Kansas is bored, sitting in the middle of the country, so after a party, all the states switch places. Minnesota lakes visit the Grand Canyon, Florida oranges ride Kentucky horses, Alabama peanuts go hiking in Rocky Mountains, but Alaska is crowded by other states, waves are ruining Arizona's hairdo, and Kansas is mighty lonely in the middle of the Pacific. Wisecracking states and humorous illustrations. (Picture book)

Discover the wideness and wonder of deserts and canyons through the eyes of painter Georgia O'Keefe. Deep-colored cut paper collages capture the artist's imagination and amazing landscapes that inspired her work. (Picture book)

Take a family trip with Sienna, to discover her African American heritage – Amistad slave ship in New Haven, the streets of Harlem, a black-doll museum in Philadelphia, historic sites in Washington, DC, and more. Sienna's unique scrapbook is chock-full of hand-written entries, lively illustrations and historical photographs – an inspiration for your own road trip. (Picture book)

Babar, Celeste and the family take a grand tour of the United States – sightseeing in New York City, hiking in the West, riding the cable cars in San Francisco, visiting the Grand Canyon, kayaking in Florida, standing at the Cloud Gate in Chicago, and more! (Picture book)

Celebrate the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in America (13 years before Plymouth). Archeological discoveries and excavations reveal daily life of the colonists and Powhatan Indians, plus excellent "living history" photographs. (Illustrated chapter book)

John, Paul, George & Ben
Lane Smith

Never a dull moment when the Founding Fathers were kids – bold John Hancock, noisy Paul Revere, honest George Washington, clever Ben Franklin, and independent Thomas Jefferson. They wanted a revolution, and the rest is history. Humorous, delightful illustrations. (Picture book)

Patience Wright was an accomplished wax sculptor, who created true-to-life portraits of Ben Franklin and the king and queen of England. She was also a spy during the American Revolution, hiding secret messages in her wax sculptures. An exciting story, beautifully illustrated. (Picture book)

A visual guide to the American Revolution – battles and leaders, soldiers, spies and traitors, battlefields and the home front, peace and birth of a nation. Rich, historical illustrations. (Picture book)

Quilt of States
Adrienne Yorinks, 50 Librarians

Quilt maps of all 50 states, and the story of statehood for each one, starting with the first state, Delaware, through the thirteen colonies, to the 50th state, Hawaii. Plus, fun facts about each state. (Picture book)

Travel with young Abe Lincoln down the mighty Mississippi River, piloting his flat boat filled with cargo down to New Orleans. And along the way, Lincoln finds himself on his own voyage of discovery. Good for older kids. (Illustrated hapter book)

Ste-e-e-e-eamboat Comin'!
Jill Esbaum, Adam Rex

A sleepy town along the Mississippi River comes to life when the steamboat arrives. Passengers push down the gangplank, barrels, foods and farm animals are unloaded, news spreads fast, but when the whistle blows, it's time to wave farewell. Bygone days in colorful paintings and rhymes. (Picture book)

Pictorial history of the Civil War – battles east and west, camp life, soldiers and generals, war timeline, plus 21 activities, make a quilt, create a code, berry ink, coffee can drum, homemade hardtack, and more. Wonderful historical photographs (Chapter book)

Glorious telling of an old folktale that African people could fly. Long ago in Africa, they say that people could soar like shining blackbirds in the sky. Enslaved and sent from Africa, their wings are lost, but an old man calls the magic, and "Say they flew away to Free-dom." Spellbinding illustrations. (Picture book)

Spooked by a thunderstorm, a young girl rides with the village horses. In the hidden hills, the girl meets the wild horses, led by a magnificent spotted stallion, who welcomes her to live with them. A vibrant, spirited tale with bold illustrations, like Native American art. (Picture book)

Disguised as boys, sisters Sallie and Maude March ride west to Missouri, looking for their long-lost uncle. Newspapers report that Maude is leader of a gang of horse thieves and bank robbers, but it's just Sallie and Maude, trying to avoid mountain lions, treacherous snows, and real desperados. A fun, wild west read. (Chapter book)

Maude and Sallie head further west in Maude March on the Run!

