Check out these book recommendations for Valentine’s Day!
Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli. Mr. Hatch “keeps to himself.” That’s what everybody says. Then one day he gets a surprise package, and a note: “Somebody loves you.” Good for kindergarten through third grade.
Nate the Great and the Mushy Valentine by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat. Who has left an anonymous note for Nate’s dog Sludge: “I love you, Sludge, more than fudge”? Kindergarten and first graders can puzzle out the answer alongside Detective Nate the Great.
Looking at Lincoln by Maira Kalman. OK, not a Valentine’s book, but one for the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, who, among other accomplishments, signed West Virginia into existence. The book is a short, readable biography, but also a thoughtful look at the places Lincoln’s image appears in today’s world. Enjoyable throughout elementary school.
Saint Valentine by Robert Sabuda. Famous pop-up picture book artist Robert Sabuda, who appeared at the 2015 West Virginia Book Festival, created paper mosaics to evoke third-century Rome in his story of the original St. Valentine, a healer who sent a secret message to a little girl. Good non-fiction for upper elementary.