Books to inspire traveling kids (and adults!)

September 8th is International Literacy Day, a day first proclaimed by UNESCO in 1965. To quote UNESCO's site:

Literacy is a human right, a tool of personal empowerment and a means for social and human development. Educational opportunities depend on literacy.

Literacy is at the heart of basic education for all, and essential for eradicating poverty, reducing child mortality, curbing population growth, achieving gender equality and ensuring sustainable development, peace and democracy. There are good reasons why literacy is at the core of Education for All (EFA).

In honor of this special day, I'm posting a list of books that might help inspire a love of both reading and travel in children and adults. Fair warning! I've had a weakness for the fantasy and science fiction genre since I was very young, and that is reflected in my selections!

The Harry Potter books
The very popular Harry Potter books are great reading for kids. In the books, kids get a glimpse of both the real-life London, and Rowling's magical London which blends fantasy and reality. If you're traveling to London with a child, Harry Potter could be a great book to bring along.

Astrid Lindgren's books
Some of Lindgren's books, like Ronia, the Robber's Daughter and The Brothers Lionheart,, take place in fantasy worlds. Others, like The Adventures of Pippi Longstocking and Karlson on the Roof blend fantasy elements and the real world. And many, like Lotta on Troublemaker Street and Emil and the Great Escape take place in the real, Swedish world. They're all great reads for kids, and can serve as an introduction to Sweden if you're heading there for a trip. Or they can simply inspire a love of reading. If you visit Stockholm, you can visit Junibacken, a kind of theme park that is inspired by Lindgren's books.

The Little House on the Prairie series
I loved these books as a child. They made me want to read more, and they made me want to see the prairies and forests of the United States. They also made me want to eat a lot of the "exotic" food described in the books, like corn bread, clam chowder, and maple syrup.

Madeline
These books, set in Paris, are a wonderful read for younger kids, and could be brought along as kid-friendly travel literature for a trip to the city as well!

The Asterix comic books
I read these comic books a lot as a child, and they actually taught me a lot about ancient Rome and old-school European history. I'm still fascinated by that time period, thanks at least in part to Asterix.

Folktales & Fairy Tales from around the world
Reading fairy-tales and folktales from countries around the world is a great way to inspire an interest in reading and travel in your kids. Some good choices are Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales, Hans Christian Andersen: The Complete Fairy Tales and Stories, and Auntie Tigress and Other Favorite Chinese Folk Tales.

Myths in fiction and non-fiction
Books and stories about mythology can also be inspiring and exciting reading for kids (I know it was for me). Two good choices are the books about Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising series (based on myths and tales from the British Isles). Non-fiction books like Gods and Goddesses of the Ancient Norse, or Oh My Gods!: A Look-it-Up Guide to the Gods of Mythology are other great reading-choices for kids.

The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings trilogy
Tolkien's tale about Bilbo's journey to find treasure and adventure is a great read for kids and adults. I know it inspired me to love fantasy books. For older kids, The Lord of the Rings trilogy is a more serious, and more epic, tale of good, evil, hobbits and a very great journey through Middle Earth to destroy the One Ring.

Astro Boy
This classic Japanese manga tale is a great introduction to the genre, and to Japanese storytelling. (The movie is good too!)

Summer 2011: my summer snapshots

School started today for my 8-year old son, and next week my 4-year old daughter begins her last year of preschool before heading into Kindergarten. It's the time of year when a lot of parents feel a sense of sadness (that their kids are one year older), and happiness (that their kids will be busy at school for part of the day).

I had a great summer with my kids, and here are some of the highlights for me and the kids:

1. Picking strawberries with the kids at Bissett Farm on Westham Island, Ladner, in June.

2. On our summer trip to Sweden, I realized that my kids are rather seasoned travelers by now. They did so well on our flights (three in a row) from Seattle to Reykjavik to Stockholm to Skellefteå, Sweden: lining up nicely (mostly), behaving well on board (mostly), and getting themselves through all the security checkpoints with flying colors (every time). Now if I can just figure out the best way of taming the new "bugging my sibling is the most fun ever!" game that has just become popular...

3. Playing on the beach near my parents' summer house in Burvik, Sweden.

4. Visiting the old-time farm in Rismyrliden, Sweden made for a great day-trip, just like when we first visited last year. Also, I loved our visit to the family farm in Lövvattnet, and watching my daughter go gaga for the puppies. I think we're living on borrowed time: any moment now she'll start a "I want a dog" campaign.

