Junie B. Jones and the Mushy Gushy Valentine by Barbara Park
Young readers have found Junie B. Jones irresistible since she made her debut almost 20 years ago, and so does one of her classmates in this installment. Christy Cage invites readers to “join Junie as she tries her best to discover who her special valentine is from.”
Short Stories by Langston Hughes By Langston Hughes
Polly Harrelson selected this collection of 47 stories written between 1919 and 1963 because they “showcase the development of Hughes’ personal style and political concerns” and also “demonstrate his gift for illuminating vexing questions of American race relations and human nature in general.”
From Your Valentine by Roselynn Ederer
Harrelson also recommended this book that features valentines from the past. She said the cards, which were printed from 1870 to 1950, are “presented with insightful explanations of the events which shaped them.”
Getting to Happy by Terry McMillan
The saga of four friends and their struggles continues in this sequel to McMillan’s “Waiting to Exhale,” which Jennifer Eads called “a watershed moment for black literary history.”