Let’s Get Our Kids Excited to Travel Out West in the USA With Books!
One of the best things a family can do before any vacation is to get everyone excited about where they are going! When traveling out west in the USA, I like to find top-rated kids books that will help my children learn more about the history of this area.
Sometimes it is easy to forget this step or not realize its importance. Just think of all the hours we spend researching and planning our upcoming trips. Yes, at times it may be stressful, but it is also filled with excitement and anticipation for what we are going to do and what we might see. Let’s build up that same excitement for our kids!
Over the years I have collected a wealth of books on an amazing array of topics to share with my children before we travel. I truly feel that these books significantly increased our family’s vacation experience and I would love to help do the same for you!
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Here’s Our Favorite Books for Kids About the USA Wild West!
Books for Kids Traveling to the West USA
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Life on the Prairie/ Westward Expansion in the USA
Listed below are our favorite books for kids that are traveling out west to the plains states of the U.S.: Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Montana.
- Little House on the Prairie is a true classic and a must read for anyone traveling to the plains states of the United States. This book (and series) really opens your eyes to what life was like out on the American frontier. It will help you understand their hardships and their struggles. Little House on the Prairie will make you vacation to this area of the country much more meaningful and our family highly recommends it!
- Recommended for children ages 8 and older to read.
- If you would prefer to listen to this incredible story try the audio version. This would be great for long car rides.
- The Little House Picture Book Series (ages 4-8) is great for younger children that want to read this story themselves.
If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon by Ellen Levine
- This book is a great educational book that answers almost any question you could think of about what life was like for people traveling west. How did they know where to go? Where did they sleep? What dangers did they encounter? Kids will love learning all of the fun facts that fill this book.
- Great for children 7-10 years old.
The Oregon Trail: An Interactive History Adventure by Matt Doeden
- My kids loved this interactive adventure where you get to choose what you do next on the Oregon Trail. Each choice is choices that real people had to make. Will these choices lead you to more opportunities, wealth, poverty, or death. There are 3 story paths your child can take with 38 choices and 17 different endings. My kids had a blast reading this again and again just to see where each different decision would lead them.
- This book is great for kids ages 8-12 years.
Rescue on the Oregon Trail (Ranger in Time #1) by Kate Messner
- Our family loves the Ranger in Time Series! In this book Ranger, a golden retriever, ends up on an adventure on the Oregon Trail, helping a family survive this dangerous journey! This is a great historical fiction book where kids get to learn about the world in a fun way through the eyes of a dog.
- Great for children ages 7-10 years old.
Daily Life in a Covered Wagon by Paul Erickson
- This is a great informational book that teaches younger children all about the Oregon Trail and what life was like for people heading out west in search of a new life.
- Great for children 5-8 years old.
Buffalo Before Breakfast (Magic Tree House #18) by Mary Pope Osborne
- Our family loves the Magic Tree House Series! In this book Jack and Annie travel back ~200 years and discover what life was like on the Great Plains. This book is a fun historical fiction book for any child that wants to know more about the Great Plains in the United States.
- Perfect for ages 6-9 years old.
The Lewis and Clark Trail
I highly recommend these books for kids that will be seeing any of the sites along the Lewis and Clark Trail in the U.S. West. Their journey took them from Missouri to the Pacific Ocean while passing through Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon.
What Was the Lewis and Clark Expedition? by Judith St. George
- This is a fun educational book for kids to learn all about the Lewis and Clark Expedition, where they traveled and find out what happened on this two year long true-life adventure that lead them to the Pacific Ocean.
- Recommended for children ages 8-12 years.
How We Crossed the West: The Adventures of Lewis and Clark by Rosalyn Schanzer
- This is a beautifully illustrated book that incorporates actual text for Lewis and Clark’s journal to tell the story of their incredible journey to the Pacific Ocean.
- Recommended for ages 8-12 years.
Who Was Sacagawea by Judith Bloom Fradin and Dennis Brindell Fradin
- This is a great book to learn more about Sacagawea and the important role she played on the Lewis and Clark Trail. Here you can learn all about what she did and why she is still remembered today.
- This book is perfect for children 8-12 years old.
Lewis and Clark and Me: A Dog’s Tale by Laurie Myers
- Here a child can discover the Lewis and Clark story told through the eyes of a dog that accompanied these explorers. Beautiful illustrations and actual notes from Lewis’s journey make this a fun way to learn a little bit about history.
- Recommended for ages 8-12 years.
Lewis and Clark for Kids: Their Journey of Discovery with 21 Activities by Janis Herbert
- This book series is perfect for any child that loves history and wants to know more about Lewis and Clark. This is my oldest son’s favorite series because the information here is presented more like a textbook. Here a child can find a tons of facts, time lines and actual pictures of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.
- Recommended for ages 9 and up.
The Alamo
These are our favorite books for children to learn about what happened at the Alamo in Texas before you visit this historic site.
What Was the Alamo? by Pam Pollack
- Discover why the Alamo is famous and learn all about how a small band of men held off about two thousand soldiers of the Mexican Army for twelve days! Children will love the numerous black and white illustrations found throughout as well as a 16 pages black and white photos that really help make this amazing story come alive.
- This book is recommended for ages 8-12.
