"Can't we go somewhere fun this summer?"

Before the summer gets underway, before the "What are we going to do today? Can't we go somewhere fun?" questions begin, get a head start with these travel books for kids. Step into their pages and discover your city, your country, your world . . . and bring your children along. You and your team of young and tireless explorers can travel the world this summer, starting in the nearest city. You will return amazed, with souvenirs, knowledge, and memories garnered from every imaginable place.

REVIEWS BY ANNA CLAIRE STRAUGHAN

Open up The Great City Search and meet Mayor Maurice who lives in a city very much like your own. Follow him as he weaves you through its streets, hospitals, parks, and more. Can you spot four workers wearing helmets, two underground trains, and a famous statue along the way? Once every corner of the city has been searched, Mayor Maurice will kindly lead you to the new city pool to cool off.

In the spirit of Richard Scarry, Rosie Heywood assists kids in discovering the people and places that comprise the mosaic of city life. Kids can travel this book from beginning to end or pick it up and indulge in just one of the city scenes. After they have mastered the key parts of Mayor Maurice's city, they'll be more prepared to leap out into their own.


The 16 John Muir guidebooks to American cities are geared for the hands and minds of most six- to ten-year-olds. They blend facts and fun to make cities interesting, accessible, and safe for the youngest citizens. The print is large and unintimidating, the tone friendly. Children will be drawn into chapters with names like: "Animals, Animals," and "Let's Eat!" If you are traveling in any of the cities, you'll find that clear maps, fun facts, and puzzles will add to the new city adventure.

Hand your troops a copy of Kidding Around Nashville: What to Do, Where to Go, and How to Have Fun in Nashville, and let them plan the itinerary. Author Tracy Barrett and her children help you discover the real reason Nashville is "Music City U.S.A." They can lead you to the best kid-approved Nashville cuisine and the Parthenon all in a day. Walk the Tennessee maps at the Bicentennial Mall and visit the farmer's market next door. While you're in the neighborhood, turn around, spot the state's capitol, and read about its history. Flip to the back for Barrett's calendar of events or jump-start your journey with coupons for the Nashville Toy Museum or the ante-bellum Belmont Mansion.

Hot? Add a sweater (and perhaps an umbrella) to your suitcase and pick up a copy of Kidding Around Portland: What to Do, Where to Go, and How to Have Fun in Portland. The kids can color their way from Music City to the City of Roses, from Nashville's "Bat Building" to Portland's "Roll-on Deodorant Building." Author Deborah Cuyle will show young explorers where Portland gets its four nicknames and what pioneer children used instead of Frisbees! Cruises on stern-wheelers and visits to Mount Hood will make this city memorable for any child. And if Portland doesn't fit your summer plans, you can find a Kidding Around book for almost any major city in America.


Now that your team of explorers feels comfortable with cities and maps, and knows the rules of safe travel, let them tour the country . . . without you. In the meantime, grab some iced tea, put your feet up, and enjoy their trip as they send you postcards from every state. This is what young Emily does in Wish You Were Here: Emily's Guide to the 50 States. Kathleen Krull's witty text and illustrations by award-winning Amy Schwartz celebrate the fascinating idiosyncrasies of each state in our nation.

In a tone that a teen would respect and a little one could understand, Emily and her grandmother wind their way around the country and entice readers with their findings: "Pennsylvania is the world's mushroom capital, the place where crayons come from, and the state where I learned why the Fourth of July is so important." Emily's frequent allusions to relevant literature and a thorough index of resources offer curious readers a way to pursue their interests as well as valuable information for reports in school.


Ready for the rest of the world? Explorers will love searching for the world's largest flower, a mouse that sings, or a tomb guarded by 6,000 warriors in The Reader's Digest Children's Atlas of the World. Created to captivate today's multimedia-cultured kids, this atlas is a hands-on, brains-in-gear experience, electric with vivid colors and information.

Before traversing the exquisite maps in this atlas, kids can see how a map is made, how it is read, and how to complete one of their own. Then they blast off into space to consider the planet and all that affects it: climate, natural resources, world population, and environmental perils. Or they can zoom in closer and find maps illustrated with thresher sharks and Matreshka dolls, Aztec snake carvings, and Giza pyramids. They'll want to stop and tour the boxes labeled "Amazing Facts" and "Look Again." Special project sections invite the traveler further into the world beyond the page. When the young and tireless explorers reach home again, they will have plenty of evidence of their worldly travels: boomerangs to remind them of Australia, Sami tents from their stay in Northern Europe, Taj Mahal tiles from tours of India, and many other souvenirs.

Word is out that geography is cool, summer is hot, and that the two go together like ice cream and cake. Bon Voyage! Tanoshinde itte irasshai!


Anna Claire Straughan is a children's bookseller and graduate student in Nashville, Tennessee.

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