Summer, 1914. Fourteen year old Eleanor (Peewee) McGrath dreams of being an auto mechanic in her brother's garage in rural Indiana, but all that changes when four young ladies take over the never-used library, and Eleanor ends up finishing the Hendricks County car race. Full of wonderful characters, this is a gem! (Chapter book)

Three kids, a mystery, and a tattered baseball with a hole in the center, and why are the Travelin' Nine running around the outfield, dodging a train coming their way? Incredible illustrations, baseball on a summer's afternoon in a bygone era. (Chapter book)

More Sluggers adventures and the magic of baseball with Horsin' Around, Great Balls of Fire, and Water, Water Everywhere

With a spooky baseball card, young Joe travels back in time to 1932, where he meets Babe Ruth. It's the Depression, but food is cheap, it's game three of the World Series, and Babe Ruth is the home run king of baseball. (Chapter book)

More baseball card adventures: Jackie & Me

The Robie House by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright is about to be torn down, but there’s strange goings on in the house. Three friends search for ghosts, discover a glass man, and fight to save the house. A super art mystery! (Chapter book)

Louis Armstrong was too poor to have a real trumpet, but he had a tin horn. And music was everywhere in the streets of New Orleans, jazz, blues, ragtime. This is the story of how Louis got his first real horn, when he was just a boy with a dream. (Easy reader)

The Trouble is best-loved American author, Mark Twain, and this is a super illustrated biography of his wild and wonderful adventures – piloting a steamboat, hair-raising stagecoach rides, prospecting for gold, sailing to the tropics, and writing the funniest stories and novels. (Illustrated chapter book)

Check out all the dinosaurs that lived 70 million years ago the United States – Stegosarus and Triceratops in Colorado, duck-billed dinosaurs in New Jersey, velociraptor-like dinosaurs in Utah, Jurassic giants in Wyoming, armored dinosaurs in Texas, plus where to see dinosaur fossils. Fabulous illustrations (Picture books)

Wonderful introduction to United States wildlife. Twenty six different mammals, birds, and reptiles from antelope, to bison, javelinas, moose, nene (Hawaiian goose), bighorn sheep, and more. Fabulously illustrated with paintings of each wild animal in its natural habitat. (Picture book)

The national parks from A to Z, in quick rhymes and fun facts, with richly detailed illustrations. Fifty national parks, from Acadia in Maine, to petrified forests, Everglades crocodiles, gushing geysers, bat-filled caves, and Zion in Utah. (Picture book)

Monday on the Mississippi
Marilyn Singer, Frané Lessac

A fascinating trip down the Mississippi River today, starting as a stream in Minnesota, the river flows south, past old men sitting on the levee in Iowa, by the great Arch in St. Louis, under wide bridges, to the delta in Louisiana, where the river ends and the sea begins. Illustrated in a charming folk-art style. (Picture book)

Wild and wonderful buildings from all over the United States – climb up an elephant-shaped building, or check out a teapot gas station, stay in concrete wigwams, eat in the Milk Bottle restaurant. Plus, a handy map, so you can visit the buildings on your trip around the U.S. (Picture book)

Built to Last
George Sullivan

America's engineering feats from coast to coast, starting with the Erie Canal, to the Brooklyn Bridge, transcontinental Railroad, Empire State Building, Hoover Dam, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, Sears Tower, and present day Big Dig. Panoramic two page photographs of these engineering marvels. ( Illustrated chapter book)

Not a kid's book per se, this photo book is an extraordinary look at the diversity of America – from the air. City skyscrapers, lime green rivers, swirling mesas, iridescent hot springs, ancient volcanoes, sapphire blue lakes, craggy mountains and desolate deserts, vibrant patterns of fields and flower farms, rocky shorelines and sandy beaches. Over 500 amazing aerial photos. (Picture book)

For twelve year old Henry, a trip to the beach with his wacky aunts turns into a family odyssey through America – floating down the river in a big old swamp, oddball Louisiana relatives, a spaghetti-eating horse in Kansas, happiness at sunset, looking over the Shenandoah Valley. A hilarious read, and perfect for a road trip! (Chapter book)

50 states of fun, with wacky and humorous facts – what state is the earmuff capital of the world, where were the first hamburgers served, what is the Cereal Festival, who hosts the Hog Calling Contest and more. Zippy illustrations. (Picture book)

In Gee's Bend, Alabama, generations of women have stitched up quilts, sewed, talked, sang and laughed, for as long as anyone can remember. Each piece tells a story. (Picture book)