National Park Books for Kids

I have been going to the national parks since I was a child.

     My interest in the spectacular features of the land
and the ability to view wildlife in its natural habitat keeps
me coming back.  I enjoy exploring new places and
hiking trails that are off the beaten path.  Because of my love of the national parks, conservation efforts taking place there are of great importance to me.

I hope that my books inspire a similar interest in you.

Acadia National Park: Eye of the Whale

In this installment of FalconGuide's Adventures with the Parkers series, the Parkers journey to Acadia National Park in Maine where they explore the beautiful coastal waters and hike many of the park's finest trails, including to the top of Cadillac Mountain, the first place in the U.S. to see the sun rise every morning. They decide to end their trip by camping on an island within the national park, but when Mom tries to kayak back to the mainland, she gets beached on a remote island--and quickly discovers she is not the only one stranded there!

ISBN 978-0-7627-8262-8
96 pages, Published by FalconGuides

Arches and Canyonlands National Parks: In the Land of Standing Rocks

In this adventure the Parkers journey to southeast Utah to see the "Land of Standing Rocks" and such prominent features as Delicate Arch, Landscape Arch, Park Avenue Skyline, the Needles, and much more.  They encounter mountain lions, a dive-bombing blue jay, and wicked desert weather along the way, but it's not until James makes a surprising discovery that they really connect with the region's colorful history.

ISBN  978-0-7627-7962-8
109 pages, Published by FalconGuides

Bryce and Zion National Parks: Danger in the Narrows

Join the Parkers as they embark on their first national park adventure.  Twins, Morgan and James, explore the natural wonders of Bryce and Zion, journeying among the hoodoos and sleeping beneath the stars.  But the trip takes a turn for the worse in the treacherous Zion Narrows- can they rescue Dad from a dangerous fall?

96 pages, Published by FalconGuides
ISBN 978-0-7627-7974-1

The Everglades

Water and plant life create a flowing "river of grass" throughout Everglades National Park.  Everglades' muddy swamps and creeks are home to a wide variety of plants and animals.  Visit the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles live together.

24 pages,  Published by Capstone Press
Hardcover   ISBN 0-7368-2219-4

The Everglades

The Everglades National Park in Florida is an unusual place.  It is a very wide, slow-moving river with grass growing all through it.  Rare animals live there, including panthers and large water-dwelling creatures called manatees.  The Everglades area was named a national park to protect it.  Today, families visit the Everglades to camp, row boats, and spot birds and amazing animals like alligators.

32 pages,  Published by Nelson Cengage Learning
Paperback  ISBN 978-0170369060

Glacier National Park

Take a hike on just one of the 700 miles of hiking trails in Glacier National Park and the beauty will captivate you.  The cascading waterfalls, turquoise-colored lakes, snow-capped mountains, and icy glaciers are just a few of the breathtaking sites you'll see at the park.

24 pages,  Published by Capstone Press
Hardcover  ISBN 0-7368-2220-8

Glacier National Park: Going to the Sun

In the eighth book in the Adventure with the Parkers series, the Parkers visit Glacier National Park in Montana. As they enjoy the waterfalls and uniquely sculpted mountains while the park's glaciers glimmer above them, the Parkers learn that because of global warming, the glaciers may not last that much longer.  During their family hikes they encounter a lot of wildlife, including moose, mountain goats, and grizzly bears, but the smoke and flames of summer fires may thwart their vacation plans.  Will Dad be able to bike over Going-to-the-Sun Road in celebration of his fortieth birthday?

96 pages, Published by FalconGuides
ISBN 978-0-7627-7964-2

Grand Canyon National Park

The Grand Canyon is up to 18 miles wide and more than 1 mile deep in some places, which makes it one of the largest canyons in the world.  The amazing thing is that this wonder was created mostly by the flowing waters of the Colorado River.

24 pages,  Published by Capstone Press
Hardcover  ISBN 0-7368-1375-6

The Grand Canyon

The world's most famous canyon is the Grand Canyon.  Many people visit it each year to see the beautiful views and all the different plants and animals.  It is located in the USA, and it is huge.  Visitors can hike along the canyon's edge or even camp in the canyon for a night!

24 pages,  Published by Nelson, A Cengage Company
Paperback  ISBN 978-0170332132

Grand Canyon National Park: Tale of the Scorpion

The Parkers are back for another adventure in the Grand Canyon.  Morgan and James brave a steep twenty-one mile hike from rim to rim.  As they face heatstroke, exhaustion, and even a run-in with scorpions, they wonder, "Can we make the grueling climb to the top?"

