Jolie's Reading Fun

Hello Friends!!!

Well, unfortunately Phil saw his shadow yesterday so 6 more weeks of winter but I am excited because there 44 days till the first of spring. But tomorrow we are in a winter advisory where I live. So I am enjoying the 50 degree weather today.

Also, I am excited because this is the month of one of my favorite holidays. I love Valentine's Day!! I have loved it since I was a child and my daughter and I are making valentines for our local children's hospital. I love making them and all my students loved doing it too. Today I was reading a book from the library about how it came about that we celebrate Valentine's Day. I learned several things I did not know. I was thinking this would be a good book to share with a child about why we celebrate. So I hope you and your child will enjoy it as you think about making or buying Valentines for your Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day

Dana Meachen Rau

This is a true book or nonfiction book. I enjoyed the part about the legends of St. Valentine and how the day became known as Valentine's Day. I also found it quite interesting the things that women did in olden times to find a sweetheart. Do you know who is credited with sending the first valentine to someone? It was a Frenchman named Duke Charles of Orleans. He was a prisoner in the Tower of London in 1415. The Duke wrote many love letters and poems to his wife. In them, he often mentioned St. Valentine. In Europe in the 1600's people began sending each other valentines that they made themselves. They attached ribbons, bows, and lace to decorate them. Also, Esther Howland was the first person to create valentines in the United States and sell them. Did you know that February 14 is one of the busiest holidays for the post office? More than one billion valentine's are sent each year.

What a really interesting book!!

I hope you will share it with a child so they will understand why we give each other beautiful Valentines.