Off the Shelf - February

Was it because of the longer winter evenings and lazy Sunday afternoons that we read so many books this month? Or because a friend shared a whole box of books with me? Whatever the reason, we found many favorites this month. Here are the highlights.

Picture Books

Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? by Nancy Carlstrom
A sweet rhyming book that I read more times than I want to remember this month.


Harry, The Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
Could you guess that this was my four year old's favorite! Boys, dogs, dirt - yes!

Snow by Cynthia Rylant
We didn't see much white stuff this month. Reading about snow was the next best.

Swirl by Swirl by Joyce Sidman
Lovely illustrations of swirls found in nature.

Ask Mr. Bear by Marjorie Flack
A classic tale that never grows old.

Up, Down and Around by Katherine Ayers
Maybe spring fever is setting in if we are reading picture books about gardening.



Family Read Alouds

Minn of the Mississippi by Holling C. Holling
This book combines geography, history and nature while following a turtle's travel down the Mississippi River. We've enjoyed Holling's other books but found this one more difficult to understand. I did a lot of explaining to the children but it was still worthwhile. I would recommend the book for older children.


Copper-Toed Boots by Marguerite de Angeli
Angeli is one of our favorite authors, especially her books depicting Pennsylvania history. This book recounts her father's life growing up in Michigan. My children begged for another chapter.


Winter Moon by Jean Craighead George
I love George's nature writings. This one follows the lives of four different animals - owl, mole, sparrow, and bear, emphasizing their winter activities.  I plan to look for the other seasons in this series.

The Burgess Animal Book for Children by Thornton Burgess
Our whole family enjoyed listening to this book on audio in the van. While the story is old fashioned, I learned as much as the children did about many different animals.


Adult Books

Radical by David Platt
I didn't expect to enjoy this book and only read it because it was assigned in our book club. But though it is short, it places a powerful punch on whether we are truly following Christ or just living out our easy American life.

Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald
In the busyness of life, I needed to read a book on the importance of ordering my inner world on the Lord and His Word. This is one I'll be re-reading.

The Heart Reader by Terri Blackstock
A fiction story of a man who woke up one morning with the ability to hear the heart needs of others. It sounds rather hokey, but it made  me look at others in a new way. Am I so focused on myself that I miss the heart cry of those around me?

Don't Make Me Count to Three  by Ginger Plowman
This is one of the most practical biblical child training books I've read. Another book I will visit again.

The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell
 A needed look at the heart needs of my children and how to fill them.

The Proverbs 31 Lady and Other Impossible Dreams by Marsha Drake
I've often read Proverbs 31 and wondered how to live up to this description of a Godly woman. In this fiction story, the goal of being a Proverbs 31 Lady has ridiculous results. A funny but thought provoking reminder that I can't do it on my own strength.

What did you read in February?