Children's Book Suggestions | Valentine's Day

A mix of Valentine's Day picture books and gentle, age-appropriate romance stories for older kids & young teens who are experiencing first crushes.

Updated January 25, 2024
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County)Oregon City Public Library
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
Bad Kitty does not like Valentine's Day
Bruel, Nick
Paper Book
New York Times-bestselling author/illustrator Nick Bruel's naughty feline is back in the holiday adventure Bad Kitty Does Not Like Valentine's Day. Kitty does not like Valentine's Day. Because no one has given Kitty a Valentine. Maybe to get a Valentine,...

Holiday Picture Book (Age 4-8)

The Valentine bears
Bunting, Eve
Paper Book
Mr. and Mrs. Bear have never celebrated St. Valentine's Day because they hibernate during the winter.

Holiday Picture Book (Age 4-8)

Porcupine Cupid
June, Jason
Paper Book
A porcupine hatches a prickly plan to bring his animal friends together on Valentine's Day in this humorous, heartwarming tale where everyone gets a happily ever after. Love is in the air this Valentine's Day--or it will be if Porcupine has any say. He uses his quills like...

Holiday Picture Book (Age 4-8)

The secret valentine
London, Jonathan
Paper Book
Join Duck, Hippo, and their friends as they uncover their secret valentines! It's Valentine's Day, and something curious is going on. As the birds tweet their love songs, Hippo and his friends Elephant, Pig, and Turtle each receive mysterious, unsigned Valentine's Day cards. Hippo...

Holiday Picture Book (Age 4-8)

Valensteins : (a love story)
Long, Ethan
Paper Book
Something strange is in the air on this dark, cold night. The members of Fright Club are always ready to scare, but tonight Fran K. Stein has something else on his mind. He's busy making something, and the other monsters want to know what it is. Could it be a mask with...

Holiday Picture Book (Age 4-8)

The house of love
Trigiani, Adriana
Paper Book
New York Times bestselling adult novelist Adriana Trigiani and beloved illustrator Amy June Bates team up for a heartwarming picture book about a how a family comes together to celebrate Valentine's Day. Mia Valentina Amore loves valentines. After all, her name means My...

Holiday Picture Book (Age 4-8)

Here comes Valentine Cat
Underwood, Deborah
Paper Book
The New York Times bestselling Cat is back just in time for Valentine's Day!Full of humor and heart, this picture book is perfect for fans of Bad Kitty, Mo Willems's Elephant and Piggie books, and of course, Cat's other capers, including Here Comes the Easter Cat,...

Holiday Picture Book (Age 4-8)

How do dinosaurs say I love you?
Yolen, Jane.
Paper Book
With more than 7 million copies sold, everybody's favorite bestselling dinosaurs are back to say: "I love you," in a VERY big way!Parents and children can never have enough ways to say "I love you"--and now, America's favorite dinosaurs are giving families a funny book, perfect for bedtime,...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

A unicorn named Sparkle and the perfect valentine
Young, Amy
Paper Book
The fifth book in A Unicorn Named Sparkle series is about finding out there's no perfect way to say "I love you." Lucy and a unicorn named Sparkle are back for another funny and sweet adventure. Valentine's Day is when you tell the people in your life how...

Holiday Picture Book (Age 4-8)

The Berenstain Bears' extra special valentine
Berenstain, Mike
Paper Book
It's Valentine's Day in Bear Country! Brother and Sister Bear have made valentines for all their friends. Brother Bear has even made a big card for someone special--and Sister Bear wants to guess who! But when Brother Bear doesn't share the card with anyone at school, who could it...

Holiday Easy Reader (Grades K-2)

Mouse and Mole, secret valentine
Yee, Wong Herbert
Paper Book
Mole took a piece of pink paper and folded it in half. He drew a curvy line in pencil. "That looks like my tail," giggled Mouse. "Don't be silly!" chuckled Mole. He cut along the line with scissors. Snip, snip,...

Holiday Easy Reader (Grades K-2)

Nancy Clancy, secret admirer
O'Connor, Jane
Paper Book
For young readers who grew up with the bestselling picture books, Nancy Clancy is now starring in her own chapter books! Love is in the air! Nancy and Bree decide to play matchmaker, but nothing works out as planned. Will love conquer all in the end Fans of Fancy Nancy...

