Global Cultures Book List for Kids and Adults Download printable pdf All these books are thoughtful and well-written; those marked "highly recommended" are particular classics. Children's Atlases and Other Map Resources National Geographic Atlas for Young Explorers Recommended ages 9-12; a solid, standard atlas for upper elementary students National Geographic Beginner's World Atlas Recommended ages 4 to 8; a good beginner's atlas, with well designed maps, and text on the land and people of each region Reader's Digest Children's Atlas Recommended ages 9-12; good maps and illustrations, and a "world fact" file. Also includes projects, activities, and quizzes Rand McNally's Around the World, An Atlas of Maps and Pictures Recommended ages 4-8; regular "flat" maps, plus maps in a perspective that looks like three dimensions; landscape scenes at the bottom of each page help make the connection between the map and the real place Atlas of the World This atlas, from Raintree-Steck-Vaughan, is a very inexpensive alternative if you want to buy an atlas for each student in your class The Geography Coloring Book A huge amount of information about the world, constructed into a coloring book; some problems with earlier editions have been corrected -- the maps are very friendly, easy to use, and easily adaptable. The Complete Book of Maps and Geography Activities and lessons to help students learn about maps and about the skills of geography. Aimed at grades 3-6, but relevant below that target. Children's Picture and Story Books Owen and Mzee A Kenyan baby hippo is marooned by the 2005 Tsunami; it finds comfort and friendship with a 130-year-old tortoise. Maps and Mapping For lower elementary; an interesting look at maps and their components, including scale, contour, symbols, and more Small Worlds: Maps and Map-Making For upper elementary; through numerous drawings and photos, the author helps clarify what maps are, what they are for, and how to use them As the Crow Fliers: A First Book of Maps A clear and simple"concept" book, presenting various animals and their neighborhood, with one large map that links all the neighborhoods together Simon and Barklee in England One in a series of books about two friends who roam the globe. Brining the Rain to Kapiti Plain - Highly Recommended A cumulative tale, in rhyme, about a Maasai boy's efforts to end a drought in East Africa   Miss Rumphius: Story and Pictures - Highly Recommended A woman's journey through life making the world more beautiful Over, Under and Through and Other Spatial Concepts - Highly Recommended A picture book about spatial concepts for very young readers. Where Are You Going? To See My Friend A book for Pre-Schoolers, and for older children or adults interested in Japanese. Bilingual English/Japanese (each version starting from a different end of the book) The Day of Ahmed's Secret A child's life in Cairo   Sami and the Time of Troubles Life in war-torn Beirut. An appealing story about inner strength in the face of modern-day conflicts. My Rows and Piles of Coins A young boy in Tanzania saves his coins; his goal is to buy a bicycle. A touching story of a loving family The House of Wisdom - Highly Recommended Young Ishaq wanders through 9th-century Baghdad's packed marketplace, filled with curiosity, awed by the many different people and languages. "They speak so strangely," he whispers to his father. His father, a translator and scribe who works in the caliph's library, the House of Wisdom, replies, "You may not understand them, but that does not mean they have nothing to say." World Team Children playing and practicing soccer all around the world; this book addresses time zones, but is really about the universality of soccer A Life Like Mine What life is like for 18 children around the world; divided in to four sections -- Survival, Dvelopment, Protection, and Participation   A Faith Like Mine Religion in the lives of children around the world; thoughtful and gentle and clear. Elizabeti's Doll Elizabeti, a Tanzanian girl, watches her mother care for her new baby brother Elizabeti's School (Elizabeti Series) Elizabeti looks forward to school, but also misses her life at home   Mama Elizabeti (Elizabeti Series) The day of a child in a Tanzanian Village Beatrice's Goat A young girl in Uganda gets a goat from the Heifer Project; it provides milk to feed the family, and a little extra to sell. Stunning illustrations   Wake Up, World! A Day In the Life of Children Around the World Appropriate for Grades 1-3; a simple look at some of the ways in which people's lives may differ but are also similar Children From Australia to Zimbabwe Children from 25 nations, beautifully illustrated; country profiles and more A Coole Drink of Water - Highly Recommended Water-gathering around the world; breath-taking National Geographic photos Hands Around the World Sub-titled: "365 Creative Ways to Encourage Cultural Awareness and Global Respect"   Kids' Multicultural Arts Book Nice range of interesting crafts and great suggestions for tweaking the activities for different needs, levels, etc. Cactus Hotel - Highly Recommended The entire life cycle of a single cactus; powerful environmental and nature education Children Just Like Me Children from more than 140 countries. A UNICEF book Children Just Like Me: