February is a short month, but it is jam-packed with things to do. There are so many different books you can choose to go along with all these events.
I have created book companions to go along with some of these books. You can click on the titles of these books to find my book companions.
The entire of month of February is set aside as Black History Month. There are so many wonderful books you could choose to celebrate the achievements of African Americans, so I'll share some of my favorites.
Henri's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine - This is the true story of a slave who escapes to freedom by mailing himself in a crate to the north. The illustrations are absolutely wonderful. In fact, it is a Caledcott Honor Book.
Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra by Andrea Davis Pinkney - Another award-winning book. This book is a Caldecott Honor Book and the winner of the Coretta Scott King Award. Your kids will learn how he earned the name "Duke" and how he became one of America's most well-known musicians.
Rosa by Nikki Giovanni - Another award-winning book. Like the previous book, this has won the Coretta Scott King Award and the Caldecott Honor Book. While many people have heard the story of Rosa Parks, this book really stands out as a great one for telling her story.
The Freedom Ship of Robert Smalls by Louise Merriweather - My son did a National History Day project about Robert Smalls. He is not very well known, but he should be. His story of how he stole a Confederate ship and returned it to the Union Navy is amazing. He went on to meet with President Lincoln, serve as a captain of a Union ship, and then served South Carolina in both the state and federal government. Everyone should learn about this incredible man.
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia - I just read this chapter book for the first-time last month. It is definitely for older, more mature readers. It is a Newberry Honnor book and it won both the Scott O'dell Award for historical fiction and the Coretta Scott King Award. It is a very deep story about three sisters who spend a month with their mother in California. But readers must be mature enough to understand that their mother had abandoned them as young children and does not want to be bothered by having them around this summer. You may want to do a little research into the Black Panthers before reading this as well, since the girls spend their days at a summer program run by this organization. It will help the readers understand the background a bit better. Overall, it is a wonderful story for older students.
Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library by Carole Boston Weatherford - I will admit, I haven't read this yet. I am waiting for my copy to come in. But I will say that I was intrigued by the story. I love learning about people who I haven't heard about before. Schomburg collected letters, art, and books from Africa and African creators. He wanted to create a collection to document African history in America. Eventually he donated his collection to the New York Public Library. Today his collection is known as Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. I can't wait to read this book about this incredible man.
February also has so much to offer in terms of holidays. And there are a multitude of wonderful books to help us celebrate them. Here is a list of some of my favorites.
Feb. 1, 2022 - Chinese New Year
Popo's Lucky Chinese New Year by Virginia Loh-Hagan - This is my go-to book when I am teaching kids about Chinese New Year traditions. It is a beautiful story of a young girl helping her grandmother prepare their home to celebrate the new year. I love learning about all the things they consider good luck and bad luck.
The Nian Monster by Andrea Wang - I must say that this is my favorite book for Chinese New Year. A different type of book altogether, this one tells the legend of the Nian Monster. I am in love with the fanciful pictures. It is so fun to see the little girl trick the Nian Monster. And along the way you learn about why they use things like fireworks and sticky rice to celebrate the new year. You will love this one.
How to Catch a Dragon by Adam Wallace - This is another story in the "How to Catch" series. If you like some of Wallace's other books, you'll enjoy this book focusing on Chinese New Year.
Feb. 2 - Groundhogs Day
Groundhog Weather School by Joan Holub - This is a wonderful story filled with some famous groundhogs around the world. It contains fun facts, and it is a great way to teach kids about the traditions that surround this holiday.
Groundhog's Runaway Shadow by David Biedrzycki - Phil's shadow craves adventure and wants to go exploring. But Phil is predictable and maybe a bit boring. So they part ways. Shadow goes off to find his adventure. Will they get back together? You'll have to read this book to find out.
Groundhog's Dilemma by Kristen Remenar - Poor groundhog is pressured by his friends to declare and early spring. But if he does that, his other friends will be angry at him. What is this groundhog supposed to do to keep everyone happy? This one can help kids see that they can't always please everyone, and sometimes you just have to do what is right.
Feb. 14 - Valentine's Day
Hedgehugs by Steve Wilson - This is one of my favorites. It is great for the younger crowd. These prickly hedgehogs have trouble hugging each other. Read along to see the ways they try to get close to each other. The illustrations are absolutely adorable.
Roses are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink by Diane deGroat - This is a classic valentine story. Gilbert the possum causes trouble in his classroom when he writes a not so nice valentine to a classmate....and then signs someone else's name.
Valensteins by Ethan Long - A different take on Valentine's Day, this one is a new favorite for me. Take your favorite Halloween monsters and see what happens when one of them falls in love.
A Crankenstein Valentine by Samantha Burger and Dan Santat - If you have boys like mine, they don't want to read about hearts and love. This book is just for them. They get to read about a boy like them who is not excited to celebrate Valentine's Day at school.
Feb. 21, 2022 - Presidents' Day
Abe Lincoln's Hat by Martha Brenner - I like that this story is a Step Into Reading book. It was easy for my younger kids to read on their own. And they enjoyed it. It told a fun story about how Lincoln used his hat to store important papers, and why this wasn't always a good idea.
President Taft Is Stuck in the Bath by Mac Barnett - In February, I know we focus on George and Abe, but there are some other presidents we can read about. Have you ever heard about the time President Taft, who was a rather large man, got stuck in his bathtub? You can read about it in this hilarious book.
So You Want to Be President? by Judith St. George - My kids loved the art style of this book. Another fun book that tells interesting tidbits about many of the presidents. It tells how many presidents share the same first name. It talks about living in the White House. It even shares some funny stories about different presidents like the time someone threw vegetables at President Taft while he was giving a speech. The book has a list of the presidents at the back with some basic facts and it has been updated to include President Obama.
Twos Day (AKA 2s Day) - Feb. 22, 2022
So, everyone is going crazy for Twos Day this year. If you haven't heard, 2-22-22 falls on a Tuesday this year, giving this date the new nickname of Twos Day. And just for you I have come up with the perfect book to read. And not only that, I have also created a packet of no prep worksheets you can use to teach this book on Twos Day.
Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg - This was a favorite of mine way back when I was in college. It describes the adventure of two ants who follow their friends to a sugar bowl inside a house, but these bad ants decide they would rather live in the sugar bowl than return to the anthill will just one crystal of sugar. It is a delightful that looks at our everyday life from the perspective of an ant.
Tell me about your favorite February books are in the comments.
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