5. Without a doubt, my trip to Sweden with the kids was a summer highlight: just like it was last year. They loved going for boat rides and fishing trips with their grandpa and grandma. And the outing we did to a rocky piece of coastline in Burvik, Sweden called "Hällorna" (loosely translated as "the smooth rocks") was fantastic. The rocks were made smooth by the grinding ice during the last ice age, and it's just a spectacular location.

6. More fun in Skellefteå, Sweden: the outdoor wave-pool at Vitbergsbadet was awesome, and we'll definitely have to re-visit it on our next summer trip to Sweden. As usual, the kids also loved their visits to Leos Lekland, going absolutely nuts on all the slides, trampolines, and climbing and bouncing equipment. For the parents, it's like taking your kids to the circus, except your kids are the performers!

On the old-school carousel at Playland.

7. Back home, in Canada, our visit to the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE), and Playland was so much fun. The kids enjoyed the rides, the snacks, the hustle and bustle, and all the farm animals that were on display.

View of Mount Baker from Centennial Beach.

8. I made several beach-trips with the kids, to Third Beach in Vancouver's Stanley Park, and to Centennial Beach in Tsawwassen. Relaxing on the beach, beachcombing and getting in the waves a bit is definitely one of my favorite summer activities, and really, one of my favorite family activities. There really is nothing like studying some beachology.

Dishonorable mention: One absolutely non-highlight was the big, mean, persistent biting flies that mainly seemed to like biting me when we were in Sweden. They're called "broms", and man, can they hurt you.

My 5 favorite beaches in & around Vancouver

C-plane over Third Beach

1. Third Beach
Location: Stanley Park, Vancouver.
Facilities: change rooms, washrooms, showers, picnic area above the beach, & concession (in the summer season).
This is probably my favorite beach to take the kids to in Vancouver. The water is deep enough for swimming, whether the tide is out or in, which is good now that they're a little more sure of themselves in the ocean. The beach is great for making sandcastles, and beach-combing (bring a bucket for shells and rocks if you've got a collector in the family!). Also, if the tide is out you can spot some sea-life on the rocks.

Third Beach is also a great beach for just relaxing. There are lots of logs to set up camp next to, and lots to look at: ships, C-planes, kayaks, seagulls, and more.

Winter walk at Centennial Beach

2. Centennial Beach
Location: Boundary Bay, Tsawwassen
Facilities: washrooms, change-rooms, beautiful playground, concession (in summer), hiking trails, lots of picnic tables and fire pits.
This beach makes for a fantastic day trip with the kids. The playground is one of the best around Vancouver, and the beach is fantastic for kite-flying and beach-combing. The water is quite shallow, and if the tide is out it will take you quite a while to even get your ankles wet. But there's lots of ocean critters to look at: seagulls, clams, shells, crabs, even fish if you look carefully. Also: parking is free and plentiful.

Looking at a very tiny dead crab on Crescent Beach

3. Crescent Beach
Location: White Rock
Facilities: washrooms, change rooms, shower, several restaurants and cafes.
We usually go for a walk along this beach, making a stop on the pier to watch someone crab-fishing, and sometimes heading all the way out to the end of Blackie Spit. If your child likes collecting rocks: beware! They might end up bringing home a truckload from this beach. It's a great place for a leisurely stroll, and I even like to bring the kids here when it's raining. They'll put their boots and rain-gear on and run along the seaside trail, jumping in the puddles. Great way to burn off energy on a rainy day!


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4. Spanish Banks
Location: Vancouver
Facilities: change-rooms, washrooms, showers, free parking, concession (in summer).
We used to go to this beach a lot when the kids were smaller. The water is shallow for a looooong stretch so you don't have to worry much about the kids getting in too deep. The beach is nice and huge with lots of space even if it's quite busy. Also, easy access to showers and washrooms, and a short walking distance from the parking area to the beach is very nice when you've got little kids. Fantastic views of Vancouver's downtown, and the North Shore mountains is a big plus as well.

At the lagoon on Harrison Lake

5. Lake Harrison
Location: Harrison Hot Springs
Facilities: washrooms, change rooms, showers, small playground, waterfront walkway, lots of restaurants & cafes, various water-sport and boat rentals.
I did a write-up on this beach recently, and it's a wonderful place for a day-trip. It does take a while to drive there from Vancouver, but the payoff is a beautiful, big lake with placid water and nice sand for digging moats and building sand-castles. The man-made lagoon is perfect for very small kids with shallow, warm water. If your kids are older, they'll probably enjoy the beach along the lake more: water is a bit colder, but also a little deeper for splashing and swimming.