If given the opportunity, most people would opt to travel even a short distance from home in order to encounter new sights, new experiences, and new people. Fortunately, this autumn, publishers are issuing captivating new series in which students will be able to learn a great deal and gain insight about locations and customs in the U.S. and around the globe. Therefore, young readers will be able to “travel” without leaving the comfort and familiarity of home or school and without having to pack a single bag. They may even pick up some words in unfamiliar languages and learn about delicious new foods to prepare and share.

Elementary

Murray, Julie. Canada. ISBN 9798384900665.
––––. France. ISBN 9798384900672.
––––. Germany. ISBN 9798384900689.
––––. Greece. ISBN 9798384900696.
––––. India. ISBN 9798384900702.
––––. Morocco. ISBN 9798384900719.
ea vol: 24p. (Countries Set 3). ABDO/Abdo Kids Jumbo. Aug. 2024. Tr. $34.22.
Gr 2-4–Armchair travelers and striving readers will appreciate this colorful introduction to six countries. New vocabulary appears in gray boldface and is defined in the glossary, with no pronunciation guides. Students will learn geographic and statistical information about each country. Every place name and landmark is featured on a map, affording children excellent map-reading opportunities. Topics throughout the series are generally consistent: landscape, major cities, animals, food. Historical events are presented in some volumes. In addition to being readable and informative, the series is visually attractive, with appealing covers reflecting countries’ landscapes/character, and high-quality color photos and illustrations. The country’s flag appears in full color on each volume’s title page. A glossary, an index, and a QR code for accessing additional information are included. VERDICT Recommended for schools and public libraries. A basic introduction to world nations for younger students that boasts an excellent use of maps.

Upper Elementary to Middle School

Bode, Heather. Montana. ISBN 9781098293963.
Clarke, David J. Maine. ISBN 9781098293895.
––––. South Carolina. ISBN 9781098294113.
––––. West Virginia. ISBN 9781098294205.
Clayton, Annette M. Puerto Rico. ISBN 9781098294090.
Hale, K. A. Iowa. ISBN 9781098293857.
––––. New Mexico. ISBN 9781098294014.
Jefferson, Addie. Mississippi. ISBN 9781098293949.
Kelly, Christa. Alaska. ISBN 9781098293727.
Kulz, George Anthony. Kansas. ISBN 9781098293864.
––––. Pennsylvania. ISBN 9781098294083.
LaPierre, Yvette. North Dakota. ISBN 9781098294045.
Larsen, Ib. Arizona. ISBN 9781098293734.
––––. Arkansas. ISBN 9781098293741.
––––. Connecticut. ISBN 9781098293772.
––––. Hawaii. ISBN 9781098293819.
––––. Idaho. ISBN 9781098293826.
––––. Indiana. ISBN 9781098293840.
––––. Louisiana. ISBN 9781098293888.
––––. Michigan. ISBN 9781098293925.
––––. New York. ISBN 9781098294021.
––––. South Dakota. ISBN 9781098294120.
Lawrence, Blythe. Utah. ISBN 9781098294151.
––––. Washington. ISBN 9781098294182.
Layton, Christine. Wyoming. ISBN 9781098294229.
Lee, Jean Kuo. California. ISBN 9781098293758.
Lim, Angela. Florida. ISBN 9781098293796.
––––. Maryland. ISBN 9781098293901.
––––. Missouri. ISBN 9781098293956.
––––. Nevada. ISBN 9781098293987.
Lowell, Barbara. Oklahoma. ISBN 9781098294069.
MacMillan, Kathy. Delaware. ISBN 9781098293789.
––––. Washington, DC. ISBN 9781098294199.
Mattern, Joanne. Alabama. ISBN 9781098293710.
––––. Nebraska. ISBN 9781098293970.
McKinney, Donna B. North Carolina. ISBN 9781098294038.
Mihaly, Christy. New Hampshire. ISBN 9781098293994.
––––. Vermont. ISBN 9781098294168.
Ransom, Candice. Kentucky. ISBN 9781098293871.
––––. Virginia. ISBN 9781098294175.
Richmond, Marley. Georgia. ISBN 9781098293802.
Ringstad, Arnold. Minnesota. ISBN 9781098293932.
Shaw, Mary. Oregon. ISBN 9781098294076.
––––. Texas. ISBN 9781098294144.
––––. Wisconsin. ISBN 9781098294212.
Slingerland, Janet. New Jersey. ISBN 9781098294007.
––––. Rhode Island. ISBN 9781098294106.
Sonneborn, Liz. Ohio. ISBN 9781098294052.
––––. Tennessee. ISBN 9781098294137.
Stickney, Laura. Massachusetts. ISBN 9781098293918.
White, Kelly Anne. Illinois. ISBN 9781098293833.
Williams, Haley. Colorado. ISBN 9781098293765.
ea vol: 32p. (Discovering the United States). ABDO/Kids Core. Sept. 2024. Tr. $35.64.
Gr 4-6–Illustrated with color photos, this series includes basic facts about the 50 states, the U.S. capital, and Puerto Rico. Simple sentences and a predictable format guide readers through colorful tidbits and statistical and geographic information about each location. Each volume opens with a notable historical episode, before moving into chapters that cover populations, cities and landmarks, cuisine, and industry. Black enslavement and Natives people’s stolen lands and forcible resettlement are discussed frankly. Titles indicate Indigenous peoples were first arrivals; students learn many state/city names derive from Indigenous tribal names. Practice working with primary sources, links to each state’s website, and a link to the publisher’s website are included in the special features. Back matter also includes maps, a glossary, a bibliography, and an index. VERDICT Recommended for schools.

