Children's books and activities
Detectives and Explorers
Do you know any young sleuths, adventure-seekers, or explorers? We've gathered up a great collection of books, activities, apps, and websites for learning all about detectives and explorers.
Try pairing fiction with nonfiction books and exploring different genres (like poetry and biographies) and formats (like graphic novels and audio books). You'll be creating your own "text sets" — collections of texts focused on a specific topic, such as detectives and explorers. Reading widely in this way helps children build background knowledge, vocabulary, and comprehension skills.
You might also want to explore DIY Science Camp: Archaeology.

Great Fiction & Nonfiction Books
Age Level: 3-6 years old


When the lower case x from Charley's alphabet disappears, the other letters set off to find him. Young readers become detectives on the quest to find the lower case letters and will rejoice when little x finds a way to rescue his rescuers from becoming alphabet soup.
Alphabet Mystery
Age Level: 3-6 years old

Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do
Age Level: 3-6 years old

One day when Sally and her friends are playing, they notice that her dog and cat are missing. The children use map skills to explore their neighborhood and beyond to locate Sally's pets. Information and fun combine in this easy informational book.
Follow That Map! A First Look at Mapping Skills
Age Level: 3-6 years old

I Spy Mystery: A Book of Picture Riddles
Age Level: 3-6 years old

The chase is on when Polo's book is stolen by a small alien. Polo, an engaging hound, pulls an amazing assortment of aids from his backpack, all leading to a satisfying conclusion. Colorful art placed in comic strip format is supported on large pages in Polo's second adventure.
Polo: The Runaway Book
Age Level: 3-6 years old

A golden retriever with a "smart nose" is doing his job: tracking down a young child lost in the woods. The dog's narration is gentle with the child he's tracking seen in the dog's thought bubbles. Additional "dog nose facts" and advice for teachers and parents are presented after the child and parents are reunited.
When You Wander: A Search-and-Rescue Dog Story
Age Level: 3-6 years old

Why?
Age Level: 3-6 years old

Young Cam Jansen and the Lost Tooth
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Age Level: 6-9 years old


Private I tries to assuage 6 who just knows that 7 is coming to get him! Why? Because 7 8 9, of course! Wordplay and over-the-top humor make this satire of old detective stories sophisticated. Told with tongue in cheek language and colorful illustrations, this is a very funny tale.
7 Ate 9
Age Level: 6-9 years old

When Jack and Annie don the magic baseball hats given to them by Morgan, they find themselves back in 1947 as batboys. There they learn a lot about the game, a player named Jackie Robinson, and how history was made.
A Big Day for Baseball
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Ace Lacewing: Bug Detective
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Archaeologists on a dig work very much like detectives at a crime scene. Every chipped rock, charred seed, or fossilized bone could be a clue to how people lived in the past. In this information-packed Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science book, Kate Duke explains what scientists are looking for, how they find it, and what their finds reveal.
Archaeologists Dig for Clues
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Follow three long ago adventurers who traveled around the world by bike, by herself, and on a sloop. The graphic novel format brings their adventures to life.
Around the World: Three Remarkable Journeys
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Who is Baby Monkey? Well, he’s a baby and a monkey but one with a job: he’s a Private Eye! Readers will solve the mysteries with Baby Monkey as they carefully examine signature monochromatic sketches interspersed with narrative. The format is wholly original as is the humor and art. (For the less keen-eyed, a key to the visuals is included.)
Baby Monkey, Private Eye
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Barnum's Bones: How Barnum Brown Discovered the Most Famous Dinosaur in the World
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Jack leaves the comfort of his aunt's Boston home lured west by the California Gold Rush. Accompanied by his aunt's British butler, Praiseworthy and Jack find not just riches to save his aunt but lots of memorable characters and lots of adventure.
By the Great Horn Spoon!
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Cam (short for "Camera") uses her photographic memory to help solve the theft of the cans and bottles to be recycled to earn money for her school. This installment in the gentle mystery series features a particularly timely topic.
Cam Jansen and the Green School Mystery
Age Level: 6-9 years old

