Life: America the Beautiful

The photographers of these beautiful landscape photographs created this Life coffee table book as a "photographic journey from coast to coast...and beyond."

They refer to the book as an invitation to entertain and inspire. 100 locations within the United States are explored in single and double page splendor in this oversized book.


I included this title in my tween collection as an essential part of the exploration of states, included in geography and US social studies standards during the tween years. If used strategically within states study, students can be inspired to do further research of these and other locations to develop their knowledge in United States geography, and further investigations of our 50 states of beauty.

Edited by Robert Sullivan
ISBN: 978-1-933821-15-3

101 places You Gotta See Before You're 12

This "Bucket List" book for  tweens is one of the hottest books in our 900 section! It is designed as an interactive scavenger hunt including stickers to use as a rating scale when checking off items from the lists within the book, ranking them "Top 20, Loved it, Yawn Fest, No Way, Awesome, Way Strange, Been There", etc. There's a map to help guide exploring and planning, and a note section to add additional ideas and comments. Also included are some websites and links to support the listed items with directories, organizations, and other resources.

Book circulation increases with additional Book Talks and discussions to stimulate uses for this book, as well as potential lessons/activities:

• Google Earth Trips...even better, develop tours based on choices selected individually to share with others
• Keep it local...Take it National...use with social studies units exploring city, state, and country.
• Take a virtual trip...if you can't actually go to a farm...is there a website with a virtual tour?
• When traveling with the family develop a game to play with the list to see if you can name a site that fits the list... name "a very big thing", "a peaceful place" then read what the book has to say about it.
• Make a personal list of the "10 Things I most want to see this year"...share with family
• Find your 10 favorite places using Google Earth and show your friends.

Sullivan, Joanne. 101 Places You Gotta See Before You're 12. New York: Lark Books, 2006.
ISBN: 978-1-60059-147-1