30 Best Kids Books to Read in February
Are you looking for some fantastic children’s books to read this February? Well, you’re in luck! I’ve got a list of 30 great books to read this month including picture books, read alouds, and graphic novels.
Encouraging kids to read is an essential part of creating lifelong learners in your homeschool. But with so many options, it can be challenging to pick the best books for your little ones.
I want to encourage you to follow your child’s lead and let them select books that spark their curiosity and imagination. If you need ideas for your next trip to the library or bookstore, explore my list of 30 best kids books to read in February to discover some fantastic new stories!
Here at The Waldock Way, we love to read books together as a family. We’re big fans of enchanting picture books and books in a series that transport us to alternate realms. Books like this allow us to forge connections with our favorite characters.
Our love of great books is the reason behind these new book lists for every month of the year. In this February list, you’ll get inspiring ideas for great books to read all month long! It’s also a great chance to add in fun, themed activities that complement your books. (For example, this heart animals activity is perfect for February. Plus, I’ve created a printable book list you can take with you to the library as you search for the perfect February read alouds.
Best Books For Each Month Of The Year!
We love reading, especially reading great books aloud as a family. Enchanting picture books and books in a series make up our usual go-to books throughout the year. We love books that transport us to alternate realms and give us a chance to forge meaningful connections with the characters.
This passion for exploring captivating literature every month and deep diving into the world of our imagination sparked the idea of creating a monthly book list. We hope that these curated lists give families a new way to forge a stronger connection with one another and fall in love with reading this February. Whether you’re seeking great books for Valentine’s Day, Mardi Gras, Groundhog Day, or Presidents Day, we hope this printable list of the best kids’ books for February will lead to a wonderful discovery at your local library or favorite bookshop.
30 Best Kids Books To Read In February
Get ready to explore a diverse collection of books for all the exciting holidays and events happening during February! Whether you’re looking for picture books, early readers, read alouds, or graphic novels, there’s something for everyone on this list.
Cupig: The Valentine’s Day Pig
This New York Times Bestseller is a comical Valentine’s Day picture book for children with a hilarious little pig you’ll quickly come to love. Cupig spreads love and cheer to everyone on Valentine’s Day until a storm causes a big mix up with her arrows. Cupig: The Valentine’s Day Pig by Claire Tattersfield is an adorable rhyming picture book that’s perfect for your February reading list!
Goin’ Someplace Special
Goin’ Someplace Special is a beautiful picture book by Patricia C. McKissack that’s ideal for reading aloud during Black History Month. Your family will love the watercolor illustrations and the moving story in this book. McKissack’s book is a poignant way to begin explaining segregation and the Civil Rights Movement to young children.
Groggle’s Monster Valentine
Have you ever stayed up all night trying to make the perfect Valentine’s Day card? That’s what happens to Groggle in this adorable picture book by Diana Murray. It’s all about a monster who wants to give the very best valentine to his very best friend.
I Love You to the Moon and Back
Valentine’s Day isn’t just about romantic love or friendship, it’s also the perfect time to remind our children just how much we love them. I Love You to the Moon and Back by Amelia Hepworth is the perfect picture book to read aloud with your kids this Valentine’s Day.
Love, Escargot
There are so many completely adorable Valentine’s Day picture books that it was hard to choose just a few for this February book list. Love, Escargot by Dashka Slater just had to be on the list. This little board book is wonderful for early elementary-age kiddos!
Love, Escargot is a charming story about unexpected friendship and managing social anxiety. It’s an ideal read-aloud for families, animal lovers, and quirky kids this Valentine’s Day.
Mimi’s First Mardi Gras
Mimi’s First Mardi Gras by Alic Couvillan is a classic Mardi Gras picture book for children. It’s the perfect addition to any unit study about holidays around the world or Mardi Gras celebration with kids. The book shows details of a traditional Mardi Gras celebration through the eyes of a little girl named Mimi who is experiencing it for the first time.
Punxsutawney Phyllis
We’ve all heard of Punxsutawney Phil, but what about Punxsutawney Phyllis? In Susanna Leonard Hill’s hilarious picture book, readers get to meet Phil’s granddaughter Phyllis as she tries to get her uncle out of bed in time for Groundhog Day. What will happen if Phyllis has to make the prediction?
So You Want to Be President?
This Caldecott award-winning classic by David Small is filled with facts about the presidents, great illustrations, and a really cool presidential family tree. It’s a hilarious story about the foibles, quirks, and humanity of the men who have served as President of the United States. It’s a fantastic read aloud for President’s Day or a presidential election year.
