Road Trip! Cross Country Travels
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-- School Library Journal, 3/14/2007
There is something magical about taking a road trip with family. Maybe it is the sense of adventure and the unknown, or being able to see the landscape shift just beyond the car window, or knowing that there is a reward at the end of the journey. Use these titles to start a conversation with young readers on road trips they have taken, and encourage them to use a journal to record their future travels.
COY, John. Night Driving. illus. by Peter McCarty. Holt. 1996. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-0-8050-2931-4; pap. $6.95. ISBN 978-0-8050-6708-8.
Gr K-3–This gentle tale follows the westbound trip of a father and son who pass the time playing games, taking rest stops, changing a flat tire, and learning more about each other. McCarty's soft black-and-white pencil-on-paper illustrations add an evocative twilight glow to this nighttime voyage, and each stop on the trip has a story of its own, begging to be told.
GAY, Marie-Louise & David Homel. Travels with My Family. illus. by Marie-Louise Gay. Groundwood. 2006. Tr $15.95. ISBN 978-0-88899-688-6; pap. $5.95. ISBN 978-0-88899-833-0.
Gr 3-6–Always preferring the road less traveled when it comes to planning vacations, this family rolls along from one adventure to another. There are some scary moments, like rowing through a swamp full of alligators and being caught in a revolt in Mexico, but most of the near-catastrophes are hilarious as well as educational. Delightful illustrations sprinkled throughout the text add an element of whimsy to the story.
PATTISON, Darcy. The Journey of Oliver K. Woodman. illus. by Joe Cepeda. Harcourt. 2003. RTE $16. ISBN 978-0-15-202329-4.
PreS-3–Unable to get away himself, an inventive uncle sends a wooden man on a journey from South Carolina to California to visit his niece. Oliver K. Woodman becomes a celebrity, and helpful travelers who give him a hitch keep Uncle Ray and Tameka posted on his progress with postcards from the road. Oliver even gets to go to Reno, where his advice helps three elderly sisters win $5000. Cepeda's oil-over-acrylic artwork is outstanding. Fans of Oliver can follow his next journey in Searching for Oliver K. Woodman (Harcourt, 2005).
SIEBERT, Diane. Tour America: A Journey through Poems and Art. illus. by Stephen T. Johnson. Chronicle. 2006. ISBN 978-0-8118-5056-8. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-0-8118-5056-8.
Gr 3-7–As if Siebert's poems aren't charming enough, Johnson's multimedia artwork cinches the deal for this wonderful collection of U.S.A. memories. A small inset map and factoid accompany each poem, and whether it is celebrating "The El" in Chicago or "The Vortex" in Gold Hill, Oregon, each tidy creation will make readers want to take out their atlases and chart a course.
WALTERS, Virginia. Are We There Yet, Daddy? illus. by S. D. Schindler. Puffin. 2002. pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-14-230013-8.
Gr K-3–A neat twist on the road story. Counting in tens and map-reading skills are part of this tale of a dad and his boy on the way to Grandma's house. Every 10 miles, a map inset reflects the pair's progress. Kids who catch Dad's wrong turn will feel extra smart!
Remarkable Reads are produced by the editors of NoveList, NoveList K-8, and Book Index with Reviews (BIR), leading resources for readers' advisory services and collection development. For more information, see epnet.com.
