The Book List - Februrary

Well since it's almost April, I better get February's book list posted!  In looking at my list I realize that almost all the books I actually completed were books I read for Tabby's history and literature classes.  I really enjoyed every one of them! 

Living room mantel decorated for St. Patrick's Day - I borrowed Tabby's green vase collection and Kewpie doll

Carry a Big Stick:  The Uncommon Heroism of Theodore Roosevelt by George Grant - "Leaders in Action" book series - I've heard this author speak in the past (at the annual Association of Classical Christian Schools conference) and thought he sort of rambled and jumped from one thing to another.  So I wasn't sure if I would like this book.  But I did.  I thoroughly enjoyed it - the writing style was fast paced and interesting.  I learned a lot about Teddy Roosevelt and found him utterly fascinating.  And wow - this man would read 5-8 books PER WEEK!  (Books like this are such a superior way to learn about history, rather than the common textbook!)  I'd like to read some of the other books in this series - Tabby has also read Never Give In:  The Extraordinary Character of Winston Churchill by Stephen Mansfield and liked it. 

Hunter serves "breakfast" to his nightlight collection

 Journey to America by Sonia Levitin - This is a fantastic book about a Jewish family in Germany that flees from Berlin in 1938.  The father is able to go right to the United States.  The mother and three daughters make it to Switzerland and stay there, waiting for the father to send for them.  Many hardships are endured.  The author herself fled Germany when she was young, with her family.  Tabby and I liked this book so much we want to read the other two books in the series.  I think one reason this book was extra exciting for me to read was that I knew that so much of what was written in it about Switzerland was accurate.  Way back before I began having babies, I helped my dad with a lot of research about Switzerland in the 1930s and 1940s.  The result of that research has been two books:   Target Switzerland: Swiss Armed Neutrality in World War II and The Swiss and the Nazis: How the Alpine Republic Survived in the Shadow of the Third Reich by Stephen Halbrook.  (The second book is my very favorite.)

Tabby walking a guardrail

 Number the Stars by Lois Lowry - Yipee!  Another book about World War II.  And best of all - the Danish resistance is part of the story!  (My favorite time period to read about is WWII and throw in the resistance - I just love it!)  This book is told through the eyes of 10-year old Annemarie, who lives with her family in Denmark.  Her family helps smuggle out a Jewish family to Sweden.  This is just one example of the MANY people in Denmark that helped Jews escape.  Almost 7000 Jews were smuggled to safety during the Nazi occupation of Denmark. 

A lily bulb is coming up in Lilly's garden!

31 Days to a Better Marriage - Fall 2014 series by ManagingYourBlessings.com - Relationships are tough.  When I saw this e-book being offered for free, I decided to download it and read it.  (This is where I got it.)  This book was a quick read on a variety of topics.  Some good practical ideas and reminders.

yummy frozen blueberries

 The Wright Brothers: Pioneers of American Aviation by Quentin Reynolds - Landmark Books series - Wow - this book was fantastic!  (I hope to read it to Hunter soon as so much of it made me think of him.)   I've never read a whole book about Orville and Wilbur Wright before and found their story utterly fascinating.   They both had such excellent character (something harder to see in people these days) and were dedicated, driven, hardworking, and thoughtful.  They loved their mother dearly and she had a lot of positive influence on them.  As boys, the brothers would spend their summers working to earn money in order to buy parts and things they needed to build their inventions.  From sleds, to kites, to a printing press, a paper folding machine, to bicycles, and then planes.  One day, when my boys are older and can appreciate it, I'd like to take a little trip to Kitty Hawk, NC to see the place where they first tested their airplanes.