August is National American Adventures Month, and the celebration invites us to embark on a journey through the Americas' captivating landscapes, rich history, and cultural heritage.
American Adventures Month was initiated by Peter Kulkkula, an avid American adventurer, with the aim of promoting travel and exploration throughout the Americas. Kulkkula envisioned this month as an opportunity to encourage adventurers to explore not just the United States but all of North, South, and Central America.
The month-long holiday was celebrated for the first time in 1984 and later gained national recognition in 1986. However, it wasn’t until 2010 that travel agencies and businesses began to kickstart promotional campaigns featuring exclusive deals and packages tailored for American Adventures Month, boosting its popularity in society. Today, American Adventures Month is celebrated by communities all across the country! [1]
Adventure is a great way to spark creativity and curiosity. However, not all travel is done on foot. Through the pages of a book, you can journey to distant lands, uncover hidden treasures, and gain knowledge of different cultures. Whether tracing the footsteps of pioneers along the Oregon Trail, roaming through the natural wonders of the Amazon Rainforest, marveling at the mysterious Ancient Maya Ruins, or admiring Canada’s alluring Northern Lights, the adventures that await us across the Americas are as exciting as the stories we have released, waiting to be explored!
Gallopade invites you to join us in unlocking the wonders of the Americas and uncovering the stories that shape these nations' identities. [2]
This beloved series has won both Learning Magazine’s ‘Teacher's Choice Award for the Family’ and Creative Child Magazine’s ‘Preferred Choice Award.’ The collection contains 50+ different books from diverse locations, from land to sea to sky. The Mystery at Hilton Head Island, winner of IBPA’s Young Reader Fiction award, boats Mimi and her four grandchildren over to the low country to investigate the haunting of the Harbour Town lighthouse. One of the Real Kids - Real Places books even pulls readers into prehistoric times as they solve The Mystery of the Missing Dinosaurs.
With our Real Kids - Real Places collection, readers can journey across the United States to renowned historic landmarks and national parks, to museums, monuments, coastlines, canyons, and everything in between, all while learning about the country’s history and cracking mysteries! Each book features SAT words, educational facts, a built-in book club, and engaging activities. Every Carole Marsh Mystery has an Accelerated Reader quiz, a Lexile Level, and a Fountas & Pinnell guided reading level. Additionally, readers can log their travels using the Real Kids - Real Places Mystery Map Tracker. On the map, adventurers are able to track their journey to each of the featured Real Kids - Real Places sites across America by connecting each location's plane!
The collection includes a How to Write a Real Kids Real Places Mystery book, inviting students to create a mystery of their own! The DIY project includes lots of detailed writing tips as your teacher's guide, making it an excellent way to inspire students’ creativity and develop strong writing skills. For even more activities, browse our collection of free Real Kids – Real Places Teacher’s Guides to use as companions to each book in the series. These guides provide a deeper dive into the history and geography of the locations the books take place in, along with arts and crafts ideas, recipes, and more!
Speaking of dinosaurs, we can’t discuss American Adventurers without mentioning James Bone! James is 007 years old, licensed to dig, and a die-hard dino enthusiast. This eight-book series invites readers to join James Bone and his friends on secret missions to find fossils from around the globe to share at school. In each book, readers follow the adventures of James as he digs through a new assignment at a famous archaeological site. With the companionship of Pick, Shovel, and his faithful dog Diggy, they unearth not only fossils but also important lessons in cooperation and curiosity.
Whether on school field trips or traveling across America and the world, Carole Marsh never missed an opportunity to visit a natural history museum. She was always amazed by the enormous skeletons and replicas of the most famous dinosaurs. Carole also visited dig sites to observe how paleontologists search for, discover, and preserve fossils. Her passion for history and exploration, combined with her fascination with dinosaurs, inspired the creation of the series James Bone - 007 Years Old – Licensed to Dig, a dino-mite adventure for young readers!
Similar to Real Kids - Real Places, the action-packed Around the World Mysteries series isn't just a travel experience; it’s a learning adventure! Readers are roped into a global journey, solving mysteries and piecing together puzzles while also learning about the history, geography, and culture of each country they visit. Each book is filled with figurative language (idioms, personification, similes, and metaphors) alongside academic vocabulary and engaging dialogue. Additionally, rising action, cause-and-effect events, and other scenarios invite students to analyze the characters' points of view. All 19 books effectively align with Common Core State Standards and include a map, SAT words, an online glossary, and a built-in book club!
Carole Marsh’s Around the World Mysteries and Real Kids - Real Places books are cherished by both herself and her readers. Carole finds writing mysteries to be her favorite storytelling pursuit. Combine this with her love of travel and history, and that is how these stories come to life! Readers were hooked after her first mystery book, The Missing Head Mystery, was released. Carole then went on to write and publish more and more mysteries, incorporating her children into the books as characters and into the company as employees. Orders for books about all the different states started flooding in, and before Carole knew it, she and her family hit the road running for research. Literally! They traveled to Kansas, Georgia, Pennsylvania, California, Texas, Rhode Island, the list goes on. Carole Marsh is not only an author; she is an American adventurer!
Activities:
Another enjoyable resource besides reading for American Adventures Month, which also doesn't require travel, is diving into our activities about the Americas!
Explore the United States with Gallopade’s State Experience sets! Each state offers over 30 products, including educational books, activity sheets, decorative items, maps, timelines, games, and more. Purchase items individually or save by buying the complete set for your state!
Each state has its own coloring books unique to its places and people. These feature fun titles such as Colorful Colorado, Very Vermont, Marvelous Maine, and more! Kids can color around the United States from school, home, or on the road! More state coloring books include each state’s coloring and activity books and the My First Pocket Guide collection.
Along with the specific state coloring books, there are also coloring books for the United State’s National Parks! America’s National Parks Coloring and Activity Book takes readers to all of the 59 U.S. national parks with great games and fun facts. Find your favorite park and learn about each one as you color your way across the USA!
Additionally, the Native American Coloring Book is informative, imaginative, and enjoyable for all ages! Kids can creatively explore the important Native American history of the U.S. with illustrations featuring Great Basin tribes, Plateau tribes, Arctic tribes, and many more.
Students can also adventure around South and Central America through Hispanic Heritage activities! These engaging, kid-friendly educational books bring Hispanic history, culture, current events, and achievements to life. Children will enjoy the variety in this series, featuring activities in both English and Spanish.
All of these activities allow kids to creatively travel their way around the Americas while learning about new places, facts, and important figures!
Whether through the pages of a book, engaging activities, or thrilling mysteries, there's an adventure waiting for everyone. Our collections, from Real Kids - Real Places to James Bone - 007 Years Old - Licensed to Dig to Around the World Mysteries, provide endless opportunities for learning and fun. Kids can discover new destinations and find out new facts without leaving home! Embrace the spirit of adventure this August and beyond by diving into our educational and entertaining resources. Happy exploring!
Sources:
[1] “American Adventures Month 2024.” 2024, www.holidaycalendar.io/holiday/american-adventures-month. Accessed 23 July 2024.
[2] “American Adventures Month.” National Today, 29 Sept. 2021, nationaltoday.com/american-adventures-month/.
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