Journey Around The World - While Staying At Home

 Books - Your Ticket To Anywhere

This blog post contains affiliate links to Bookshop.org. I earn a commission for sales through my affiliate links. Thanks for helping to support Literary Homeschool!
 
by Valerie Chase
 
Traveling around the world sounds like fun, doesn't it? Let's grab our passports and go! Wait, don't head to the airport - travel is very difficult in the age of Covid-19.  I want to travel the world, but I also want to travel through time and meet interesting people who are no longer with us. I know how to time travel! It's not a secret discovery - it's called reading!
 
Elementary school aged kids, it's time to set off on our reading adventure around the world. Last week we traveled the U.S. with books, so this week we're learning about the rest of the world!
 

Canada

Our journey starts with Canada.
Bobby Orr is one of the greatest hockey players of all time. As a little boy, he received a hand-me-down pair of ice skates for his birthday. This is the story of Bobby and his skates. 

Join Annie Magruder and her dog Carson on a road trip across Canada.
 

Mexico

Let's continue our journey to Mexico.
 
A town learns how to make soup with a cactus thorn in this retelling of Stone Soup. 
 
Amalia Hernández was a trained dancer who traveled throughout Mexico studying folk dance and adapting the folk dances for the stage.  
 

 Cuba

 Next, our journey takes us to the island of Cuba.
 
Millo Castro Zaldarriaga proved to Cuba that girls can play drums.
 

South America

Welcome to South America! The enormous Amazon Rainforest covers territory owned by nine countries. It is located in the countries of Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela. 
  
 
The true story of children in Paraguay who wanted to play musical instruments, so they made an orchestra out of recycled trash. 
 

The Galápagos Islands

 Welcome to The Galápagos Islands, part of the Republic of Ecuador! 
 
 

 Africa

Our journey has brought us to the continent of Africa. There are 54 countries in this diverse continent. 

Jane Goodall traveled from England to what is now Tanzania to study chimpanzees. 
 
Nelson Mandela made enormous sacrifices to help end Apartheid in South Africa. 
 
 A child dreams of crossing the ocean to Africa. 
 
The true story of Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, who helped found the Green Belt Movement.

 Syria

We have arrived in the Western Asian country of Syria.
 
The true story of Alaa Aljaleel, who stayed behind in the war-torn city of Aleppo to drive an ambulance, and ended up helping the city's abandoned cats. 
 

Iran 

Our travels have brought us to Iran. 
 
Shiraz receives the gift of beauty from a mysterious old woman.  
 

Israel

We're eating falafel in Israel.  

Young Itzhak Perlman loves the violin more than anything. When he auditions for the Ed Sullivan Show he gets the opportunity to share his talent with the world. 

Japan

Welcome to the island country of Japan! 
 
A bonsai tree lived with the same family for centuries, until it survived the bombing of Hiroshima and became an ambassador for peace. A true story. 
 

South Korea 

Our travels have brought us to South Korea. 

Two brothers enjoy flying kites in 15th century Korea. One of the brothers is chosen to fly the royal kite. 
 

China

Next stop, China!
 
During a time when most Chinese girls did not attend school, Wu Chien Shiung grew up to become a renowned physicist.  
 
The true story of a Chinese girl who convinced her parents to send her to university at a time when it was unusual for girls to attend. 
 

Russia

Pack some warm clothes for our next stop - Russia!
 
The story of Peter and the Wolf has been beloved for generations. The book comes with a CD. 

Learn about the life of Russian mathematician Sophie Kowalevski. 
 

Australia

Welcome to the Land Down Under! 

An adorable carrot eating wombat keeps a diary about her life with humans as her neighbors. 
 

India

Our journey has brought us to India!
 
Learn about Gandhi, who helped lead India to independence. 

 

France

Our journey has brought us to the European country of France.

Jacques Cousteau traveled the world studying the mysteries of the ocean.  

 Claude Monet painted gorgeous pictures of his gardens.
 
Learn about Chopin, a Polish composer and pianist who lived much of his life in France.  
 

 England

Our travels have led to England
 
An orphan is tasked with stealing Shakespeare's Hamlet in this period novel.
 
A Newberry Award winning novel  about a boy in Medieval England. 
 
Ada Lovelace was the daughter of the famous poet Lord Byron. She was an English mathematician who wrote the world's first computer program. 

Spain 

Onward to Spain!
 
A young girl learns to dance flamenco. 
 
A young bull does not want to bullfight. 
 

Greece

We continue our tour of the world with a quick jaunt to Greece 

Eratosthenes was a philosopher and mathematician in Ancient Greece who measured the globe's circumference.  
 
You may have heard of Pythagoras's theorem, now learn about the man.

Italy

Did you ever wonder who invented the piano? It was Italian Bartolomeo Cristofori.  

Growing up in medieval Italy Leonardo Fibonacci was teased for his obsession with numbers. He grew up to discover the Fibonacci Sequence.

Austria

Motzart was a native of Salzburg who showed tremendous musical talent from a young age. 
 

Germany 

Learn about Baroque composer George Handel.  

Born into a musical family, Bach composed during the Baroque period.  

Learn about the life of famous composer Ludwig van Beethoven. 

Hungary

Learn about the life of Hungarian mathematician Paul Erdös.
 

 Miscellaneous

Books to make your study of geography more fun. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


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