The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth, & Harlem’s Greatest Bookstore
Vaunda Michaux Nelson’s The Book Itch: Freedom Truth, & Harlem’s Greatest Bookstore is an important picture book for older elementary children. This book has won awards including the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor, the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, and many others.
It’s all about the bookstore Lewis Michaux Sr. started in Harlem in the 1930s called the National Memorial African Bookstore. Many important and famous people came to the bookstore including Malcolm X and Langston Hughes.
It wasn’t just a place for exchanging books, it was all about exchanging ideas. This February, read the story of how the bookstore fostered new ideas and helped people stand up for what they believed in with your family.
The Little Bead Tree
Once upon a time in New Orleans, there was a special little tree that played a big part in the Mardi Gras celebration. The Little Bead Tree by Erin Rovin tells the story of a little tree that must learn to have patience, stay grounded, and love her uniqueness. This inspiring story is a fun read aloud for homeschoolers preparing to celebrate Mardi Gras this February
The President’s Stuck in the Bathtub
February is the perfect month for poetry and the perfect month for books about presidents. The President’s Stuck in the Bathtub is a hilarious book of poems all about the presidents.
Kids will love the interesting facts about the presidents in this colorful book including things like the time President William Taft got stuck in the tub! There’s also a section called “Presidential Notes and Quotes” in the back. It’s a history lesson your homeschoolers will love!
Wake Up, Groundhog
Another great Groundhog Day picture book for February is Wake Up, Groundhog by Susanna Leonard Hill. It’s another adorable book about Phyllis, the niece of the famous Punxsutawney Phil. In this book, Phyllis takes over when he decides to retire.
We Go Together!
This book from Todd Dunn is perfect for February because it encourages kids to think about pairs of things that go together like peanut butter and jelly or pencil and paper. In We Go Together! beautiful illustrations show pairs like ice cream and cone, dog and bone, in rhyming verse. It’s a fantastic picture book for building early literacy skills with elementary homeschoolers.
A to Z Mysteries Super Edition: Secret Admirer
If you’re searching for a chapter book that’s perfect for more advanced readers or can be used as a read aloud this February, check out A to Z Mysteries: Secret Admirer by Ron Roy. You’ll fall in love with Josh, Dink, and Ruth Rose in this Valentine’s Day edition of A to Z Mysteries. Since this book is part of the Super Edition, there’s a special 26 letter secret message hidden in the illustrations for kids to solve too!
Abraham Lincoln, Pro Wrestler: Time Twisters Book 1
Another fun series in the Time Twister Series from Steve Sheinkin which includes some really interesting history and some made up “facts” too. In the book, Abraham Lincoln, Pro Wrestler, Lincoln overhears kids saying that history is boring and he decides to teach them a lesson by escaping from 1860 and becoming a pro wrestler. Two siblings, Doc and Abby, have to convince Lincoln to return to Springfield and accept the presidency before everything gets out of control.
George Washington’s Socks: A Time Travel Adventure
In this read aloud chapter book by Elvira Woodruff, five adventurous kids travel back in time to the AMerican Revolution where they meet George Washington and watch history unfold before their eyes. George Washington’s Socks is a Revolutionary War adventure that makes an excellent read aloud for Presidents Day with your homeschoolers.
Love That Dog
Love That Dog by Sharon Creech is an excellent book for homeschoolers in grades five and six. In the book, a boy named Jack finds his voice with the help of a creative teacher, a pencil, yellow paper, and a dog. This novel is unique because it’s written in a series of free-verse poems from Jack’s point of view.
At first Jack hates poetry, but the more he writes the more he discovers that he has a lot to say. Your homeschoolers will love this perfect Valentine’s Day read aloud.
Magic Treehouse: Revolutionary War on Wednesday
It’s no secret that we are big fans of the Magic Treehouse series. I built a whole curriculum around these awesome books!
This February, check out Revolutionary War on Wednesday with your homeschoolers just in time for Presidents Day. Then, extend the learning with some fun activities from Passport to Adventures.
My Weird School: Oh, Valentine, We’ve Lost Our Minds
Another fun book series for upper elementary and middle school aged homeschoolers is My Weird School by Dan Gutman. It’s the weirdest Valentine’s Day story ever and it’s sure to have your whole family giggling!
The Lincoln Project: The Flashback Four #1
Get ready for a magical time traveling adventure with Dan Gutman’s “flashback four” in The Lincoln Project. In this book, you’re invited on a secret adventure to travel through time photographing some of the most important events in history with four friends. Read along as they catch Lincoln delivering the Gettysburg Address and work together to capture the moment without getting caught.