96 pages, Published by FalconGuides
ISBN 978-0-7627-7965-9

Grand Teton National Park: To the Top of the Grand

In this latest installment of FalconGuide's Adventures with the Parkers series, the Parkers journey to Grand Teton National Park. While there they see moose, grizzly bears, elk and other animals while hiking the Teton Crest Trail, one of the most beautiful backpacks in the country. But when the parents hire a guide and attempt to scale the Grand Teton, things get dicey in the extreme mountain environment. Will they make it safely to the top--and back down again?

ISBN 978-0-7627-8274-1
96 pages, Published by FalconGuides

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

It's really not smoke rising off the mountains, but warm air turning to fog because of the cold mountain temperatures.  The Smoky Mountains are home to many interesting plants and animals, and are even known as the salamander capital of the world.

24 pages,  Published by Capstone Press
Hardcover  ISBN 0-7368-1376-4

Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Ridge Runner Rescue

With their great-grandfather's journal as their guide, Morgan and James head east to the most visited national park in the country: the Great Smoky Mountains.  The twins and their parents backpack twenty-six miles along the Appalachian Trail, learning the park's unusual history and experiencing its amazing diversity- spotting both the synchronized fireflies and the world's largest salamander.  But will the adventure end when Morgan comes down with a mysterious illness?

96 pages, Published by FalconGuides
ISBN 978-0-7627-7966-6

Mammoth Cave National Park

What lies in the passages of the world's longest cave?  Learn about blind cavefish, the Snowball Room, a gunpowder mine, and more in this book about Mammoth Cave National Park.  The full-color photos and maps make reading about this large cave and the area surrounding it easy and fun.

24 pages,  Published by Capstone Press
Hardcover  ISBN 0-7368-2221-6

Mount Rushmore, Badlands, Wind Cave: Going Underground

Join the Parkers as they go underground at Wind Cave, experience severe thunderstorms in the Badlands, and witness poachers illegally taking fossilized bones.  What will happen when the family spots the criminals on the Presidential Trail at Mount Rushmore a few days later?

96 pages, Published by FalconGuides
ISBN 978-0-7627-7968-0

My Yosemite

A complete guide to Yosemite National Park for young adventurers and their families.  A silver medal winner of the California Reading Association's Eureka! Award for excellence in nonfiction.
Ages 8 - 13

170 pages, Published by Yosemite Conservancy
ISBN 978-1-930238-30-5

National Parks: Pop-Up and Build

Discover the beauty of America's unforgettable landscapes with this three-dimensional tour of its national parks.  Each of the 59 U.S. national parks is profiled in this illustrated visual guide, and five of the nation's most prominent parks- Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Everglades, and Badlands- are featured as large pop-up models that you will assemble using the included pieces.

32 pages, Published by Thunder Bay Press
ISBN 978-1645170495

Natural Laboratories: Scientists in National Parks Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Grades 4 - 8

The largest trees in the world are at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California. Whole groves of these giant sequoia trees were once cut down for their wood, but now thousands of the trees are preserved. Scientists have worked at these two parks for more than a hundred years learning how to best preserve the trees and all of the parks’ features. Learn about research past and present in this unique natural laboratory.

While reading this book, students will explore the world's largest living things and the work done by scientists at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California. Readers will learn how the giant trees were discovered, logged, and how they have since been protected. The Natural Laboratories: Scientists in National Parks series takes a look at the research and responsibilities of scientists working in U.S. national parks. Each 7.5" x 10" photo-filled book explores the topography of the park, its natural resources, the specific projects that have been undertaken there and why these projects are significant. Each 48-page book in the series also features quotes from scientists working in the featured park, to better explain to readers how and why things are done.

48 pages, Published by Rourke Educational Media
ISBN 978-1643691114

National Parks America's Best Idea

Learn about the National Park System.  Find out about the top ten most visited national parks, plus other parks as well.  Explore the role that people play in the national parks.

40 pages,  Published by Rigby
ISBN 0-7578-2020-4

National Parks Projects

Let National Parks Projects guide your students on a scenic adventure!  As students begin their tours of research and exploration, they'll gain the knowledge and expertise that qualifies them to become national park "rangers" for a day.  Using an integrated approach  that encompasses all curriculum areas, students prepare posters, charts, maps, speeches, debates, and displays to highlight their findings.  Students will be buzzing with enthusiasm as they creatively design ranger stations to feature their knowledge at a national parks fair.  From the ornate underworld of Carlsbad Caverns to the massive icy glaciers of Mount Rainier, students will be enchanted by the scenic wonders of our national parks, appreciate the delicate ecosystems, and gain fresh awareness of environmental issues and concerns.  Don't miss the adventure!  Pack your bags and join this exploration of natural wonder and beauty.

