This month we are celebrating Black History Month, Valentine’s Day, and the power of words.
Our reading recommendations for kids have a little something for everyone.
We have a fun Valentine’s book to share with your little ones, a vocabulary-building book, and two fun books with wordplay titles. We also have books about famous Black Americans and young people who learn to believe in themselves. Enjoy!
I Love You Like No Otter by Rose Rossner – A funny and sweet Valentine’s Day Board Book. For ages Baby – 2 years
100 First Words for Toddlers by Jayme Yannuzzi – Help kids develop their language skills. For ages 1-3
They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel – A cat walks through this world and everyone sees it through their own eyes. Enjoy this fun look at different perspectives and see how pictures evoke different images and interpretations. For ages 2-5
Dancing in the Wings by Debbie Allen – loosely based on Allen’s experiences as a young dancer, Sassy wants to be a dancer more than anything and she refuses to let her one chance slip away even when her classmates laugh at her and she secretly worries her feet are too big. For ages 3-8
Black Boy, Black Boy by Ali Kamanda – Filled with inspiring stories about Black athletes, inventors, and writers. This book is great for all children, but it’s geared toward boys to show them the power of role and the importance of believing in their own abilities. For ages 3-9
Lambslide by Ann Patchett – Nicolette Farmer is running for class president and everyone thinks she’ll win by a landslide, but the lambs on the farm think she’s winning a lambslide and they want one. How will this funny misunderstanding end? For ages 4-8
Escape Goat by Ann Patchett – Every morning the Farmer family’s goat escapes. When things start going wrong at the farm – petunias get trampled, cupcakes disappear – everyone blames the goat, but is it really his fault? Find out in this fun story. For ages 4-8
Black Inventors: 15 Inventions that Changed the World by Kathy Trusty – From Benjamin Banneker who built the first wooden clock, created an almanac and helped design the city that became Washington, D.C. to web technology developer, Lisa Gelobter, learn about the astonishing inventions of Black inventors. For ages 6-9
100 African Americans Who Shaped American History: Incredible Stories of Black Heroes by Chrisanne Beckner – One-page biographies that are quick and easy to read, but filled with important information about the achievements of some extraordinary Americans. For ages 8-12
A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramée – Shayla is a rule follower. She goes out of her way not to make waves. When a police officer who shot an unarmed Black man is set free, Shayla learns you sometimes have to make a little “good trouble” to stop the injustices in our world. For ages 9-12