The Mardi Gras Chase
Maggie M. Larche’s The Mardi Gras Chase is a page turner that’s perfect for reading aloud with your kids this February. Join Melanie, a bored 12 year old, as she discovers a secret code built into the floats of a Mardi Gras Parade and sets out to crack the code.
Melanie and her friends chase clues through all the parades, sneak into barns where the floats are kept, and risk it all to find the solution to the riddle in this fun Mardi Gras read aloud.
The Very Very Far North
Join author Dan Bar-el in The Very Very Far North for a winter read aloud that’s perfect for February with it’s charming characters and lessons about friendship. Meet an inquisitive polar bear named Duane and follow along as he befriends other animals in a world where every day is an adventure.
Who Was Abraham Lincoln?
We love the Who Was? book series! These books are a fantastic way to explore history in your homeschool. That’s why I’ve created lots of mini unit studies for these books. This year, celebrate Presidents Day by reading Who Was Abraham Lincoln? by Janet Pascal and exploring my Who Was Abraham Lincoln Unit Study with your homeschoolers.
Who Was George Washington?
This Presidents Day, learn more about George Washington with Who Was George Washington? by Roberta Edwards. I’ve created a mini unit study for Who Was George Washington too. Since Presidents Day is a celebration of both Lincoln and Washington, it’s the perfect way to celebrate.
Who Was Rosa Parks?
There are lots of holidays to celebrate in February and lots of history to explore in your homeschool! Since February is also Black History Month, don’t miss the opportunity to learn more about Rosa Parks and her role in the Civil Rights Movement in Yona Zeldis McDonough’s book, Who Was Rosa Parks?
Wicked Nix
Author Lena Coakley’s book Wicked Nix is a stunning novel for middle schoolers about a mischievous woodland fairy named Nix. He’s been given a very important job to protect the forest from a dangerous enemy (humans) while the fairy queen is away.
What will Nix do when a determined invader trespasses? He boasts about all the wicked tricks he will use, but what will he really do? Is this wicked sprite as naughty as he seems?
Your family will love this magical fairy tale about the bonds of family and the joy of finding home in unexpected places. It’s definitely a fun read aloud for February.
Black Heroes of the Wild West
Graphic novels are excellent for reluctant readers and they’re tons of fun too! A great graphic novel can be the beginning of falling in love with books for many quirky kiddos.
These books help kids built literacy skills by exploring important elements like setting, plot, characters, conflicts, and themes in new ways. Readers need to make inferences using context clues and develop an understanding of hidden nuances in the illustrations in order to understand a graphic novel. They also have to follow the text, because it doesn’t always line up with the illustrations.
Graphic novels are amazing at helping kids build reading comprehension skills. This February, celebrate Black History Month with a really cool graphic novel, Black Heroes of the Wild West by James Otis Smith. This book celebrates the extraordinary true tales of three black heroes who took control of their destinies in the Old West: Mary Fields (Stagecoach Mary), Bass Reeves, and Bob Lemmons.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney is a series beloved by middle schoolers. In The Third Wheel, Greg faces a middle school Valentine’s Day dance and the struggle to find a date.
An unexpected twist gives Greg a partner for the dance and leaves his best friend Rowley out. But a lot can happen in one night! Read this silly graphic novel with your middle schooler to find out what happens at the dance.
Frizzy
Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega is an important graphic novel and the winner of many awards. It’s all about a young Dominican girl named Marlene who hates the hair salon. This graphic novel follows her struggles and triumphs as she learns to accept herself, frizzy hair and all.
History Comics: Rosa Parks and Claudette Colvin: Civil Rights Heroes
Who said comic books are bad? Comic books can be an excellent way to read about scientific concepts, explore literary devices, and learn about history. This history comic by Tracey Baptiste and Shauna J. Grant is an excellent way to learn about the Civil Rights movement with your homeschoolers.
More February Learning Activities
Explore more February learning activities and fun for your kiddos with my free February Homeschool Printables. These activities are absolutely free and easy to add learning fun to any lesson plan this month.
They include printable valentines, a Groundhog Day mini unit study, and Presidents Day color by number activities. Plus, you’ll get my U.S. Presidential Fact Sheets for an amazing unit study or history lesson all about our government this February.
Do you have a great book to read in February that I didn’t mention? Share your favorites in the comments. Emily and I would love to read your favorites too!
These are great recommendations! Thanks for putting them all together and sharing!