These travel books for kids are sure to get your kids catching the travel bug! And let’s face it, traveling with kids is MUCH more enjoyable when they are engaged and actually wanting to go.
When Emily was in second grade, she started asking if we could go to New York City to see the Natural History Museum. I had never talked to her about the American Museum of Natural History in New York, so I was curious about how she learned about it. Her answer…in a book!
Since then, she has made quite the list of places she wants to visit, and most of them she’s gotten from reading books. Books have the power to help us travel the world without leaving your couch, but they also have the power to inspire curiosity and interest in learning more about the world around us.
Our other two kids have since contributed to the list as well—wanting to visit the places they read about in books. Here are 10 of our favorite travel books for kids that have inspired destination ideas that our kids are excited about!
Some of these books are available for free through Kindle Unlimited or as part of an Amazon Prime subscription (if you don’t have it, get a 30-day free trial). If you prefer listening to the audiobook version, some of them are available for free as part of an Audible trial.
1. Percy Jackson series (best for 4th-6th grade)
This is by far my daughter’s favorite series. Basically it’s the story of Percy Jackson, a kid who finds out he’s half Greek god, and his adventures. Emily has learned all about Greek mythology from it, and seriously loves it! My kids decided to dress up as Greek mythology characters for Halloween last year because of how much they love Greek mythology from these books.
Emily even asked if we could go to Greece for her birthday! Hopefully we can make that happen soon! There’s also the Hopeless Heroes series (Zach loves these!) for younger kids that makes Greek mythology come alive. The other series by Percy Jackson author, Rick Riordian—the Kane Chronicles series and the Magnus Chase series—are all about Egyptian and Norse mythology. All of the Rick Riordian books really help kids learn world history in a fun way.
2. Magic Treehouse series (best for 1st-4th grade)
In this best-selling series, Jack and Annie adventure through history by way of their magic treehouse. Seriously, these kids go everywhere—from Yosemite National Park to Ancient Rome to the South American Andes Mountains and everywhere in between! This is where Emily got the New York idea from. This series not only teaches about destinations and culture, but world history as well. Seriously, these books are so fun!
3. National Geographic Kids (any age!)
My kids absolutely adore all things National Geographic Kids. Especially Zach, my autistic son, who loves learning facts and can remember all the things! National Geographic Kids’ 5000 Awesome Facts About Everything has inspired him to want to visit random places like the Treehouse Treesort in Oregon and Hershey, Pennsylvania, where apparently the whole town smells like chocolate, according to the book. National Geographic Kids has all sorts of books that make learning fun for kids. We also love the National Geographic Road Trip Atlas for Kids. My kids pour over this for hours on long car trips!
4. Mac B. Kid Spy series (best for 1st-3rd grade)
In this fun series, Mac is called on to solve mysteries and do detective work for the Queen of England. He saves the Crown Jewels, navigates the Berlin Wall, and tracks down the famous ravens who’ve escaped from the Tower of London. With history and culture woven into these adventures, kids will love going on these undercover missions with Mac.
5. The Chronicles of Narnia series (best for 2nd-6th grade)
The Chronicles of Narnia draws kids into a fictional land where magic meets reality. While Narnia isn’t a real place to visit, these books spark adventure and imagination in kids. And there is some history involved. When we were in Oxford, England a few years ago, we visited the spot where it’s believed that C.S. Lewis was inspired with the idea for The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. You can see the lamppost, along with a door featuring an elaborate lion and a fawn, that sparked this beloved classic.
6. Book Scavenger series (best for 3rd-6th grade)
In the Book Scavenger series, 12-year-old Emily sets out on a scavenger hunt throughout San Francisco and ends up solving a mystery. It includes puzzles, ciphers, and codes, in addition to detective work. While working on problem-solving, the book also weaves in the true history of Edgar Allan Poe and other authors. Super interesting and fun!
7. Harry Potter series (best for 2nd-6th grade)
To be honest, my kids aren’t huge Harry Potter fans (gasp!), but I am a big fan and many other kids are, so that’s why I’m including it. We took a trip to England and Scotland a few years ago, and planned some of our itinerary around Harry Potter inspired places. We visited a pub in Edinburgh where JK Rowling frequently came to write. The Warner Bros Studio in London was SO FUN! Seriously, all the props, costumes, special effects, etc. were so amazing to see. Check out this video of how they do some of the special effects, including Matt flying on a broom!
I also REALLY loved Harry Potter world at Universal Studios, both in Florida and California. (I think Florida’s version is better, by the way) It’s so fun to see the books come to life and the detail is incredible! If your kids are Potter fans, this is one place that should be at the top of your list—they will love it. And if they aren’t, go without them, like I did!
8. Santa’s Sleigh Is on Its Way to California (picture book)
I found this book at Costco when we lived in California and thought it was darling. In this fun book, Santa’s sleigh flies all over famous California sights before coming to visit your house. After reading this book, my kids asked if we could go visit some of the sights that Santa flew over in the book. They have them for other states as well. Super cute!
9. Katie in London (picture book)
I found this book in London and brought it home for Katie as a souvenir. (She was 2 at the time) It tells the story of Katie and her brother visiting all sorts of sights in London by way of a magic golden lion. I bought the Scotland one too! And there are many more in the series. It shows kids historical and cultural sights in a fun and age-appropriate way. It was neat to show my kids the adventures we had in London by way of this book.
10. Airplane books (picture books)
When preparing Zach (our autistic son) for his first flight, we knew we needed to help him know what to expect on the plane. These airplane books (The Noisy Airplane Ride, My First Airplane Trip, and My First Plane Trip: Flying for Kids) really helped him be at ease during the flight because he knew what was going on. And they greatly benefited our other kids as well. Check out this post for more ways to prepare kids for their first flight.
Bonus! A to Z Mysteries (best for 1st-4th grades)
After I published this post, Emily told me I needed to add the A to Z Mysteries. And she’s right! I totally forgot about these. In this clever series, 3 kids go on adventures to solve crimes and mysteries. There’s 26 books in the series–one for each letter of the alphabet! Plus, there’s some companion series as well. Emily even wrote to the author once and got a reply from him! She was elated!
These are just a few of our favorite travel books for kids. But all of them have inspired something in our kids that makes them want to learn more. There are SO MANY great travel books for kids that will inspire them to want to dig deeper and explore the world around them! What are your kids’ favorites?
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