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Books That Take You There: National Parks

By Suzanne
In 1872, Congress established Yellowstone as the first national park in the United States. A little while later, in 1917, the National Park Service was created to maintain public lands and protect them for future generations. Now, there are 63 national parks in 30 states! Do you know how many of them are in Utah? Five! Their names are Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion. Here are five books to inspire you to get out into nature this summer and maybe find your way to a national park this year for a truly spectacular time.

The National Parks Scavenger Hunt 
By Stacey Tornio
Portland, OR: Timber Press, 2023. Informational. 235 pages.

Who doesn't love a good scavenger hunt? Well, Stacey Tornio has made the national park trip even more engaging by creating a scavenger hunt for each of the 63 parks! On my trip to Bryce Canyon last week, I got 2 points for spotting a Uinta chipmunk, 2 points for visiting Bryce Amphitheater, and 1 point for getting up close to a Hoodoo. I only missed out on seeing the endangered Utah prairie dog (2 points) and the Western kingbird (2 points). This game is sure to please.

Yosemite National Park
By Christina Leaf
Minneapolis: Bellwether Media, 2023. Informational. 32 pages.

This exciting book on Yosemite is part of the Blastoff! Discovery series featuring 8 national parks. This is a bright and colorful introduction to the land, plants, wildlife, and history of the park. There is information about the most popular sites to visit as well as ways to protect the park. With this book, young readers will enjoy knowing what to anticipate before a trip. 

Illustrated by Martin Stanev
London: Magic Cat Publishing, 2024. Informational. 91 pages. 

This gorgeous book is just what you need to get excited about adventuring in remote places! It teaches new hikers about unique features of several national parks with charming full-spread illustrations. It also covers many topics like the philosophy called Leave No Trace aimed at minimizing the impact of human activities on the environment and various camping preparation tips and tricks. 

National Monuments of the U.S.A
Written by Cameron Walker
Illustrated by Chris Turnham
Beverly, MA: Wide Eyed Editions, 2023. Informational. 105 pages.

As you plan out your national park trip, this book will come in handy. It highlights other outstanding places that might be close to your planned park and worth visiting while you're in the area. There is a good mix of venues in nature and manmade inventions and creations. You might find so many cool things that you have to plan more trips!

I Am Made of Mountains
Written by Alexandra Hinrichs
Illustrated by Vivian Mineker
Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2023. Picture Book.

This calming picture book features a rhyming couplet and a brilliantly illustrated scene depicting one of the national parks on each 2-page spread. The gentle poetry seeks to develop ideas that connect people with the landscapes around us. For example, the "sleepy promises" of sunrise and "volcano rumble" of Haleakala National Park, Hawaii could also allude to the diversity of emotions we, humans, carry with us. The point being that finding connection to nature is a practice that will sustain us all.
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