Summer is often a time when families travel with school-age children. It may be a cosmopolitan vacation to a city, a cross-country drive to a national park or a trip “up north”. It could even involve an international flight to visit family or places unfamiliar.

Whenever I plan a trip, I like to pore over maps, check websites and read up on places to visit. If you are traveling with children, you can easily involve them in the planning and research. I’ve found that one of the best resources for finding general information about many places is children’s nonfiction books. I often check out books from my own school library when I am researching a place to visit. Children’s travel books do an excellent job of distilling large amounts of information into important highlights. Before I traveled to Peru a few years ago, I checked out a book from the Welcome to My Country series. After reading this book, I felt like I knew more about Peruvian culture and history. Recently, I brought home books from the Symbols of Freedom series about Glacier and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks. From these books, I learned why the Great Smoky Mountains are called “smoky”. I also learned that there are more than 50 glaciers in Glacier National Park. The photographs in every one of these books are spectacular.

I have also returned from vacations wondering about things I saw or heard about. For example, after returning from a visit to Blue Lake State Park in Florida, I wanted to know more about the size of manatees and their habitats. Children’s nonfiction books about animals can be excellent. I’ve read about foxes, snakes, manatees and red-tailed hawks to name a few. I know more about shipwrecks in the Great Lakes, the Underground Railroad, and Machu Picchu since reading books from my library. I’ve also researched tsunamis, rainbows, and fog…all on a basic level. Sometimes, that’s all you need.

Your local public library is a great resource. Don’t be shy. Take your children into the children’s section. Ask the librarian to guide you to books about the places you hope to visit. Don’t forget to find books about the history, animals and people connected to the area. Sit down with your children and read through these books. You may be surprised at what it adds to your vacation. You might also be surprised at how intensely and quickly your children soak up knowledge from these well-written books.

While you’re at the library, don’t forget to sign up for local summer reading programs. The Ann Arbor District Library’s theme this year is “Make it Happen” and there are tons of hands-on activities all summer long. Nonfiction books, including travel books, count for these programs and there are prizes, even for adults!

Rachel Erdstein is the media specialist at Burns Park Elementary. She loves to read and share her love of reading with her students. She can be reached at rachelerdstein@gmail.com.