incredible strength and intelligence of the characters! Truly, it is a classic worthy of gifting! I plan to include this in one of my upcoming online literature courses...and can barely wait - I am so excited to teach this amazing Bronte novel. 

Prefer historical fiction? Here is another classic that may be better suited to your readers - though still a challenging read, no doubt. Full of Scotland and battles and William Wallace, The Scottish Chiefs is  Be sure to get an edition with the illustrations by Wyeth - all others pale by comparison! Author Jane Porter has done her research, and her hero - SIr William Wallace - shines. Written in 1809, the language is rich and challenges modern day readers - as do most of the books of that era.  Porter's work is considered one of the first forays into the genre of historical fiction, and it remains immensely popular in Scotland. If your children like fantasy books - this foray into the fading past with its castles, knights, and hard-fought battles might be just the thing! 

If you're looking for something with a more accessible reading level, or perhaps just something more light-hearted, perhaps The WIngfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson might be just what you are looking for!  Peterson has crafted a saga that has serious turns and serious adventure, yet at the same time is whimsical and full of fun details - the footnotes on the history of the worlds here created are almost worth the reading, to be honest! The fantastical voyage this family undertakes is told in a lighthearted tone, but the reading requries attention just due to the sheer size of the cast of characters, the backstory of the peoples, worlds, and cultures. The wordplay comes fast and furious in this series! The main plot revolves around three siblings who find a map, and set off to find a father they've never known, and a treasure that has been long sought.  Don't stop with the first book...the series improves, as it goes along! I believe at-grade level readers from sixth grade and up will be delighted with the clever dialogue, sometimes-corny names, and noble characters in this series. Family values run strong in this one! 

Want to talk about who Valentine's Day REALLY celebrates? (St. Valentine?) 

There is a good selection of books discussing who St. Valentine was (we believe - there are a couple of possibilities), and why this day has come to celebrate love. I think this charming, complete, and well-illustrated book is a great one to share with your whole family. The Story of St. Valentine was written by The Voice of the Martyrs and is one in a series on those who have died for their faith including St. Patrick, St. Nicolas, etc.  I like this book because it walks a line between being a picture book for the very young and an historical treatise for older kids - it strikes that perfect balance that would make it a great dinner-table read for a whole family. The illustrations are not cartoonish, yet are colorful and evocative. I have a number of good biographies of St. Valentines, varying in depth and detail for different audiences. This one seems to me to be a good choice for a family with varying ages and stages! 

I hope you find among these recommendations some new friends that will be valuable acquaintances for your family to meet and discover. February 14th is coming right up! There is no better way to celebrate than to give our children books that help them know they are loved, help them learn how to love others, and help them realize that all people are worthy of love and respect as children of God. 

Miska & I hope you have a VERY Happy Valentine's Day! 

Not all rigor is mortis!