Reading on the Go

Reading on the Go
We’ve all mastered the art of curling up with a good book.  But heading out for a book-based adventure?  Well, that just opens up worlds of possibility!

Here are a few of my favorite book/adventure combos to do with children—whether with my own kids over the summer months or as special class experiences during the school year.

Stella, Star of the Sea; Harry by the Sea
Stella and Harry are both featured in various adventures, but their seaside books open the doors for those of us with beach access to follow Stella or Harry’s sandy adventures and make them our own.  Whether digging deeply in the sand with Stella or wearing seaweed and sand disguises like Harry, kids can become their own stars of the sea.  (Authors: Marie-Louise Gay; Margaret Bloy Graham)

Andrew Henry’s Meadow
Andrew loves to build, and when his creations become too big and wild for the family home, he builds a tree house of his own in the meadow—and then more tree houses for all his friends.  Read this story of the amazing Andrew Henry, and then explore the architecture in your own town by car, bus, or on foot.  (Keep an eye out for tree houses!)  You might also build themed “tree houses” like Andrew does from cardboard boxes!  (Author: Doris Burn)

The View at the Zoo; Crazy Zoo; If I Ran the Zoo
What these delighted books have in common is a weird and wild view of zoo life.  Read one or more and then take your imagination along with you to the nearest zoo.  What weird and wild things of your own can you find there?  And what do you and the children imagine the animals think of you?!  (Authors: Kathleen Long Bostrom; Norman Bridwell; Dr. Seuss)

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankenweiler
Mystery, intrigue, great works of art, and two precocious kids await the reader of this extraordinary book that has captured the imagination of generations of children.  And what better thing to do after reading the book than to explore the nooks and crannies of the nearest museum to see what you can find.  Perhaps you’ll discover Claudia and Jamie hiding there!  (Author: E.L. Konigsburg)

Bug Builders
Lest we forget nonfiction, my friend Tim recently wrote this excellent book describing the intriguing and curious ways and means by which bugs of all kinds build their homes, traps, and other constructions.  Because my son loves this book, we recently went exploring at a nearby nature park to look for signs of bug builders.  Not only did we discover their work, but also we found much, much more in the “small world” of nature to ooh and aah about.  (Author: Timothy J. Bradley)

Your Turn!
What is your favorite book/adventure combo?  Share your idea with everyone in the reply section below!