160 pages,  Published by Fearon Teacher Aids
ISBN 0853-934-4

Olympic National Park

People think that Olympic National Park is like three parks in one.  It has glacier-capped mountain peaks, thick rain forest filled with some of the world's largest trees, and stretches for mile along the Pacific coast.

24 pages,  Published by Capstone Press
Hardcover  ISBN 0-7368-1377-2

Olympic National Park: Touch of the Tide Pool, Crack of the Glacier

Join the Parkers as they journey to Olympic National Park in the Pacific Northwest, where they explore the tide pools along the coast, hike through Olympic's dense rain forest, and experience the famed alpine scenery and immense glaciers.  Treacherous mountain terrain could stop them in their tracks.  Could it prove to be ultimately too dangerous?

96 pages, Published by FalconGuides
ISBN 978-0-7627-7969-7

Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park is filled with tall, mountainous peaks, many which rise above the tree line where the weather is too harsh for trees to grow.  Yet the park is filled with many interesting plants, animals, and sites.

24 pages,  Published by Capstone Press
Hardcover  ISBN 0-7368-1378-0

Rocky Mountain National Park: Peril on Longs Peak

In the seventh book in the Adventure with the Parkers series, the family heads to Colorado to visit the high peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park.  When the snow clears, the parks many famous sights are on display: Trail Ridge Road, spectacular wildflowers, elk, waterfalls, and unique alpine tundra.  The family's big adventure?  A hike up Longs Peak, a Colorado "fourteener."  But afternoon storms begin to pelt the family during their training hikes, and they begin to question the wisdom of a nighttime summit ascent.

96 pages, Published by FalconGuides
ISBN 978-0-7627-7970-3

Secrets of the Sequoias: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

Take your kids on an adventure with the Parker family to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California.  Sequoias are the largest trees in the world- imagine a tree that's one and a half times bigger than a Boeing 747!  And it grows from a tiny seed the size of an oatmeal flake!  How does a sequoia grow so big?  Tag along with the Parkers- twins James and Morgan and their parents - and learn all about sequoias as they hike among the giant trees, explore dark caves, scramble up huge granite domes, and cool off in the spray from amazing waterfalls.  They even climb to the top of 14,494-foot Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the lower forty-eight states.  There's a new adventure at every turn, from encountering black bears to meeting an old man who lives in a giant log!  Lace up your hiking boots and join James and Morgan as they uncover the Secrets of the Sequoias!

ISBN 978-1560376569
160 pages, Published by Farcountry Press

Yellowstone National Park

Early explorers were amazed by Yellowstone's boiling mud volcanoes and explosive geysers.  As news of these strange features spread, people knew that the area should be protected for future generations to see.  Thus the idea of national parks was born as Yellowstone became the first national park in the world.

24 pages,  Published by Capstone Press
Hardcover  ISBN 0-7368-1379-9

Yellowstone National Park: Eye of the Grizzly

Join the Parkers as they explore the wonders of America's first national park, Yellowstone.  While in Yellowstone, Morgan and James marvel over the geysers, thermal pools, and the vast array of wildlife.  But when they come face to face with a grizzly, what will they do?

96 pages, Published by FalconGuides
ISBN 978-0-7627-7972-7

Yosemite National Park

In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill meant to protect Yosemite Valley's scenic beauty.  Never before had the U.S. government set land aside just for people's enjoyment.  Learn why more than 3 million people now visit Yosemite National Pak each year.

24 pages,  Published by Capstone Press
Hardcover  ISBN 0-7368-1380-2

Yosemite National Park: Harrowing Ascent of Half Dome

The Parkers hit the trail once again, this time in Yosemite, one of the country's most popular parks.  In Yosemite, James and Morgan take in the beauty of the sequoia trees, hike alongside waterfalls and even attempt an ascent of the cables.  Will they make it to the top of the infamous Half Dome?

96 pages, Published by FalconGuides
ISBN  978-0-7627-7973-4

Zion National Park

Discover what makes the Weeping Rocks weep and how one of the world's largest arches formed in this book about Zion National Park.  See the beauty of Zion's hanging gardens, river canyons, and rock formations found along Zion's many hiking trails.

24 pages,  Published by Capstone Press
Hardcover  ISBN 0-7368-2222-4