Family Travel
by Jennifer Close
1. Around the World
We have read a lot of guidebooks but the Lonely Planet’s Not-For-Parents Series is the first one we have seen that was truly written with children in mind. The pages are bright, flashy and full of fun facts that your kids will love. There are just a few books in the series and they include New York, Paris, USA, Rome, Australia, Britain and China. We read the New York guidebook and although we still have yet to make it to NYC, I sometimes catch the kids flipping through the book and making plans.
2. Maine
Fellow A Traveler’s Library contributor, Brette Sember, shared her love for one of my favorite books, Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey. To me, travel does not necessarily mean packing a suitcase and heading out across the country. Our adventures sometimes keep us closer to home and blueberry picking is one of our favorite summer activities. We go blueberry picking every year and we read this book before each trip.
3. The Beach
Sea Shells found at Pensacola Beach
Next time you are headed to the beach with your family, pick up The Magic of Seashells by Fredlee. We read this book before a trip to the beach and had so much fun trying to identify the seashells we found.
4. Oregon Trail
If you have a reader that loves history, the You Choose series might be a good fit. They are interactive historical novels that allow the reader to choose his or her own path by answering the questions and flipping to the coordinating page. We read a story about Westward Expansion. Now that we are closer to the route of the Oregon Trail, we will be reading that book to prepare for our visit.
5. China
Traveling to a country where people speak a different language can be exciting and overwhelming for children. To prepare them, read some books that help teach a few important words. Keryn, from Walkingon Travels recommends a book titled The Pet Dragon if you are planning a trip to China.
6. Aquariums
Ripley’s Aquarium, Myrtle Beach.
Nonfiction books are a great way to introduce your children to a new destination, but a fictional account of a place will help them imagine and dream. Before we visit an aquarium, we always reread Swimmy by Leo Lionni. It is one of my favorite books and is a great way to remind children of the different animals in the sea.
7. A Corn Maze
Sharing books that inspire your children to travel is not always easy if they are reluctant readers. If you have a reluctant reader, take a look at what they do read. If there is a book series that interests your child, see if they have a book that goes along with the theme of your trip. For example, my son was reading the Boxcar Children series. Before our corn maze visit, I found a Boxcar Children mystery that takes place in a maze.
8. Bonus Tip
Don’t forget that a book doesn’t have to be specifically about travel or a new destination to inspire. You never know what might trigger your child’s wanderlust. My 8 year old has been reading the Magic Tree House books and recently finished one about Pompeii. For some time, he was obsessed with all things volcano. Be open to what catches their attention and then foster it with new books. If you can’t find a book that addresses the area you are going to visit, check out What Should I Read Next. Put in your child’s favorite book and see what similar suggestions are made. Who knows?
All photos here are used courtesy of Two Kids and a Map.com. Links used in this article lead you to longer articles on the particular book or other sources of information.
Vote for my article on WorldTravelist.com, sharing the best travel content on the web.
About the Author:
Jennifer and her family travel near and far to find adventure around every corner. She blogs about her travels at Two Kids and a Map and shares her adventures in Pensacola at Pensacola with Kids.
Jennifer Close – who has written 16 posts on A Traveler's Library.
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Tags: best children's books for travel, family travel, guest post, Jennifer Close, U.S. travel
My son is learning Chinese. Guess which book I’m getting for him? Thanks for this list!
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Jennifer Margulis would like you to read..Two Winning College Application Essays
Impressive! How young is this language impresario?
Thank you for your comment, Brette! I appreciate it!
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Jen would like you to read..#DenverSugar Tour
This is a great list! I have always loved using books to get my kids excited about travel too. The Lonely Planet series is excellent – my 9 year old loves them! Our most recent finds are the Thea Stilton graphic novels about a girl mouse that travels to interesting places and the 39 Clues series about a brother and sister traveling around the world on a scavenger hunt. My daughter and I have just started the 39 Clues books and I am enjoying them as much as she is – in the first book they spend time in Philadelphia before heading to Paris and in the second they are on their way to Vienna.
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Lisa would like you to read..Looking Back at 2012
Lisa – We LOVE the 39 Clues books in this household! I think we are on the 4th one. We have put them on hold to read up on ski and snowboard books!
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Jen would like you to read..#DenverSugar Tour
I loved your inclusion of Blueberries for Sal. That was a fond favorite of mine when I was a kid.
I know of a few families living aboard sailboats with their kids who swear by seashell guides in addition to books to identify fish and seabirds. Great idea to use a book while traveling to help kids engage more with the trip.
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Pamela Douglas Webster would like you to read..The Agility Dog Who Makes Everyone Smile
Pamela – We recently moved to Denver and we were told to get a birding book for the area as well as a tracking book. Our friend told us the best time to look for tracks is after the snow falls and it has been quiet outside. I can’t wait to do this with the kids!
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Jen would like you to read..#DenverSugar Tour
Excellent list! Did you have or \”read\” the book \”Children of many lands\” as a kid? It\’s just photos but I adored it and think it probably changed my life as much as any book ever.Sorry but I can\’t help myself when it comes to travel advice so …. if you\’re getting near the Oregon Trail do NOT miss the Oregon Trail Museum just outside Baker City Oregon. It is fabulous! And, for volcanoes … Mt St Helen\’s National Park of course. @PNW @travel @kids
Ashley: Vera sticking my nose in here to say I couldn’t agree more about the Oregon Trail Museum. My husband and I visited it and I was awestruck. In fact, I used a couple of my pictures from the Museum to illustrate Jennifer’s article about the Oregon Trail book. http://atravelerslibrary.com/2.....adventure/
What a great reading list! and you’re right – so much of travel inspiration comes from books not specifically about travel, esp with kids.
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wandering educators would like you to read..Collaboration and community: The Boston Celtic Music Festival
Wandering Eds – My favorite thing is when my kids read a book that has nothing to do with traveling and ask to go somewhere. After he read the Pompeii book, we looked up volcanoes all over the world and did some serious travel dreaming!
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Jen would like you to read..#DenverSugar Tour
This is a great list!
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Brette Sember would like you to read..More Kitchen Organizing: Gluten Cleanse
Can’t believe I haven’t heard of that Lonely Planet series before! Fab idea. I just ordered the one on London and Paris.
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Sophie would like you to read..Zip lining in Costa Rica
Sophie – They are great books! Let us know what you think of the London and Paris ones.
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Jen would like you to read..#DenverSugar Tour