15 Jan Ten Read-Aloud Books that Will Inspire Kids to Travel
When I was 10 years old, my father read “The Hobbit” aloud to my sister and me over several weeks. Of course I didn’t realize it at the time, but the tale of how Bilbo Baggins gets dragged out of his comfort zone is a classic travel adventure story – even if none of us can actually follow in his furry little footsteps.
As long as you’re reading aloud to your kids, why not choose books that might inspire them to go see the world? Here are some fun stories to consider.
1. The Mystery of the Mona Lisa
Author: Elizabeth Singer Hunt
Armed with high-tech gadgets, resourceful nine-year-old secret agent Jack Stalwart matches wits with a mastermind criminal as he tries to track down and recover the world’s most beloved painting in the City of Lights.
2. Ann of Green Gables
Author: Lucy Maud Montgomery
Through a misunderstanding, eleven-year-old orphan Anne Shirley is sent to live on Canada’s Prince Edward Island with the Cuthberts, a middle-aged brother and sister who had intended to adopt a boy to help on their farm.
3. Vacation Under a Volcano
Author: Mary Pope Osbourne
When Jack and Annie are whisked 2,000 years back in time to Pompeii, they must race against time to find an ancient library and save the only copy of the story of Hercules before it is buried under ash forever.
4. The White Giraffe
Author: Lauren St. John
When eleven-year-old Martine’s parents are killed in a fire, she must leave her home and go live on an African wildlife reserve with a grandmother she never knew she had. Is the ghostly white giraffe she glimpses there real or just a figment of her imagination?
5. Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos
Author: R.L. LaFevers
Theo’s father is the head curator at the Museum of Legends and Antiquities in London, but she’s the one who can see all the black magic that clings to the artifacts. It’s up to the cool-headed eleven-year-old to use her powers to protect her father and the rest of the museum employees from the ancient curses.
6. The Red Pyramid
Author: Rick Riordan
Siblings Carter and Sadie have lived apart since their mother’s death. Their father, a brilliant Egyptologist, reunites them at the British Museum in London for a research experiment. When he unleashes a vengeful Egyptian God, the children must flee for their lives.
7. Middleworld (The Jaguar Stones: Book One)
Authors: J & P Voelkel
When fourteen-year-old Max Murphy’s parents, both archaeologists and Mayan experts, go missing in a Central American jungle, the pampered teenager must face haunted temples, zombie armies, and bloodthirsty warriors to rescue them.
8. Tiger (The Five Ancestors: Book One)
Author: Jeff Stone
Five orphans are raised from infancy in a Buddhist temple to become warrior monks in 17th-century China. When their home is destroyed by the Emperor’s army, they must prove themselves and discover the secrets of their past.
*9. Escape to Murray River (Adventures Down Under #1)
Author: Robert Elmer*
When twelve-year-old Patrick’s father is framed for a crime he didn’t commit and sent on a prison ship from Ireland to Australia in 1867, the family must follow. Patrick is separated from his family in shark-infested waters, and must fend for himself.
10. Kavik the Wolf Dog
Author: Walt Morey
Fifteen-year-old Andy Evans finds an injured wolf dog named Kavik and nurses him back to health. When his owner reclaims him and sends him to Seattle, Kavik escapes and travels 2,000 miles to find the boy he learned to trust and love.
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