This winter my family is escaping the ice, cold, and snow of Pennsylvania to road-trip it down to the Sunshine State for the chance to adventure at the beach and enjoy the out-of-doors. I can't wait!
I've always had family--aunts, uncles, cousins, and a grandmother--who has lived in Florida, so I have made the trek down there to visit them and enjoy the beautiful beaches many times. But my kids have never been to Florida before and their only beach experience thus far has been in Delaware, where my husband's extended family lives near the beach.
As a nerdy, bookish homeschooling mother, you better believe that I have been planning for over a year (!?!?!?) how to prepare and enjoy this awesome opportunity to explore a different place--with an ecosystem, coastal geography, and regional history so different from our own home state.
Below I've gathered together the books we have been weaving into the rhythms of our homeschool days to learn about beaches, marine life, and Florida history and people. Some have been our lunchtime read alouds, some have been enjoyed at our daily morning time, and others have formed the basis of our science or history lessons.
Each one of these books is what I consider a living book--full of rich ideas to nourish the mind and stimulate our sense of wonder. These books prepare my kids to notice more and enjoy more as we see seagulls, alligators, shells, historic forts and more!
If you are planning a vacation to Florida, or even to other coastal area or beaches, please check these out. While a few are most enjoyable for younger kids, many are also enjoyable for all ages.
This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure to learn more.
Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski
I've always had family--aunts, uncles, cousins, and a grandmother--who has lived in Florida, so I have made the trek down there to visit them and enjoy the beautiful beaches many times. But my kids have never been to Florida before and their only beach experience thus far has been in Delaware, where my husband's extended family lives near the beach.
As a nerdy, bookish homeschooling mother, you better believe that I have been planning for over a year (!?!?!?) how to prepare and enjoy this awesome opportunity to explore a different place--with an ecosystem, coastal geography, and regional history so different from our own home state.
Below I've gathered together the books we have been weaving into the rhythms of our homeschool days to learn about beaches, marine life, and Florida history and people. Some have been our lunchtime read alouds, some have been enjoyed at our daily morning time, and others have formed the basis of our science or history lessons.
Each one of these books is what I consider a living book--full of rich ideas to nourish the mind and stimulate our sense of wonder. These books prepare my kids to notice more and enjoy more as we see seagulls, alligators, shells, historic forts and more!
If you are planning a vacation to Florida, or even to other coastal area or beaches, please check these out. While a few are most enjoyable for younger kids, many are also enjoyable for all ages.
This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure to learn more.
Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski
We all enjoyed this story about two families in the Florida backwoods who don't always get along. While it features heavy topics--like alcoholism, bullying, and revenge--it isn't particularly scary and has many positive lessons about neighborliness and redemption. It strikes me as a less depressing version of The Yearling.Beachcombing: exploring the seashore by Jim Arnosky
This is a book that everyone in the family can enjoy. A 2- or 3- year old can follow the simple story and enjoy the illustrations and older children and adults can learn about shells, crabs, seabirds, and more.Along the Seashore by Margaret Waring Buck (Free online for 14-day loan from the Internet Archive)
After checking out this beautifully illustrated guide online, I splurged on a $15 used copy from Thriftbooks. This is one we are taking with us to use as our guide book as we explore the beach, nature centers, and science museums to learn more about all kinds of plant and animal life along the seashore.Who Lives at the Seashore? Animal Life Along the Shore by Glenn Orlando Blough (Free online for 14-day loan from the Internet Archive)
I have never encountered an actual physical copy of one of Glenn Orlando Blough's books, but I have fallen in love with his charming nature books via the Internet Archive. This book taught us about shells, bodies, teeth and other items to put in our "What's Left-Over Collection" and imparted so much knowledge about the animals who left them. We loved this book!The Burgess Seashore Book for Children by Thornton W. Burgess
The animals in this book teach each other what they know about the animals of the seashore, including clams, birds, crabs, and much more. There is so much detail in each one of these chapters! We are slowly reading through this book as part of our natural history readings but will have to take it with us to finish during our morning time on vacation.Black Jack: Last of the Big Alligators by Robert M. McClung (Free online for 14-day loan from the Internet Archive)
This story follows a little alligator from birth to adulthood in the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia. Through an exciting and moving story we learn about nesting, mating, and feeding behaviors of these large reptiles. Be warned: it features the hunting and killing of alligators for their hides which may upset sensitive readers. I loved learning about alligator behavior as well as about their important role in the ecosystem.Sea Star by Robert M. McClung (Free online for 14-day loan from the Internet Archive)
No one but Robert M. McClung could make the daily life of a sea star so fascinating. This little gem follows a sea star as it eats, reproduces, and meets a variety of other sea life. I NEVER knew so much about a sea star before!Pagoo by Holling C. Holling
This book provides a highly detailed account of the life of a little hermit crab named Pagoo who lives in a tide pool. Although we will not see tide pools like this where we will be vacationing, this book is an amazing resource for exploring the teeming life of the world's oceans.Animals of the Sea by Millicent E. Selsam (Free online for 14-day loan from the Internet Archive)
A beautifully illustrated and brief introduction to many common animals of the sea.A First Look at Fish by Millicent E. Selsam (Free online for 14-day loan from the Internet Archive)
This deceptively simple book is perfect for learning what a fish is and also how to notice differences among fish. It is very accessible for young children, but challenges older kids and adults to really notice the different shapes and features. I love all of Selsam "First Look at" titles because they train you how to look at the animals--perfect preparation for nature journaling. Other titles in this series to read when traveling to the beach include:
A First Look at Animals Without Backbones by Millicent E. Selsam and Joyce Hunt (Free online for 14-day loan from the Internet Archive)
A First Look at Whales by Millicent E. Selsam and Joyce Hunt (Free online for 14-day loan from the Internet Archive)This Country of Ours by H. E. Marshall
This vintage history book contains several chapters about Florida history which we included in my son's history reading this year. I know he is very excited to visit the places we've read about, including Fort Caroline and St. Augustine. We use the free Project Gutenburg version.Now that we have read all of these books before our vacation, I only wish I had planned to include more, especially more titles about Florida history. So if you have any great recommendations, send them my way. We can always read them when we get home from our adventure.
Thank you. This was so incredibly helpful. I especially appreciate the links to the online library archive!
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