If you follow us on Facebook, you might have seen my post the other day about finding a book with Speedracer’s name in it. His real name, I mean. It’s a treasure, and a tough find! I love finding books with our kiddos names in them because it makes them really connect with the character–which also makes having good stories especially important! It’s something that’s going to stay on their shelves long past the age when they appreciate the story.

It’s a love gift more than a literacy gift. Which is probably why this comes up at Valentine’s Day for me. I’m not a fan of theme-y holiday “junk.” My love language is giving/receiving gifts. So I enjoy hunting up thrifty, but meaningful, little gifts for the kiddos. “Name books” is one of my favorites, although they can be tough to find.

This year I found a great new book with one of our favorite new characters for the Ladybug, and it just so happens to be a Valentine’s Day book. So I decided to put together a quick list of our favorite RUBY books to share…because some of them are perfect for Valentine’s Day, even if you don’t have a RUBY of your own!

Here are 10 great Books for a Ruby….

 

1. Love, Ruby Valentine, by Laurie Friedman

Ruby Valentine is fun, crafty, and a tad bit disorganized while making Valentine’s surprises for everyone she knows. All heart, but not all perfect…right up my Ladybug’s alley! We thoroughly enjoyed this new find together last year.

2. Ruby Valentine Saves the Day, by Laurie Friedman

So how excited was I to see that there’s a new Ruby Valentine book out just in time for the holiday this year? I snatched it up right away and skimmed through it as soon as it arrived. It is just as fun as the first one and I can’t wait to give it to her Friday morning!

3. Ruby Lee the Bumble Bee, by Pamela Barcita

This is a great little series about being brave and facing everyday fears. Again, perfect for any child that could use a little confidence boost now and again. I have only found this book online.

4. Ruby in Her Own Time, by Jonathan Emmett

I’ve written before about this book and how it just moves my momma-heart. I think we’ve all had times when our children might not be meeting our expectations and we wonder if something is wrong with us, or them. This little book (which is getting harder and harder to find!!) explains so sweetly that it’s neither–we are each the person (or duck!) that we were meant to be.

5. Tea for Ruby, by Sarah Ferguson

I have to admit, this was a cute book about manners and brought the material in a fun way–but doesn’t have the meat that the other books on the list here have. This is one we enjoyed when we got it, but it’s not one we go back to a lot.

However (there’s always a however!) if you are looking specifically for a children’s book to help lay a foundation for manners, this is a good one. This is something we already have covered.

6. Ruby and the Booker Boys, by Derrick Barnes

While I’m pretty much never a proponent of “sass,” a girl living surrounded by brothers has to develop a bit of spunk. {smile} These books were something new for us and I found them to be great for showing a strong female character with a lot of confidence, while still being absolutely respectful of family and authority. The Ladybug really connected with having all brothers. {smile}

7. Love, Ruby Lavender, by Deborah Wiles

This one is new to us, but the cover alone (“Good Garden Peas!”) told me right off that this was a book my Ladybug would love! And so far it hasn’t disappointed. I’m finding that the name RUBY usually goes hand-in-hand with big hearts and crazy adventures! Since my own RUBY is not the book-worm type, they seem to have her down pat! {smile} We also can’t wait to try Each Little Bird that Sings, by Wiles–I’ll have to let you know what we think.

8. Ruby Lee and the Very Big Deal, by Nancy Buffington

This book was a treasure for us. Ruby Lee has to give a speech in school and we all know how nerve-wracking that can be. This book takes a serious fear for our kiddos and treats it with both the seriousness it needs and the laughs that help us get past it. This book deserves more attention. If you’ve got a kiddo with stage fright (whether her name is Ruby or not!) this is a great find!

9. Ruby’s Slippers, by Tricia Rayburn

We found this book because of the name, but I was really impressed by it. It opens as a sort of “country comes to town” setting, but turns into this great story about not being afraid of being different and keeping your focus on the things that really matter in life, like family and love and being kind to one another. The ending is a little too trite for me, but the Ladybug enjoys happy-endings–particularly for little girls named Ruby Lee!–so I think it’s fair to say that less sophisticated readers will still enjoy it and get something out of it.

10. The Story of Ruby Bridges, by Robert Coles

This is an illustrated version of the true story of Ruby Bridges, the first  African-American child to be integrated into public school in New Orleans in 1960. It’s a powerful story and this was the book that first introduced us to this brave young lady. We followed this up with her personal autobiography, Through My Eyes, and her courage really touched our kiddos. It turns out there’s a fairly up-to-date Disney movie version of the story as well, Ruby Bridges, that is excellent! We’ve enjoyed it more than once on family movie night.

A few other inexpensive gifts we’ve slipped the kiddos for holidays like Valentine’s Day are:

• Dover Coloring Books
• Art Supplies or School Supplies (I usually pick up extras during the back-to-school sales and stash them away. Halfway through the year is a great time to encourage everyone with something shiny and new!)
• Milk Straws, Popsicle Molds, or single-serving Ice Cream Makers
• Lunchbox accessories (everyone got a new thermos two years ago)
• Camping supplies (like water bottles, safety whistles, or wool hiking socks last year.)
• A new Family Movie Night Pick

Do you have any traditional gifts for Valentine’s Day?