Humans are infinitely curious and are constantly traveling. But far too many students don’t have an opportunity to see new places firsthand, and books can give them at least an armchair substitute. However, seeing involves more than just looking at a place—it entails understanding. Geography materials, which usually discuss the physical and cultural landscapes of locales and countries, provide students with more than just a sightseeing tour of places near and far; they explain how the physical world shapes human behavior and cultures and how people alter their environments. These series take readers to some of the world’s most interesting locations and have some effective strategies for helping students to truly see the world and its people.

Preschool to Grade 4

Gr 3-5 –In an innovative change from most state sets, these books are lively travel guides to each state’s top 10 kid-friendly places. They cover an eclectic mix of historic sites such as the Ingallses’s South Dakota homestead, museums, and science centers, scenic natural wonders, and popular culture favorites such as theme parks, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and iconic stops along Route 66. The authors incorporate information about state history and geography in their descriptions, which include tips on what to do, see, and eat. Sidebars add information about people, animals, and geographical themes. Full-page color photos and smaller photo overlays are outstanding. National, state and locator maps are a plus. VERDICT These books won’t replace traditional report material, but they introduce kids to the magic of travel and offer them a look at some of the United States’s most interesting places.

Gr 2-5 –Featuring a charming, scrapbook-style layout with bright color photos and captions, each book follows a middle school age girl (or boy, in the case of India) through a typical day. Middle-class children describe their daily routines, clothing, meals, family structures, schooling, recreation, and religion. The titles include quotes and sidebar information about each nation’s geography, climate, languages, and popular culture, but there are no maps. American readers will be interested to see how these children’s lives are similar and different to their own, with much of what readers take for granted (such as running water) unavailable for some of these children. VERDICT Students will enjoy these glimpses into the lives of kids around the world.

Gr 1-3 –Beginning readers will enjoy these lively blog entries penned by young Benjamin Blog and Barko Polo, his “inquisitive” dog, as they travel through the Anglosphere, or countries that share the English language. Ben’s three-to-five sentence blog entries and Barko’s “Blog-tastic” facts, which serve as captions for full-page photos, highlight each country’s history, populations, heritage, culture, food, sports, resources, animals, and industry. Each title has a full-page, physical map, and “Fact File” conclusion with statistical data. Cartoon Ben and Barko are superimposed on some of these attractive photos. Their journeys aren’t systematically organized, and the pair often travel back and forth across a region without a plan, but they visit some of each nation’s most fascinating places. More advanced readers many find Ben and Barko corny, but the text and photos are engaging enough to hold most children’s interest. VERDICT Suitable supplemental purchases.

Gr 1-3 –Through an appealing combination of clear prose and colorful photos, this set introduces emerging readers to life in or near some of Earth’s most common geographic features and landforms. The books open with a “What Is” question that defines the feature, a world map that locates notable examples, and a brief history of how the feature has affected human life The titles go on to describe how the feature influences aspects of contemporary life, including housing, transportation, occupations, education, and recreation, using examples from around the globe. The dangers of each landform or feature are covered, such as floods, tsunamis, and avalanche. Layouts are attractive, with two or three sentences and a large, captioned photo on each page. A “Fun Facts” page adds some noteworthy tidbits, and a quiz tests comprehension VERDICT Demonstrating how physical geography affects human settlement, this series is a solid choice for elementary libraries.

Gr 1-3 –These attractive volumes introduce early readers to the world’s oceans. Each begins with a general overview, a useful map, and a table-format fact file. Topics are consistent throughout, with coverage of each ocean’s above- and below-water geography, weather, resources, ports, animals, and famous places. Small box maps, which locate most places mentioned in the text, are a plus. Each page features three to five sentences and a large, captioned photo; most images are relevant to the text, but a few are generic. The only real weakness is that some important terms, such as equator, continent, and poles, are used repeatedly but aren’t defined in the text; however, there is a glossary. These books will give students a stronger understanding of the scope and importance of the world’s oceans. VERDICT Solid choices for elementary collections.

Grades 5 & Up

Gr 4-8 –This series lets readers visit the remains of four abandoned places, from the pre-Columbian Mesa Verde ruins to the 20th-century Salton Sea resort in California. All are geographically isolated locations, and their stories emphasize the importance of geographical factors, such as natural resources, in their rise and decline. Books share a common format of double-page “chapters” that provide general information and discuss topics unique to each place’s history and geography as well as some of the associated mysteries, legends, and ghost stories. Brief sidebars add interesting tidbits, and “Now and Then” pages compare the sites during their heydays and today. Outstanding contemporary site photos and period images found throughout are a major strength. Readers will be fascinated with the mysterious remnants of these ghostly places. VERDICT A strong buy for libraries serving middle grade readers.

Gr 4-6 –High quality photos are the strongest component of this set. Each book opens with the location of the country and an almost featureless map, followed by spreads that describe its land, people, unique wildlife, schools, industry, food, recreation, sports, and holidays. Upbeat coverage glosses over or ignores difficult topics such as civil war in Lebanon and Somalia or the Soviet domination of Hungary. The layout is attractive, with a paragraph or two of text and a large color photo on each page. “Fun Facts” sidebars provide interesting trivia, a language chart introduces a few phrases, and a “Fast Facts” section adds basic report statistics. These titles are eye-catching, but readers are likely to be frustrated when they can’t locate mentioned places on the map The content is standard fare, and the books don’t offer a fresh take. VERDICT Supplemental report choices.

Gr 4-8 –Writing in a conversational question-and-answer format, Waldron uses geographical themes to frame the histories of these ancient civilizations and explain how geography influenced each one’s rise, success, and eventual decline. The titles are made up of four-page chapters that begin with introductions to the people and location of each civilization, followed by information about how sites, natural resources, land use, and transportation influenced its social, political, and economic organization. Readers will also learn about daily life and the civilization’s successes and legacies. Maps, high quality photos of locations and artifacts, period illustrations, and brief “Did You Know?” sidebars supplement the text. VERDICT There are countless extant titles about ancient societies, but this series offers a fresh perspective that will help young readers better understand the importance of geographical factors in their histories, making it a strong addition to middle school libraries.

Geography provides a framework to help students gain a deeper understanding of the physical and cultural world, and these sets include some solid options for libraries looking to help their students sharpen their vision. The best two of this group are Bearport’s “Abandoned!: Towns Without People,” which takes readers to the ghostly remains of once-thriving towns and helps them understand the evolution of almost 1,000 years of settlement in isolated places, and Heinemann-Raintree’s “Geography Matters in Ancient Civilizations,” which does a very good job of explaining how geographical factors influenced the rise and decline of ancient societies. Lerner’s “Our Great States” gives an updated twist by highlighting the most fun aspects of each state and is sure to attract an audience. Three other sets are good report or introductory purchases. “Children of the World” (Cavendish Square) provides readers with the opportunity to learn about the daily lives of kids their age in several countries, “Oceans of the World” introduces emerging readers to oceans and explains their importance, and “Places We Live” (both Heinemann-Raintree) considers how geographic features influence human life.