As mysterious things happen in and around their Chicago school, Petra and Calder use their knowledge of the painter Vermeer, their intuition, and their problem solving skills to retrieve a stolen painting. The book's Illustrations contain clues that are revealed only upon close (and multiple) examinations. This quirky mystery is sure to please fans of E.L. Konigsburg's From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.
Chasing Vermeer
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Chet Gecko is a sassy, wisecracking fourth-grade detective. Along with Natalie Attired, his mockingbird sidekick, he solves the many mysteries that plague Emerson Hicky Elementary. Each pun-filled novel introduces new silliness to this Sam Spade-esque series.
Chet Gecko, Private Eye Series
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Dare the Wind: The Record-breaking Voyage of Eleanor Prentiss and the Flying Cloud
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Detective LaRue: Letters from the Investigation
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Boy detective Encyclopedia Brown is the fifth-grade mastermind behind Idaville's police force, "a complete library walking around in sneakers." Each book is set up so that readers can try to solve the case along with the boy genius, and the answers to all the mysteries are found in the back.
Encyclopedia Brown Series
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Flotsam
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Gold in the Hills: A Tale of the Klondike Gold Rush
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Offley is a vibrant street where a delightful white mouse named Hermelin lives and narrates his story. Using an old manual typewriter, Hermelin shares how he solves mysteries and even saves a baby – and ultimately finds a human friend and partner. Humor abounds in the clever illustration and narrative in Hermelin’s appealing saga.
Hermelin the Detective Mouse
Age Level: 6-9 years old

The history of the Hatshepsut sphinx: from its carving in ancient Egypt to its arrival in the hallowed halls of New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Readers will meet art movers, curators, conservators, riggers, registrars, retouchers, and more in this lively picture book for young Egyptologists.
How the Sphinx Got to the Museum
Age Level: 6-9 years old

As the sky grays and the leaves swirl by in a "green blizzard," two young boys and their parents share a cozy supper by the fireplace. The next morning, the boys discover that a big elm tree now lies stretched across their neighbor's yard. The old tree becomes the vehicle that whisks the pair to adventure, as they explore exotic jungles, confront pirates on the high seas, and travel to the stars.
Hurricane
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Julian narrates the story of how he, his little brother Huey and best friend Gloria become "crimebusters", save a dog named Crumbles, meet the Food Wizard and more. Enjoy the mysterious and silly adventures of three unlikely heroes as they solve everyday problems.
Julian, Secret Agent
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Matthew Henson, the African American who accompanied Robert Peary on an expedition to the North Pole in the early 20th century, required both stamina and bravery. The man and his times are introduced here.
Keep On! The Story of Matthew Henson
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Kayla is a human girl who solves mysteries with a bit of help from her dog, King. Together they figure out who has sent Kayla and her friend, Mason, the same anonymous coded letter. King may use his nose to help solve the mystery, but it is Kayla and Mason who break the code! A likeable new series for newly independent reader is accompanied by cheery illustrations.
King & Kayla and the Case of the Secret Code
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Three pairs of siblings, sent to a summer camp that helps brothers and sisters get along, must unite to overcome an adversary at Camp Happy Harmony. The mystery unfolds through letters, memos, Post-It notes and delightful illustrations in this offbeat story with puzzle-like appeal.
Letters from Camp: A Mystery
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Melonhead and his friend Sam go undercover thinking that they have identified a notorious fugitive sought by the FBI in this contemporary and funny adventure.
Melonhead and the Undercover Operation
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Author/illustrator and self-taught naturalist Jim Arnosky introduces mysteries that surround unknown animals: "cryptozoology." Dramatic illustrations combine with an informative, engaging text to present a range of land and water creatures, starting with ocean giants, sharks, and squids.
Monster Hunt: Exploring Mysterious Creatures
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Relive the journey of the Apollo 11 where the first people stepped on the moon's surface and saw Earth from a very different perspective. Eloquent language and illustrations combine to present this historical event in a unique, unforgettable way.
Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Mrs. Harkness and the Panda
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Meet Nate the Great, the neighborhood detective. He's just finishing up breakfast (pancakes, of course) when his friend Annie calls, asking his help to find a missing painting. Can Nate's keen powers of observation and deductive reasoning save the day?
Nate the Great
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Patterns in Peru: An Adventure in Patterning
Age Level: 6-9 years old

In 1802, when Champollion was eleven years old, he vowed to be the first person to read Egypt's ancient hieroglyphs. He faced great challenges over the next twenty years as he searched for the elusive key to the mysterious writing.
Seeker of Knowledge: The Man Who Deciphered Egyptian Hieroglyphs
Age Level: 6-9 years old

