Children’s Books by States

A few years ago I saw a post at the now defunct On Living By Learning blog entitled “So Many Places to See.” Sandra Foyt wrote that she was planning to travel this summer. “I’d also like to add a bit of Storybook Travel by stopping at sites that are the setting for children’s books.” That post inspired me to write down a list of books for children and young adults with strong settings in US, with at least one for each of the 50 states. It took me longer than I expected, but it was fun. I think this list might be useful for reading groups who want to read their way through the states, as well as for writers who want to explore how others have handled the issue of setting. Of course, it would be terrific to have the opportunity to see all the places the authors wrote about, as well.

The list below led to the Wrapped in Foil Website – Reading through the States – with more complete lists books by state. The state names below are now linked to a list of children’s books for that state.

Alabama

Alabama Moon by Watt Key

About a boy named Moon who is raised in the forest by his dad. When the land is sold and his dad dies, Moon faces many challenges (including time in jail).

Alaska

Williwaw! by Tom Bodett

This story is a family-friendly action adventure about a brother and sister living in rural Alaska who fry the family’s radio, their only means of communication.

Arizona

Brighty: Of the Grand Canyon by Marguerite Henry and Wesley Dennis (Illustrator)

This book is a classic. It is the tale of actual incidents in the life of a burro that lives in the Grand Canyon.

Arkansas

Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene

This is a sad, complicated tale of a Jewish girl living in a small Arkansas town who meets an escaped German prisoner of war during WWII.

California

The California Library Association has two lists of books set in California available in .pdf format (fiction and nonfiction) at EUREKA! California in Children’s Literature

Orphan Runaways by Kristiana Gregory

Danny and Judd run away from an orphanage in 1879 California. They head for the mining town of Bodie, where they hope to find their uncle.

Colorado (Colorado Rockies)

Bearstone by Will Hobbs

Story of Cloyd, an American Indian boy who is sent to live with an old farmer in the Colorado Rockies when nothing else seems to work out.

Connecticut


Children’s and Young Adult Fiction Set in Connecticut

Down the Rabbit Hole (An Echo Falls Mystery) by Peter Abrahams

In this mystery for children, eight grader Ingrid Levin-Hill works to solve a murder case.

Delaware

Red Knot: A Shorebird’s Incredible Journey by Nancy Carol Willis

Although the bird in this nonfiction book migrates long distances, one important stop on the way is Delaware Bay.

Florida

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen

A boy discovers new friends and burrowing owls after moving to Coconut Grove, Florida. Hiaasen has written numerous quirky books for adults and this book is also filled with unusual characters.

Georgia

Simon and the Game of Chance by Robert Burch

Robert Burch tells the story of the Bradley family that live in the small town of Redwood, which was gradually becoming a suburb of Atlanta.

Hawaii

Eyes of the Emperor by Graham Salisbury
This book is the account of a Japanese American who enlists in the US Army during World War II. (For older kids)

Idaho

The Garden of Eden Motel by Morse Hamilton

Dal moves with his step-father to rural Eden, Idaho during the 1950’s.

Illinois

A Long Way from Chicago: A Novel in Stories by Richard Peck

Joe and Mary Alice Dowdel go to visit their lively grandmother who lives in a sleepy Illinois town during the 1930’s.

Indiana

The Beef Princess of Practical County by Michelle Houts

Iowa

Squashed by Joan Bauer

This is a story about growing up while trying to grow a prize-winning pumpkin.

Kansas

Grasslands by Debra Seely

A story that explores life in Kansas during the 1880’s.

Kentucky

Tarantula Shoes by Tom Birdseye

When he and his family move from Arizona to Kentucky, Ryan’s life changes in more ways than one.

Louisiana

My Louisiana Sky by Kimberly Willis Holt

In this book set in the 1950s in Saitter, Louisiana, twelve-year-old Tiger Ann Parker, the normal child of “slow parents” (their words), tells the story of the summer she learns to accept the challenges her parents present.

Maine

One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey

Sal, of Blueberries For Sal fame, is losing a tooth. Although for the younger set, worth a revisit.

Maryland


Misty of Chincoteague
by Marguerite Henry and Wesley Dennis (Illustrator)

Okay, so it is off the coast of Maryland. The story of the wild ponies that live on Chincoteague Island.

Massachusetts

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Although Little Women is set in New England, the Alcott family home is in Concord, Massachusetts.

