Kids' books for travel & about travel - to keep or give away

Books and stories always come along for the trip when I travel with my children. Some of them are for the trip itself, others for the stay at whatever place we're going to spend our time. Used to be, all our books were actual, physical, paper and ink, but these days I also carry along some e-books in my Kindle.

Here are some books that would be great to bring along on a long trip, and some that might also get your children interested in and prepared for travel.

Classics


The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins is a modern classic in young adult literature, and the movie-franchise has certainly made them a very hot commodity. Not for younger kids: they're quite frightening and violent, but a great story for 12 and up.



The Hobbit, by JRR Tolkien is a must-read in my family. I love Tolkien's work, and The Hobbit is a great read for kids and with kids. Of course, the fact that the movie version is coming out in December will most likely make this book even more popular than it already is.


Beatrix Potter, The Complete Tales would make a great bring-along book on a trip: lots of stories to read with young children, and some fantastic, classic tales with those beautiful illustrations.


Winnie The Pooh, deluxe gift box is another classic children's book, beautifully packaged for the holidays. This makes for such a nice read-aloud book, and would make a great travel companion.


Dr Seuss' Beginner Book Collection includes Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, and more. My kids absolutely LOVE Dr Seuss, and they always enjoy his stories. I love reading them because the rhymes are so perfectly crafted and cleverly put together.


Pete the Cat, I Love My White Shoes and the other books about Pete are big hits with my 5-year old daughter. Fun to read with your kids.

Kindle editions


Goodnight Little Monster, is a fun and sweet and quirky read with kids. Good to read at home, on a plane, at an airport, or wherever your might find yourself with your children.


Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep! is another great kids' book that makes for a good bedtime-read.


100 Fun Stories For 4-8 Year Olds would make a great ebook to take on a trip, if you have kids in this age group. Lots of reading material for a longer trip.


Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingr is a trio of books, all part of the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini, and would make for a great read for older children, especially if they're at all into dragons and fantasy tales.

Travel-inspiring books


National Geographic World Atlas for Young Explorers would make a great gift for any child. Maps are a great way to get kids interested in travel and the world.


Nat Geo Wild Animal Atlas is a book that really appeals to my kids: non-fiction and all about geography and animals. Definitely a great book to spark some interest in the natural world, and the world at large.


Global Babies is a beautiful picture book with photos of children from all over the world, and a simple story to go with the images. A very good book for younger children, and even babies.


Maps & Globes from Reading Rainbow is aimed at kids ages 4 and up, teaching them introductory concepts in an easy to understand, and engaging manner.

 
D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths is one of those books that I would have loved as a child and teen. I was (and still am) very interested in stories, folktales and myths from all over the world. It's a great way to get kids interested in other cultures and seeing other parts of the word, as well.