Quarantine Have You Missing Travel, Adventure and Friends? 8 Book Titles for Toddlers to Tweens

This Spring has been one unlike any other. With the world navigating a global pandemic, families are forced to stay home and it’s leaving many multi-tasking between careers, homeschooling and inside activities. Whether you have toddlers through tweens, we partnered with ZonderKidz to curate a list of books that allow for adventure, virtual travel, sports, teamwork and friendship, all while deepening the faith of your family. Head to your favorite reading spot in the house, and enjoy this collection.

A Kite for Moon (by Jane Yolen and her daughter Heidi Stemple)

“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” These are the words spoken by astronaut Neil Armstrong when he stepped on the moon for the first time. Many young boys are fascinated with space travel and the galaxy. The thought of blasting off to the moon is absolutely thrilling. In this beautifully illustrated picture book you’ll follow a little boy who journeys through life to achieve his dream of becoming an astronaut. Kids ages four through eight will be captivated and it allows for continued discussion as A Kite for Moon is dedicated to Armstorng as we celebrate more than 50 years since the first United States moon landing. Plus from astronomy vocabulary, to the types of moons, directions for making a kite, to designing a space capsule, be sure to check out the free curriculum that goes along with the book.

The Bible Explorer’s Guide (by Nancy Sanders)

Travel through Bible times by getting up close and personal with everyday life through photos, maps, and illustrations of the people, places, and buildings of the Bible. What did Noah’s Ark really look like? Who was David and whom did he fight? What would it look like if you lived in Jerusalem in the 1st century? There are one-thousand amazing facts and photos which really allow for you to immerse yourself in this early history.

Adventure Bible!

Diving deeper into the Bible, you can embark on a fun, exciting journey through God’s Word with the Adventure Bible! Getting your kids excited about the people, places and culture of the Bible is so important. Between the full color throughout, larger print, and jungle safari design, the text becomes even more engaging for kids. There are sections highlighting interesting facts, great verses to memorize, and hands-on activites to help apply biblical truths to your life. The color map is clutch as well as the special pages that teach how to pray too.

Piper and Mabel (by Melanie Shankle)

If you want to keep your virtual travel closer to home, check out this fun “tail” of two dogs who run away from doggy camp! The duo is shocked to discover they won’t be joining their people on the trip and decide to take matters into their own paws, resulting in one crazy journey. This funny picture book is perfect for younger kids, and especially those with pets! This too has a free activity kit that can be downloaded where you kids can decorate luggage tags, play games and even write their own Haiku!

Fearless Faith (by Melanie Shankle)

If your daughter is a tween, the same bestselling author of Piper and Mabel, Melanie Shankle created Fearless Faith with 100 devotions for girls. It’s an interactive book that encourages girls eight, and older, to answer questions, participate in fun activities, and be brave in their walk with God. Each day includes a brief Scripture verse, an encouraging message, and a corresponding activity or set of questions to frame the day’s takeaway in the real world. Readers will grow more confident in their faith, find ways to positively impact the world around them, and seek the beauty in everyday life.

One Big Heart (by Linsey Davis)

Making new friends is a lot harder while we are all under strict orders to stay at home, but once we can connect again let’s set our kids up so they are ready to celebrate all our likes and differences! From skin, hair, and eyes in a multitude of colors to different personalities and interests, God gave us all special traits and characteristics that make us uniquely ourselves. And we all have things in common too: like sharing fun and laughter on the playground, a sense of curiosity, big feelings, and so many other things that show how we are all more alike than we are different. The beautiful images will help your kiddos get excited about identifying commonalities in new friends. Plus from rhyming, to mapping your heart and dreaming big, you’ll definitely want the free curriculum and activity kit that go with One Big Heart.

Ten Little Eggs (Illustrated by Jess Mikhal)

We’re also spending a lot more time with our families. Ten Little Eggs celebrates the bond between a parent and child. With sweet and silly read-aloud rhymes and adorable illustrations, this book reminds readers that families come in all shapes and sizes, but what holds them together is love. Your children will enjoy turning the pages of this playful picture book to discover what unusual critters are inside each of the ten little eggs.

The Berenstain Bears The Trouble with Try Outs (by Stan and Jan Berenstain w/ Mike Berenstain)

There are a lot of missed expectations this Spring including the cancelling of sports. Many kids so look forward to try-outs and placement on teams from soccer to baseball, tennis to swimming and more. So The Berenstain Bears might just be the cubs needed to brighten your day as you follow Sister Bear through soccer try-outs. This book is perfect for early readers ages 6–10 as they graduate from following along with picture books to reading chapter books on their own. Plus we love that it teaches valuable life lessons about always believing in yourself and never underestimating the power of an underdog. Such a powerful message, especially during these uncertain times.