A bilingual picture book biography of Peruvian archaeologist and national icon Julio C. Tello, who unearthed Peru's ancient cultures and fostered pride in the country's Indigenous history.
Sharuko: El Arqueólogo Peruano Julio C. Tello / Peruvian Archaeologist Julio C. Tello
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Super Sniffers: Dog Detectives On the Job
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny used to live alone in a boxcar. Now they have a home with heir grandfather and are spending a vacation traveling down the river on a houseboat. Throughout their journey, the Boxcar Children have the feeling they're being watched. Little do they know, someone is looking for something on their houseboat — and he'll stop at nothing until he gets it.
The Boxcar Children: Houseboat Mystery
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Bees have been around for over 65 million years but have been in decline since early in the 21st century. This scientific mystery is better appreciated with a clearer understanding of the importance of these flying insects to humans. Mystery and background information are presented in handsome photographs and lucid text. Suggested activities are doable as is finding out more from recommended resources.
The Buzz on Bees: Why Are They Disappearing?
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Mike and Kate are back to solve a new mystery. This one is in the Nation’s Capital, where the brother of the president plays baseball for the Nationals. And someone is snitching the team’s equipment. The popular series presents another temperate mystery especially for baseball fans.
The Capital Catch (Ballpark Mysteries)
Age Level: 6-9 years old

This interactive guide takes you on a room-by-room tour of a natural history museum.You can open the specimen drawer filled with fossils, look at specimen slides through the microscope, and try these interactive features: a pop-up fossil finds map, a dinosaur time line, and a sliding chart that allows you to compare the size of dinosaurs with modern animals.
The Dinosaur Museum
Age Level: 6-9 years old

GW, the hamster enjoys his evenings with his animal friends and is even beginning to like the second graders with whom he shares the room during the day. It is up to GW and his friends save the art show from the dastardly plot of mouse Harriet and her minions in this amusing, short graphic novel. A new story in the Pets on the Loose series.
The Great Art Caper
Age Level: 6-9 years old

The Museum Book: A Guide to Strange and Wonderful Collections
Age Level: 6-9 years old

While looking for gold, four French boys accidentally discovered what was to be considered the best preserved and most famous prehistoric art. How the Lascaux cave was found is presented here in rich watercolors and stimulating text. The author's note provides additional information as well as a photograph of the discoverers.
The Secret Cave: Discovering Lascaux
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Sophisticated young scientists will enjoy dipping in and out of this funny but edifying compendium of science. Topics range from paleontology to astronomy with lots of ways to get involved (some requiring adult help). The comic format and brief information are appealing and sure to amaze and engage.
The Stunning Science of Everything: Science with the Squishy Bits Left In
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Friends and amateur detectives Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose set out to help their friend whose money for a new dinosaur museum has been stolen. Who could have gotten into the life-sized Tyrone the Tyrannosaurus and why?
The Talking T. Rex (An A to Z Mystery)
Age Level: 6-9 years old

Exploring its history, geography, climate, and culture, this unique book takes readers on the ultimate adventure of climbing Mount Everest.
The Top of the World: Climbing Mount Everest
Age Level: 6-9 years old

The Wrigley Riddle
Age Level: 6-9 years old

What Darwin Saw: The Journey that Changed the World
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Age Level: 9-12 years old


This activity book features 25 projects such as building a screen for sifting dirt at a dig, tracking soil age by color, counting tree rings to date a find, fashioning a stone-age tool, and “reading” objects excavated in your own backyard. Learn about human history and the science that brings it back to life.
Archaeology for Kids
Age Level: 9-12 years old

In this graphic novel, learn all about the history of paleontology! This fascinating look at dinosaur science covers the last 150 years of dinosaur hunting, and illuminates how our ideas about dinosaurs have changed, and continue to change.
Dinosaurs: Fossils and Feathers (Science Comics Series)
Age Level: 9-12 years old

From the ancient astronomers to the latest ideas about building a space elevator to make settlement possible on Mars. Warm-hued, fine-lined pictures use cutaways to show the inner workings of rockets, space suits, interstellar craft and an imagined settlement under the rosy soil of Mars.
Exploring Space: From Galileo to the Mars Rover and Beyond
Age Level: 9-12 years old

Noah's dad is sure that the owner of the Coral Queen casino boat is flushing raw sewage into the harbor — which has made taking a dip at the local beach like swimming in a toilet. He can't prove it though, and so he decides that sinking the boat will make an effective statement, and he ends up the local lock-up. Now Noah is determined to succeed where his dad failed. He will prove that the Coral Queen is dumping illegally ... somehow.
Flush
Age Level: 9-12 years old

Welcome to the museum! Discover a collection of curated objects on every page, accompanied by informative text. Each chapter features a different ancient civilization, from the Silla dynasty of Korea to Africa, South America, Polynesia, Greece, Rome, and Egypt — and cultures everywhere in between.
Historium: Welcome to the Museum
Age Level: 9-12 years old

A homing pigeon teams up with a parrot and their humans to investigate an animal crime spree in this action-packed, illustrated detective story
Homer on the Case
Age Level: 9-12 years old

