Melvin's Valentine

Melvin is baffled by who gave him a valentine. Can he figure out who it is when Rita beeps her way onto his radar?

Children's Literature

Have you ever received a valentine for an anonymous sender? Melvin did and he is fretting because he really wants to know who the mysterious sender is. As he travels around, he asks various buddies—Kat, Jack, Pete, Lucy and Pat if they sent the card. Each denies that he or she was the mysterious sender. In the background of several pictures, little Rita keeps going "beep, beep." But Melvin seems clueless. Finally, she catches up with him and thanks him for showing everyone her valentine. Now Melvin is happy, the sender is no longer a mystery. However, what is not really clear is whether this was a valentine from Rita to Melvin or a valentine that Rita had received and shared with him. The kids who enjoy this holiday as well as the "Trucktown" series may find this tale amusing. A Level 1 book in the "Ready-To-Roll" series, this title features a simple story, and reasonably long sentences. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot

Jon Scieszka is the author of The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!, the Time Warp Trio series, The Stinky Cheese Man, and a truckload of other books that inspire kids to want to read. His work as an elementary school teacher and as founder of a literacy initiative for boys (www.guysread.com) drove him to create Trucktown, a crazy, fun action series for the youngest readers.