Bridging Fiction (Grades 2-4)

Junie B. Jones and the mushy gushy valentime [i.e. valentine]
Park, Barbara
Paper Book
"Hilarious. Barbara Park makes reading fun."--Dav Pilkey, author of Dog Man   Celebrate Valentine's Day with the world's funniest kindergartener--Junie B. Jones! The #1 New York Times bestselling chapter book series has been keeping kids laughing--and reading...

Bridging Fiction (Grades 2-4)

Secret admirer
Roy, Ron
Paper Book
It's Valentine's Day in Green Lawn! But Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose just aren't feeling the love this year. Valentine's Day was so much more fun when they were little. Then they each start getting messages and clues from a secret admirer! Can the kids figure out who wants to be...

Bridging Fiction (Grades 2-4)

Babymouse : heartbreaker
Holm, Jennifer L.
Paper Book
Meet Babymouse--the spunky mouse beloved by young readers for more than a decade! Valentine's Day is here and Babymouse loves everything about it, except for the, well...love part. Find out if she gets any valentines and a date in time for the dance! This groundbreaking young graphic...

Children's Graphic Novel (Grades 3-5)

Logan likes Mary Anne!
Martin, Ann M.
Paper Book
America's favorite series returns with a new look and a Netflix tv show. Mary Anne used to have to wear her hair in braids, keep her room painted pink, and ask her dad before she did anything. But not anymore. Mary Anne's been growing up . . . and the Baby-sitters Club members aren't the only ones...

Children's Graphic Novel (Grades 3-5)

Rick
Gino, Alex
Ebook
From the award-winning author of Melissa, the story of a boy named Rick who needs to explore his own identity apart from his jerk of a best friend. Rick's never questioned much. He's gone along with his best friend Jeff even when Jeff's acted like a bully and a jerk. He's let his...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Puppy love
Soto, Gary
Paper Book
A sweetly humorous middle grade novel packed with action, basketball, and a dash of magical realism about friendship and family, first crushes, and belonging, from acclaimed author Gary Soto. Thirteen-year-old Jordan Mendoza has a huge crush on his classmate, Sierra, but he's...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Courtesy of Cupid
Jones, Nashae
Paper Book
In this "sweetly romantic coming-of-age story with fun, magical touches" (Kirkus Reviews), a girl uses her newfound ability to make people fall in love to sabotage her rival. Erin Johnson's thirteenth birthday unfolds like any other day, from her mom's quirky and...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Cake pop crush
Nelson, Suzanne
Paper Book
Sometimes friends, school, and boys can be a recipe for disaster! This sweet treat of a read is irresistible.Alicia Ramirez has always loved baking. Her family owns Say It With Flour, the small bakery in town. And Ali's specialties are cake pops: delicious confections on a stick. But Ali's sweet...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Vivian Lantz's second chances
Ormsbee, Kathryn
Paper Book
Groundhog Day meets Eighth Grade in this time-loop story set on the first day of school, from the critically acclaimed author of Candidly Cline. Vivian Lantz is cursed. Every year, terrible things happen on her first day of school. This year, Vivian has a plan to conquer...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Well, that was awkward
Vail, Rachel
Paper Book
Gracie has never felt like this before. One day, she suddenly can't breathe, can't walk,can't anything-and the reason is standing right there in front of her, all tall and weirdly good-looking- A.J. But it turns out A.J. likes not Gracie but Gracie's beautiful best friend, Sienna...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

The love report. 1
Béka
Paper Book
BFFs Grace and Lola try to unravel the mystery of romance with a plan to observe, study, and analyze the ways of love at their middle school in the first book in this addictive graphic novel series. BFFs Grace and Lola talk about everything related to romance-and have lots of...

Young Teen Graphic Novel (Grades 5-7)

Crush
Chmakova, Svetlana
Paper Book
Jorge seems to have it all together. He's big enough that nobody really messes with him, but he's also a genuinely sweet guy with a solid, reliable group of friends. The only time he ever really feels off his game is when he crosses paths with a certain girl... But when the group dynamic among the...

Young Teen Graphic Novel (Grades 5-7)

Drama
Telgemeier, Raina.
Paper Book
From Raina Telgemeier, the #1 New York Times bestselling, multiple Eisner Award-winning author of Smile and Sisters! Callie loves theater. And while she would totally try out for her middle school's production of Moon over Mississippi, she can't...

Young Teen Graphic Novel (Grades 5-7)


Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.