The Lewis and Clark expedition was well-documented by the explorers themselves; their travels and revelations have been compressed and illustrated for a thorough, informative, and fully sourced look at this momentous journey.
How We Crossed the West: The Adventures of Lewis and Clark
Age Level: 9-12 years old

Matthew Henson, an African American explorer, accompanied Robert Peary to the North Pole where together they placed a flag. The courage and perseverance of this remarkable man is revealed through his voice and luminous illustrations.
I, Matthew Henson: Polar Explorer
Age Level: 9-12 years old

No matter how much is known, there's always more to learn. In a fascinating re-examination of Stonehenge and recent discoveries, readers are introduced to new interpretations and thinking.
If Stones Could Speak: Unlocking the Secrets of Stonehenge
Age Level: 9-12 years old

From "Houston, we've had a problem" to the final tense moments at Mission Control, Lost in Outer Space takes readers on the unbelievable journey of Apollo 13 and inside the minds of its famous and heroic astronauts.
Lost in Outer Space: The Incredible Journey of Apollo 13
Age Level: 9-12 years old

Mr. Chickee's Funny Money
Age Level: 9-12 years old

Max and his soil scientist parents live in a marsh where Max discovers mud’s special properties. He gains super powers to put things right – including a way to effectively deal with a bully.
Muddy Max: The Mystery of Marsh Creek
Age Level: 9-12 years old

Park Scientists: Gila Monsters, Geysers, and Grizzly Bears in America’s Own Backyard
Age Level: 9-12 years old

What do real pigeons do? They fight crime, of course! Meet the heroic pigeons secretly flying around chasing bad guys in this hilarious illustrated series.
Real Pigeons Fight Crime
Age Level: 9-12 years old

Twelve-year-old Ariana, a tomboy, and her ladylike cousin Laila, recently arrived from Afghanistan, do not get along. But they pull together to investigate the vandalization of her family’s store and a rival one.
Saving Kabul Corner
Age Level: 9-12 years old

Hopper dreads moving but dreads attending Stately Academy. Is it creepy beyond imagination; but once there, she and a new friend, Eni, learn how to solve the mystery using coding. Along the way, readers are introduced to binary coding in this first of a new graphic series.
Secret Coders
Age Level: 9-12 years old

Can the three friends — Eni, Hopper, and Josh — foil the dastardly principal to save the day? How can coding help? In this third installment of Secret Coders, information and adventure combine to create another exciting story.
Secret Coders: Secrets & Sequences
Age Level: 9-12 years old

Why was this amazing monument erected? How did our Stone-Age ancestors bring such massive stones to the site from so far away? How did they raise the enormous stones to their upright positions? What was Stonehenge used for, and who lived around the site?
Secrets of Stonehenge
Age Level: 9-12 years old

Peruvian archaeologist and national icon Julio C. Tello unearthed Peru's ancient cultures and fostered pride in the country's Indigenous history. Growing up in the late 1800s, Julio Tello, an Indigenous boy, spent time exploring the caves and burial grounds in the foothills of the Peruvian Andes. Nothing scared Julio, not even the ancient human skulls he found. His bravery earned him the boyhood nickname Sharuko, which means brave in Quechua, the language of the Native people of Peru.
Sharuko: Peruvian Archaeologist Julio C. Tello / El Arqueólogo Peruano Julio C. Tello
Age Level: 9-12 years old

Ancestral Puebloan people lived in the Mesa Verde region of Colorado for over a thousand years, then suddenly moved away around A.D. 1300. join this group of eighth-grade students as they go on the Ultimate Field Trip and search for answers to this ancient mystery. The students help archaeologists digging in the ruins for clues.
Stones, Bones, and Petroglyphs: Digging into Southwest Archaeology
Age Level: 9-12 years old

The first in the Accelerati Trilogy, 14-year old Nick, his younger brother and his father have moved from Tampa (FL) to a ramshackle Victorian house in Colorado Springs. Peculiar things happen when items from the attic are sold. Could they really be inventions from inventor Nicola Tesla? Intrigue with plenty of humor and likeable characters in a fast-pace will leave readers awaiting the next book.
Tesla’s Attic
Age Level: 9-12 years old

It is 1924, two years after the discovery of King Tut's tomb. Readers are invited to join a young boy, Will Hunt, as he and his family become part of an archaeological team led by world-famous Egyptologist Dr. George Reisner. Based on actual records of Reisner's history-making dig, Giza 7000X, this strikingly original picture book uses journal entries, funny postcards, and quirky cartoons to pull readers into an ancient unsolved mystery.
The 5,000-Year-Old Puzzle: Solving a Mystery of Ancient Egypt
Age Level: 9-12 years old