Alamo All-Stars (Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #6) by Nathan Hale
- This is a great graphic novel, and my eldest son’s favorite, where the events of the Alamo are portrayed by relaying the facts, politics and military actions through factual yet humorous scenes that will get the attention of even the most reluctant reader or history fan.
- This book is great for ages 8-12 years.
Who was Davy Crockett? by Gail Herman
- Davy Crockett, the King of the Wild Frontier, and a man of legend, fought and died at the Alamo. This is a great supplemental book for any person that is wanting to learn more about the men that fought at the Alamo.
- This book is recommended for ages 8-12 years.
The Californian Gold Rush
These are great books for kids to read before going to any gold mine out west in the U.S..
What Was the Gold Rush? by Joan Holub
- In 1848, gold was discovered in California, attracting over 300,000 people from all over the world. Hear stories from the gold-seeking “forty-niners” and see sixteen pages of photos that will bring this historic event to life.
- This book is best for ages 8-12 years.
If you were a Kid During the California Gold Rush by Josh Gregory
- Follow the adventures of Louise and Feng, two kids living in a mining camp near San Francisco, to get a kid’s perspective of life during the California Gold Rush.
- Great for ages 7-9 years.
By the Great Horn Spoon! by Sid Fleischman
- This is a fantastic story about a twelve year old boy, Jack, who sets off for California in search of gold to help his aunt who is debt and just had to sell her beloved mansion. Jack finds adventure and trouble at every turn in his search for gold in California.
- This is a great read for ages 9-12 years.
Mount Rushmore
These are my favorite books for kids who will be visiting Mount Rushmore. These books for kids will help them understand more about what they are seeing, why they are there and a little bit of history of the U.S. West.
Where is Mount Rushmore? by True Kelley
- Learn all about who carved this famous monument, the problems he faced and the controversy that still surrounds this one man’s magnificent obsession.
- This book is great for ages 8-12 years old.
Who was George Washington? by Roberta Edwards
- George Washington was the first president of the United States and is one of the four individuals chosen to be represented on Mount Rushmore. This book is a great way to learn more about America’s Founding Father and why he should be remembered.
- Great for ages 8-12 years.
Who was Abraham Lincoln? by Janet Pascal
- Abraham Lincoln is one of the four faces on Mount Rushmore. This book is a great way to learn all about the sixteenth President and why he was chosen to memorialized on Mount Rushmore.
- Great for ages 8-12 years.
Who Was Thomas Jefferson? by Dennis Brindell Fradin
- Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and was the third U.S. President. Discover here more about this founding father and why he was chosen to be represented on Mount Rushmore.
- Great for ages 8-12 years.
Who Was Theodore Roosevelt? by Michael Burgan
- Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th president of the United States and was the fourth individual chosen to be represented on Mount Rushmore. Discover his amazing achievements and learn all about how much he influenced the direction of the United States.
- Great for ages 8-12 years.
Native American Kids Books, in the West USA
These books are a few of our family’s favorites when learning a little about the Native Americans in the western part of the United States.
If You Lived With the Sioux Indians by Ann Mcgovern
- This is a great book that answers questions about the life of the Sioux Native Americans in North and South Dakota during the 1800s. What kind of house did they live in? Did the children go to school? What kind of clothes did they wear? And more.
- This book is best for ages 7-10 years old.
The Very First Americans by Cara Ashrose
- I loved sharing this book with my kids because it had a great overview of the Native American tribes found in different geographical locations across the United States. This book is well layed out, easy to read and has fantastic pictures to keep children engaged.
- This book is great for ages 4-8 years.
If You Lived With The Indians of the Northwest Coast by Anne Kamma
- This book presents the life of Native Americans on the Northwest Coast of the U.S. and answers questions about how they lived, what they ate and what happened when settlers began to arrive.
- This book is good for children ages 4-8 years.
- For kids that love learning about history, this is a great book that really gets into the history of the first American’s complex societies and their 500 year struggle to survive against all odds. Kids will also love the activities in this book which include learning how to make beef jerky, weave a basket and decipher a WWII Navajo Code.
- This book is great for ages 9 and up.
The Wild West
These are our favorite cowboy books to learn a little bit about their ways and to get excited for traveling out west in the United States.
Cowboy Camp by Tammi Sauer
- Giddyup and gallop right over to read this rootin’ tootin’ tale of an unlikely cowboy. Kids will love this story’s lively language and wildly playful pictures in this fun cowboy book.
- Great for ages 4-7 years.
Cowboys (All Aboard Books) by Lucille Recht Penner
- This book is good for showing children the daily life of a cowboy and what kind of work they do.
- Recommended for ages 4-8 years.
What Was the Wild West? by Janet B. Pascal
- Kids will love how this book discusses the Wild West when the territories west of the Mississippi remained untamed and lawless. It is a great introduction to how the west used to be and will really help children understand more about some of the Western towns you might visit like Tombstone, AZ, Dodge City, KS or Deadwood, SD.
- Recommended for ages 8-12 years.
Which Way to the Wild West?: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn’t tell you about Westward Expansion by Steve Sheinkin
- This is a great book for older kids to learn all about Western Expansion. This book is well-written, fast paced and completely captivating! The cartoon drawings make this book fun and your kids will have a hard time putting it down.
- This book is recommended for ages 10-14 years.
I hope you enjoyed this list of books for kids to learn more about the Wild West in the USA.
Please feel free to share in the comments section below any books that you love for your kids about the West USA.
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