Books for children trip to Europe

[alidor]

We will probably take our then 12 year old granddaugther and 9 year old grandson to Europe next year. Does anyone know of any good books I could give about Europe that is geared toward their age level and something they would enjoy that would give them some insight into their trip?

[cruisestitch]

Which countries?

[alidor]

Italy, France and Spain.

[sarafinadh]

Italy, Venice in particular, "The Thief Lord" by Cornelia Funke

 

France , Paris in particular, "The King in the Window" by Adam Gopnik

 

These books would be good for both of them.

 

Sorry, nothing comes to mind about Spain.

 

But my daughter really loved these books and they were very referential when we traveled in those countries. And they were books that I enjoyed as well!

 

Have a wonderful trip with the kids ; -)

[junglejane]

Rick Riordan's series on "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" is a great way for kids to learn about the Greek gods and Greek mythology, which is very useful to know when visiting Italy. There is also a series by Caroline Lawrence called "The Roman Mysteries" that is very entertaining while teaching kids about life in ancient times. Sorry I don't have good ideas for France or Spain.

[orchestrapal]

If your 12 year old is anything like our granddaughter when it comes to reading she will love Iberia by James Michener..So will you! :)

[sarafinadh]

If your 12 year old is anything like our granddaughter when it comes to reading she will love Iberia by James Michener..So will you! :)

That's a great idea! I read Hawaii at that age, before a trip to the islands and loved it.

[Cruise Arizona]

Not at novel or biography, but I have found the DK Eyewitness Travel books to be a great resource. They utilize lots of photos and graphics to make the places come alive on the pages. They usually have a nice history section and a time line upfront as well as cut-aways of important buildings. These are my favorite travel planning books, particularly because of the photos.