The Valentine Box

by Maud Hart Lovelace

Janice started out for school on a snowy Valentine's Day with a lump in her throat. It was always hard to be a shy new girl, but today it was especially hard for Janice, because the fifth grade was having its Valentine party. What if there were no valentines for her in the big red Valentine Box? She had pasted and colored valentines for boys and girls in her class, and she hoped they would become her friends, but she hadn't made any real friends yet. Janice wished she could stay home, but of course she couldn't. Then, on the way to school, trudging through the snow, she had an adventure.