Going Beyond the Bookcase
My family loves to explore our history-rich area and read about unique local places and their history before and after our visits. Graphic novels, picture books, biographies, and travel guides all help enrich our discovery of new places.
Prior to a recent excursion to Harpers Ferry, WV, we read about John Brown and the events leading up to the Civil War. Before walking “o’er the ramparts” at Fort McHenry, we watched a video that gave the historical context for Francis Scott Key’s “Star-Spangled Banner” poem. After a visit to Ford’s Theater, Lincoln’s Cottage, and the Lincoln Memorial, we read about Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. My kids are 9 and 10, but we’ve done this since they were young, adapting the books and the amount of contextual information to their age and stage.
There are PJ Library books that celebrate the contributions of Jews throughout our history, and there are amazing biography series that also provide historical context, such as Ordinary People Change the World, Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls, and the Who Is/Was series. There are also biographies among this month’s PJ Library lineup, with stories about Dr. Jonas Salk, inventor of the polio vaccine, and Judy Kaplan, the first girl to have a bat mitzvah (coming of age) ceremony in the US.
We encourage you to take these stories “beyond the bookcase” to explore the history or the ideas as a family. Take a virtual tour of the places, visit one of our national historical sites, and explore our country’s rich and complex history. I know it’s very American to “exit through the gift shop,” but I also recommend that as a source for children’s books you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere.
If you’d like book or outing suggestions for your family, please reach out. I’d love to share!
Take care,
Sarah
Additional Resources
- Become a National Park Service Junior Ranger (NPS)
- 100 Things To Do in DC with Kids Before They Grow Up (Mommy Poppins)
- KidFriendlyDC
- Beltway Bambinos