Travel and horizon broadening
Atlas Obscura for kids; The Airport Book; Me on the Map
Summer vacation is nigh for our kids, which means, whether we like it or not, we have a multi-month stretch during which our kids can do whatever the hell we/they want will not be in school. Budget and health permitting, this is often a great time for longer trips. And when budget and public/personal health do not permit, I still *think* about travel, which I channel into learning about faraway places. If you are responsible for making summer plans for children, you’ve likely had that sewn up for several months. Good job! If not, good job anyway! (That shit is pretty much impossible.) In either case, here are a few books I’m revisiting with the littles as we prepare for the homeworkless, free+easy, family-filled, adventure-curious, wanderlusting, bored, expensive, neverending, potent days of summer.
“Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide for the World’s Most Adventurous Kid” gives us a taste for adventure and encourages us to wonder about faraway places. Even though we’re not planning a trip to Austria, we’re intrigued to learn about its ice caves and astonishing libraries. The book is organized in topical couplets, so after reading about Austria’s astonishing libraries, turning the page brings us to another example of astonishing libraries in Mongolia. I like this book because it encourages global curiosity rather than consumptivity, and I think it helps kids develop a travel-mindedness rooted in learning.
The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide For The World’s Most Adventurous Kid. 2018, Dylan Thuras, Rosemary Mosco, Atlas Obscura, Joy Ang. Target age: Gr2-6 [AO preview – lots of cool vids on their channel, libraries, bookstores]
We’ll fly to visit family across the country this summer. The kids have done it several times, but it’s still helpful to revisit Lisa Brown’s “The Airport Book.” This is quintessential KidNonFic – it accurately describes a common experience in simple language with excellent pictorial representation, plus light fictive environmental supports. It is not a specific true story, but it accurately represents the experience of commercial airplane travel. Kids will be reminded of the importance of packing their most important essentials and the mechanics of airplane travel.
The Airport Book. 2016, Lisa Brown. Target age: PreK-Gr2 [read aloud, libraries, book stores]
I’ve got a thing for maps. They’re like magical little portals to the world right around you or very far away from you, and they can tell you A LOT about the person who made the map. Summer presents so many opportunities for strengthening map literacy, whether you’re exploring a new city, making your way through an airport, hiking in nature, scavenger hunting, or finger-walking across a globe. “Me on the Map” helps very young children understand the basic deal with two-dimensional representations of space and geography. It’ll help the littlest kids get the gist of how to read a map, and will probably inspire them to make their own.
Me on a Map. 2018 (first published 1998), Joan Sweeney, Qin Leng. Target age: PreK [read aloud, libraries, book stores]
I’m looking for recommendations of travel guides geared for kids. I’ve seen Lonely Planet’s series, “City Trails” and also “Not-For-Parents.” I’m also aware of National Geographic’s social-studies-friendly “Countries of the World” series. And I’ve encountered a few one-off place references, like Aquila’s Japan issue. Please tell me what you’ve found and liked. Place doesn’t matter. Publication date might not matter much depending on the content. Thanks in advance!