This book tells the greatest space robot adventure of all time through the eyes — and heart — of Steven Squyres, professor of astronomy at Cornell University and lead scientist on the mission. This suspenseful page-turner captures the hair-raising human emotions felt during the adventures with two tough rovers.
The Mighty Mars Rovers
Age Level: 9-12 years old
Hands-on Activities
Build on what you’re learning together through books with these family-friendly activities, experiments, and crafts.
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BBC Hands on History
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Start with a Book
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No Time for Flash Cards
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National Wildlife Federation
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Start with a Book
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Top Spy Secrets
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Florida Public Archaeology Network
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PBS Sci Girls
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Start with a Book
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PBS Parents
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Start with a Book
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Dad Can Do
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National Wildlife Federation
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Start with a Book
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Woodland Trust
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PBS KIDS
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Start with a Book
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Start with a Book
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The Flourishing Abode
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Rosie Research
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Pink Stripey Socks
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American Museum of Natural History Ology
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American Museum of Natural History Ology
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Start with a Book
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Family Tree Magazine
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SciShow Kids
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Exploratorium
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Discover the Forest
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Kiwi Company
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BBC Hands on History
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National Wildlife Federation
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Start with a Book
Summer Writing
Give kids a chance to flex their writing muscles all summer long. Try one of these prompts, selected from our writing contest archives and other literacy organizations.
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Amelia Earhart, 1937: The High and the Flighty (Time Warp Trio)
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Archaeology Field Journal
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Cinquain Poem About the Lunar Landscape
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daVinci 1503: Breaking the Codex (Time Warp Trio)
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Greek Vases Tell a Story
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Inspired by Music: Holst’s “The Planets”
Start with a Book
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Lewis and Clark, 1805 (Time Warp Trio)
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Old West, 1868: The Good, the Bad and the Goofy (Time Warp Trio)
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South Pole, 1911: Break an Egg (Time Warp Trio)
Great Websites for Kids
Dive deeper into topics of interest with these media-rich and interactive sites.
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Ancient Egypt
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Annie's Archaeology Laboratory
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Archaeology for Kids
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Archaeology: Clues from the Past
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Archaeology: Tools of the Trade
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Artifact of the Month
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Be a Martian: Help Map the Red Planet
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Birmingham Museum
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City of Materials
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Decode the Barcode
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Excavate!: Rome
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Go West Across America with Lewis & Clark
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Hands on History
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Historical Scene Investigation
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Inca Investigation
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KidSpy
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Mount Vernon Archaeology
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Mysteries of Catalhoyuk
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National Geographic Kids
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NOVA: Ancient Worlds
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Ocean Adventures: Whale Watcher
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Prehistoric Road Trip
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Telescopes from the Ground Up
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The Fin, Fur and Feather Bureau of Investigation
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The Great Dig at The British Museum
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The Oregon Trail
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Time Explorer at The British Museum
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Who Am I? A History Mystery
Great Podcasts for Kids
Listen and learn with these podcasts especially for kids. These podcasts are free and easy to listen to from any device via Apple Podcasts or Stitcher — or from Listen Notes, a podcast search engine.
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Can You Dig It
Wow in the World (NPR)
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How to Become an Astronaut
Tumble Science
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Lucy Wow
Go Kids Go
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Paleo Nerds
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The Birthday Cake Thief
Molly of Denali (PBS)
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The Explorer's Road Trip
Tumble Science Podcast
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Treasure Island 2020
Gen-Z Media/BYU Radio
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Underwater Dinosaurs and a Real Life Indiana Jones
Fun Kids Science Weekly
Educational Apps
Educational apps recommended by Common Sense Media and other trusted reviewers.
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Archaeologist: Ancient Egypt
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Archaeologist: Jurassic Life for Kids
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Britannica Kids: Ancient Egypt
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Britannica Kids: Ancient Rome
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Egyptian Hieroglyphics Decoder
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Expeditions
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Gem Miner: Dig Deeper
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Hidden Artifacts
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Journey Into the Deep
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Mayan Mysteries
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Paleontologist: Ice Age for Kids
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Solve the Outbreak
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The Oregon Trail
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The Pyramids
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More Themed Resources
Growing Readers Tip Sheets

Simple activities for parents and kids to do together to build reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. Read online or print the PDF.
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Meet the Author
Exploring the Galapagos. For her book on Darwin, writer Rosalyn Schanzer was able to travel to the Galapagos Islands and experience firsthand what Darwin saw: the volcanic landscape, the iguanas, the blue-footed booby, and the giant tortoises.
