by SLJ Reviews

National Tell a Fairy Tale Day is February 26 this year. Young readers can revisit stories about Goldilocks and Jack and the Beanstalk—with new characters and formats giving the classic stories a fresh feel.

Two characters enter a mutually beneficial agreement to pretend to date each other, then inevitably, feelings get involved. These YA novels are sure to delight romance fans who can’t get enough of the Fake Dating trope. 

Bustard tells the story of a Italian priest who became a saint, Churnin writes about a female entrepreneur in the 1800s, and Strauss informs readers about the preservation of a 14th-century manuscript.

Young readers will love the sense of accomplishment they feel after reading these stories about Valentine's Day on their own or with a caregiver.

The theme for Black History Month 2024 is "African Americans and the Arts." In these titles, young readers can learn about people who loved to express themselves through visual art, dance, song, and other forms of artistic creation.

In these three titles—a board book, picture book, and early reader—brother-and-sister duos celebrate Lunar New Year and Valentine's Day.

Lunar New Year falls on Saturday, February 10 in 2024. From wish soup to dragon gifts, these board books and picture books show young readers many ways to celebrate the holiday.

Check out picture book biographies about Virginia Hamilton and John Lewis, and titles from Anne Ursu and Aden Polydoros.

The SLJ reviews editors rounded up our reviews of the books lauded at the 2024 Youth Media Awards.