Michigan

The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich

Describes the life of an American Indian girl during a smallpox outbreak. Sad, but excellent.

Minnesota


Minn of the Mississippi
by Holling Clancy Holling

Minn is a snapping turtle who begins a journey along the Mississippi river.

Mississippi

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
by Mildred D. Taylor

Unlike many other Black families in Mississippi during the Great Depression, Cassie Logan’s family owns a farm. They struggle against racism in many forms.

Missouri

Front Porch Stories at the One-Room School by Eleanora E. Tate

Twelve-year-old Margie’s father entertains her with stories about people and events in their small Missouri town’s past.

Montana

Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson

Hattie Brooks leaves Iowa in 1918 and travels to a Montana homestead inherited from her uncle.

Nebraska

Worth by A. LaFaye

When Nate’s leg is crushed at his 19th-century Nebraska homestead, John Worth, a boy taken off the orphan train helps take up the slack.

Nevada

Rhyolite: The True Story of a Ghost Town by Diane Siebert and David Frampton (Illustrator)

New Hampshire

Lucy’s Summer by Donald Hall and Michael McCurdy (Illustrator)

Lucy is seven when she spends the summer at her family’s New Hampshire farm.

New Jersey

Everybody Moos At Cows by Lisa Funari-Willever, Elaine Poller (Illustrator), and Glenn Byrne (Illustrator)

The author says this tale was inspired by New Jersey, based on her experiences growing up there.

New Mexico

Georgia O’Keeffe (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists) by Mike Venezia

New York
The city:
The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden and Garth Williams (Illustrator)

In this classic, Chester Cricket comes to New York City’s Times Square by mistake.

Upstate:
A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

A young adult novel that is about a girl torn between her family and her future, set in 1906 in the Adirondacks.

North Carolina

Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan
Previously reviewed in this blog

North Dakota

Ohio

Lentil by Robert McCloskey

For younger children (ages 4-8)

Oklahoma

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

Oregon

Henry and Beezus (Henry Huggins) by Beverly Cleary

Many of Beverly Cleary books were set in Portland.

Pennsylvania

The Cubby Files; Tales of a Pennsylvania Black Bear Growing Up by John P. Irwin

Bet you didn’t know there were black bears in Pennsylvania.

Rhode Island


Finding Providence: The Story of Roger Williams
by Avi and James Watling (Illustrator)

South Carolina

The Girl Who Ate Chicken Feet by Sandy Richardson

This is a book that about ten-year-old Amy Claire who lives in Midville, South Carolina in 1960, to the backdrop of the civil rights movement.

South Dakota

Grasshopper Summer by Ann Turner and Erika Meltzer (Illustrator)

It’s actually set in the Dakota Territory after the civil war.

Tennessee/Appalachia

Daniel’s Duck by Clyde Robert Bulla and Joan Sandin (Illustrator)

Set in Tennessee during the pioneer days, this tale of a youngster who is bothered when other laugh at his woodcarving, is for ages 4-8.

Texas

The Underneath
by Kathi Appelt and David Small (Illustrator) an Ala Notable Children’s Book

Magical tale about a mother cat that befriends an old hound dog.

Utah

The Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald and Mercer Mayer (Illustrator)

Set in 1890’s Utah, this is one of those rare books that almost everyone enjoys.

Vermont

The Night the Bells Rang by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock and Leslie W. Bowman (Illustrator)

This book is about a boy in rural Vermont coming to terms with the fact a boy who bullied him has been killed in WWI.

Virginia

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson and Donna Diamond (Illustrator)
Jesse really wants to be the fastest fifth grader in his rural Virginia town, but Leslie the new girl beats him. What will he do?

Washington

Larry Gets Lost in Seattle by John Skewes and Robert Schwartz

Cute book that seems to appeal to a range of ages.

Washington D.C.

West Virginia

Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor and Barry Moser (Illustrator)

A classic tale of a boy and his dog, who he rescues from an abusive owner.

Wisconsin

Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer

Hope moves from New York to a small town in Wisconsin, where she works in a restaurant and learns some lessons about life.

Wyoming

Shane by Jack Schaefer and Wendell Minor (Illustrator)

Although considered young adult, this classic western is showing up on a lot of middle grade reading lists.

That’s it. Hope you enjoy some of these books and find this list useful. Let me know if you have any suggestions.

If you have suggestions for books with strong settings, please feel free to contact us at wrappedinfoilblog (at) gmail(dot) com.

Reading Through the States

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