Summer Adventures

Beyond the Book:
Take Your Kids on a Literary Field Trip!

Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House
in Concord, Massachusetts

Have you ever read a book and wondered what inspired the author to write it?  

Or perhaps you have contemplated how you can help your young people learn more about writers and their work by going beyond the pages of the book to a place you can visit and experience. 

Inspiring literary heritage sites await you from coast to coast, from the California Salinas Valley and home of John Steinbeck to the home and gardens of the Alcott family in Concord, Massachusetts where Louisa May Alcott wrote and set her beloved book Little Women. 

You can discover the literary heritage sites in your own state by contacting the Library of Congress Center for the Book office.  Each state office sponsors programs and printed literary history maps that show the locations of literary cultural sites and points of interest. Some state offices even provide interactive literary maps online. Visit the Center for the Book State Affiliates page for a complete list of state Center for the Book offices and direct links to their websites.

For a list of museums and galleries that offer exhibits of children’s book art, refer to the NCBLA article A Literacy Field Trip. For more tips about connecting books to places, read the Reading Rockets article Day Trips for Book Lovers.