Celebrations! Celebrations around the world; photographs of children in traditional costume, and a first person account of celebrations People Around the World The people of many countries and regions are discussed and described. Arranged by continents, with maps. Earthsearch: A Kids' Geography Museum - Highly Recommended A classic, and one of my favorites: covers everything geographic, with 18 "exhibits" including "ancient" aluminum, foreign coins, much more The Egyptian Cinderella A retelling of Cinderella, but placed in Ancient Egypt Everybody Cooks Rice - Highly Recommended Everybody Bakes Bread - Highly Recommended Everybody Brings Noodles - Highly Recommended Everybody Serves Soup - Highly Recommended These four titles tell the story of a friendly international neighborhood; all four books include recipes Houses and Homes Around the World A colorful photo-essay, with few words, showing a variety of houses   How My Parents Learned to Eat An American father, a Japanese mother, and how they learned from each other. Charming Me On The Map "ME", in my room, my house, my street, my city, my state, etc. The concept and power of maps for pre-K, K, and 1st/2nd grades Nine O'Clock Lullaby - Highly Recommended Time zones explained in a finely told story for young readers One World, Many Religions: The Ways We Worship A sensitive and well-presented introduction to seven major religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism Paddle-To-The-Sea - Highly Recommended The little carved canoe starts his journey in Lake Nipigon, travels the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence, and ends up in France. A classic A Ride on Mother's Back: A Day of Baby Carrying As her mother makes tortillas, a Guatemalan infant is rocked in a shawl tied around her mother's body. Riding in a sling balanced on his grandfather's hip, a young boy watches his father gather honey in central Africa, etc. River Ran Wild: An Environmental History Repairing a badly damaged river   Shoes, Shoes, Shoes (Around the World) Hats, Hats, Hats (Around the World) Bread, Bread, Bread (Around the World) Shoes and Hats and Bread can tell a lot about where you come from. Simple text and dazzling photos reveal how people dress around the world. Nice enhancement for studying world cultures in primary grades Somewhere in Africa Ashraf lives in Africa, but in a vital African city, not the Africa of "Lion King" Welcome To the World: A Celebration of Birth and Babies From Many Cultures Photographs of babies from many different cultures enhance poems by such distinguished authors as Sylvia Plath, Erica Jong, India's Bibhu Padhi, Su Shih from China, and the Caribbean's John Agard Where To Look For a Dinosaur The geography of dinosaurs, worldwide Recommended Adult Reading For Fun and Information Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy A useful reference book about Solar, Wind, Biomass, and Hydropower, but also contains a lot of very useful and friendly tips about saving energy now, with no investment in alternative sources. The History, Psychology, and Pedagogy of Geographic Literacy by Malcolm P. Douglass. A powerful basic overview from the perspective of a professional educator. He covers subjects from the Journal of Geography to Binet, Horace Mann, and the Geographic Alliance Network Geography: Realms, Regions and Concepts by DeBlij and Muller. The Millennial Edition of a great basic text; packaged with Goode's World Atlas, a nice bonus Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. A fascinating survey of human history on every continent. "History followed different courses for different peoples because of differences among peoples' environments, not because of biological differences among peoples themselves." Harm De Blij's Geography Book A storehouse of geographic wisdom and information Physical Geography: A Landscape Appreciation by Tom McKnight. The Millennial Edition of this classic text; a clear and tremendously informative presentation. The "Virtual Fiedtrip" edition.   The Handy Geography Answer Book by Matt Rosenberg. A fun book from the designer of the "geography.about.com" website.   How To Life With Maps by Mark Monmonier. One of the classics of cartography, by one of the gurus.   Cartographies of Danger: Mapping Hazards in America by Mark Monmonier. Another remarkable Monmonier book about mapping and life.   Longitude by Dava Sobel. The story is grim, marked by bloodshed, jealousy, despair, and death -- and it's about the development of a workable system for finding your way around the Earth; a best-seller for months; a great read Crabgrass Frontier: The Suburbanization of the United States by Kenneth T. Jackson. Our landscape has changed in the last 50 years; this book explains one of the many important changes Divided Highways: Building the Interstate Highways, Transforming American Life by Tom Lewis. The Interstate Highway System is one of the lasting legacies of the Eisenhower era Edge City: Life on the New Frontier by Joel Garreau. Garreau has a novel and eye-opening way of looking at our landscapes and our lives Rediscovering Geography by The National Research Council. Getting back to basics Ten Geographic Ideas That Changed the World by Susan Hanson. Marvelous reading; adds dimension and depth to our understanding of geography