Zoe Sophia in New York: The Mystery of the Pink Phoenix Papers - (ISBN: 978-0811848770)
by Claudia Mauner and Elisa Smalley

North America (Rookie Read-About Geography series) - (ISBN: 978-0516272993 )
by Allan Fowler

The King of New York (Softi's Adventures) - (ISBN: 978-1932233346 )
by Lavinia Branca Snyder

Upper Elementary to Middle School Books

Kidding Around Nashville - (ISBN: 978-1562613730 )
by Tracy Barrett
Information, history, maps, games, and puzzles make this travel book the perfect accompaniment to a trip to Tennessee or a good place to simply glean a bit of information about Nashville. Families will never run out of things to see or activities for the children while touring. Other books in the “Kidding Around” series include Chicago, Portland, and Washington D.C. As you look at this book, discuss with your family which features are your favorites. Which parts of the book do you think could be left out?

The Olden Days Locket - (ISBN: 978-1550391282 )
by Penny Chamberlain
When Jess volunteers in an historic house, she meets the ghost of another young woman, Rose, who lived there years ago. Jess learns more and more of Rose as their stories come together in the historical British Columbia house. To add to the intrigue, Jess finds the missing locket that the long-ago girl lost. Share an object from your family’s past with your children. Discuss what it means to you today and what it might have meant to its original owner.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham - (ISBN: 978-0440228004 )
by Christopher Paul Curtis
This award-winning novel follows the African-American Watson family as they drive from Michigan to the Deep South to deliver errant son Byron to his strict grandmother in Birmingham. The family trip follows their interstate travel as well as their observations of the famous events of 1963 at the Baptist church where four little girls burned to death. Their trip preparations to enter the South highlight the treatment of Black Americans at that time. Although the time of their trip is a flashpoint for race relations, the tone of the book remains fairly light and sometimes humorous. Discuss with your family any tensions you might have felt when traveling together in unfamiliar places.

Hank the Cowdog - (ISBN: 978-0142501276 )
by John R. Erickson
How does one small ranch dog manage to get into so many scrapes? Discover what life is like on a Texas ranch when a dog is the head of security. Told from the dog’s point of view, this book is one your children will grab to read themselves as they try to solve the mystery of who murdered the homestead chickens. If your family enjoys this, try other Hank the Cowdog mysteries. Imagine a story together from your pet's point of view!

Lost in the Barrens - (ISBN: 978-0771066818 )
by Farley Mowat
A young Cree Indian boy and his uncle face the challenges of the desolate Arctic wilderness after they lose all their belongings in a canoe crash. Fortunately, their survival skills and creative wits prove to be strong enough for the challenges of the fierce weather and many wild animals they encounter (bear, wolves, and caribou). Discuss with your family what survival skills you might need to survive a Canadian winter.

The Root Cellar - (ISBN: 978-0140380361 )
by Janet Lunn and N. R. Jackson
Join a 12-year old girl who goes to live with her aunt and uncle on a desolate Canadian farm and discovers Civil War history when she descends into the farm house’s root cellar. Talk with your children about what farm wives might have stored in these cold cellars. How might they have preserved the food that they kept there?

What the Moon Saw - (ISBN: 978-0385903608 )
by Laura Resau
When Clara, a young girl from Maryland, flies to Oaxaca, Mexico to visit her Mexican grandparents, she not only learns about her grandmother’s special talent as a native healer, but also about the country where her father grew up. Her grandmother’s tales of growing up parallel Clara’s, and Clara begins to see the connections between her Mexican past and her American identity. Talk to your grandparents or older family friends/relatives about how they grew up.

State Shapes: California (State Smarts series) - (ISBN: 978-1579121006)
by Erik Bruun and Rick Peterson
California is just one of the books in this series. Each book’s outline conforms to the shape of the state! After you read this one, try to find your own state’s book, too. In each book you’ll find information about how the state came to be important, what important people contributed to state history, what businesses and educational offerings are available in the state, and facts about the ecosystems and geography. Check to see how many of these shape books your local library has.

The Ninth Nugget - (ISBN: 978-0375802690 )
by Ron Roy
What’s life like on a dude ranch in Montana? Find out along with the heroes of this read-it-yourself mystery. Three youngsters hope to learn about life in the West by vacationing on the ranch, but they soon get caught up in a mystery when money and a huge gold nugget disappear. Talk with your family about different kinds of vacations you might like to take one day.

The Lobster Kids' Guide to Exploring Montréal (Lobster Kids' City Explorers) - (ISBN: 978-1894222099 )
by John Symon
Instead of a dull travel fact book, this volume offers suggestions for exciting things families can do in and around this French-speaking Canadian city. For travel ideas from the kids’point of view, try books about other American and Canadian cities in this series. Talk about what your children would include in a travel guide to your home town.