Bongiorno, Elissa. Northern Mariana Islands. ISBN 9781725329119.
Haynes, Danielle. American Samoa. ISBN 9781725329034.
Keppeler, Jill. Guam. ISBN 9781725329072.
Levy, Janey. Puerto Rico. ISBN 9781725329157.
McDonnell, Julia. U.S. Virgin Islands. ISBN 9781725329195.
ea vol: 32p. (Territories of the United States). Rosen/PowerKids. Jul. 2024. Tr. $27.93.
Gr 5-8–Some students might be surprised that America extends far beyond the borders of the 48 contiguous states and Alaska and Hawaii. Written in a conversational tone, each volume introduces the territory’s location, distance from the U.S., population, diverse cultures/ethnic groups, languages, capital city, and flag. A word or phrase in the territory’s primary language is given, along with its translation, but no pronunciation guide is included. Geography is a main focus, including how the land was formed (e.g.,volcanic activity) and what it’s comprised of. The series frankly discusses examples of European cruelty to Indigenous peoples and explains how each location acquired territorial status and what US rights citizens have/don’t have. Each volume’s final chapter summarizes what the future holds. Sidebars offer additional information and photographs. Back matter includes a timeline, a glossary, and index and a list of books and websites for further reading. VERDICT A well-written, but slightly dry overview. Recommend for public libraries and some school libraries.

Colson, Rob. Africa. ISBN 9781978539051.
––––. Asia. ISBN 9781978539082.
––––. Australia and Antarctica. ISBN 9781978539112.
––––. Europe. ISBN 9781978539143.
––––. North America. ISBN 9781978539174.
––––. South America. ISBN 9781978539204.
ea vol: 32p. (Continents Uncovered). Enslow. Jul. 2024. Tr. $26.93.
Gr 4-6–Students will learn plenty about the continents from this well-written, fact-packed, and heavily illustrated series. Each title starts with a “Where in the World?” feature, which explains where the continent, color-highlighted on a world map, is located and its placement and size relative to other continents. Each title organizes the continent into regions and includes attractive maps depicting land features, resident wildlife, and vegetation. Students will also learn about the continent’s notable landmarks and weather conditions. The final chapter contains information about ethnic/indigenous cultures, when various peoples first settled in their countries, religious makeup of the continent’s citizens, population statistics, and languages spoken. This series doesn’t discuss governments or politics, covering only continents’ geographic, physical, and cultural characteristics. Perhaps unusually, these handsomely designed titles don’t include photos, instead featuring accurate, vivid illustrations. Special features include informative “Facts” sidebars, and simple hands-on activities. American and metric measures are used, and vocabulary is defined in context and in a glossary at the end. VERDICT This detailed and well-conceived series is visually appealing and excellent for reports. Highly recommended for schools and public libraries.

O’Neill, Sean. 50 Things You Didn’t Know About Australia. ISBN 9781643713489.
––––. 50 Things You Didn’t Know About Canada. ISBN 9781643713861.
––––. 50 Things You Didn’t Know About France. ISBN 9781643713366.
––––. 50 Things You Didn’t Know About Great Britain. ISBN 9781643713304.
––––. 50 Things You Didn’t Know About Mexico. ISBN 9781643713243.
––––. 50 Things You Didn’t Know About Republic of Korea. ISBN 9781643713540.
ea vol: 32p. (50 Things You Didn’t Know About). Red Chair. Aug. 2024. Tr. $27.99.
Gr 4-7–This entertaining, briskly paced series is ideal for fact collectors. There’s plenty of information to bite off, chew, and share with others, and it’s a sure bet kids will encounter tidbits they never knew before. Each chapter opens with a brief introduction, offering an overview of what’s to come. The prose is simple and written in a conversational tone. The facts in each book are presented in numbered lists, with short, snappy entries that will engage readers, and could serve as a jumping off point for further research. Some items are rather sophisticated, e.g., the Latin origin of Australia’s name, given along with its definition. Covers feature humorous artwork; interior illustrations are appealing cartoons. Racially diverse humans as well as animal characters comment in speech bubbles on some pages. Maps are included where needed. Back matter includes a glossary, a bibliography, and an index. Teachers and librarians can challenge readers to research a country or continent of their choice and prepare their own “50 Things You Didn’t Know” lists. VERDICT This series will keep students reading eagerly and is recommended for schools and public collections.

Middle graders will enjoy learning about the world’s continents and get great map-reading practice in Enslow’s visually rich, detail-packed “Continents Uncovered” series, which boasts vivid, detailed illustrations. Younger readers will be introduced to basic information and practice rudimentary map-reading skills in the colorful “Countries Set 3” (ABDO/Abdo Kids Jumbo) series. Those who savor collecting facts will want to share the fascinating tidbits they’ll pick up about people’s daily lives, histories, customs, and more for six world nations in the highly engaging “50 Things You Didn’t Know” (Red Chair). Middle graders will be proud to learn a great deal about America in “Discovering the United States,” (ABDO/Kids Core) which covers all 50 states; Washington, DC; and Puerto Rico.