People always think that the only trips I went on as a child were to Walt Disney World. The truth is that we did a lot more than that. We used to drive up and down the east coast to fun destinations. My mother always made sure that each trip had at least one education component. We went to places like:

• Fort McHenry – National Anthem written there
• Monticello – Estate of Thomas Jefferson
• Colonial Williamsburg
• Washington DC
• Mount Vernon – George Washington’s estate
• Philadelphia, PA – To see the Liberty Bell among other items

Memories of touring different states, cities, and historic areas were amazing. When I learned about them in school, they meant so much more to me. This is something I would love to do with our boys.

The other day NHL had a connect at home activity to do. Apparently, a story in their reading book had something to do about traveling in the United States. One of the items for home was to read The Scrambled States of America. We had already read that with NHL. For Chanukah, one year, he received that book by Laurie Keller, along with a puzzle. I recalled that I had purchased the follow up book from Scholastic and decided it would be a great substitution.

About The Scrambled States of America Talent Show:

From Laurie Keller’s website:

THOSE WACKY SCRAMBLED STATES ARE AT IT AGAIN! This time they’ve come together for a spectacular show featuring their many goofball talents.  But just when Indiana (the director) is about to call SHOWTIME!, Georgia gets a bad case of stage fright.  Will the show go on or will it be curtains?

In this sequel to The Scrambled States of America, young readers will get another dose of madcap adventure and silly antics while learning interesting facts about the states and geography.

The Scrambled States of America Talent Show – Written and Illustrated by Laurie Keller – First Scholastic printing 2009 (released in 2008 by Henry Holt and Co.) – ISBN 978-0-545-22108-5 – Ages 9-12 – 40 pages

Not only are there the two scrambled states books, there is also a puzzle w/book (we have this), Scrambled States of America Board Game, Card Game, and even a Scrambled States of America DVD. Here’s a preview of the DVD that I found:

What We Thought:

NHL loved this book. He laughed and learned with every page that we turned. The details within the text and chatter of the states is amazing. Even if you had not read the original Scrambled States of America you could easily pick this up and read it. Yes, it is a picture book and this is an amazing example of the power of this genre of books even with older children. The illustrations and facts that are packed into them will keep these items in your child’s head. Almost a week after reading the story, NHL keeps talking about going to see the Liberty Bell in Pennsylvania and laughing about Georgia’s state fright.

Here is a view inside the book:

Laurie Keller’s illustrations keep readers moving and wanting to learn more. If we had time, I can imagine sitting down to start a mini-research project on items that were intriguing to him.

As a parent and teacher, I adore this book. United States history, geography, and state facts are learned in an entertaining fashion. When Georgia goes to see Dr. Globe, he runs some tests. The x-ray shows her cities, and them they zoom out a bit to see counties. I could see this book being used as an introduction to items to include in a state report or more. I highly recommend this to use within a classroom setting, while homeschooling, or just as a fun book for a family read aloud. Laurie Keller even has a page on her website to use with this book. This includes a matching sheet, meet your state, unscramble storyline, word find, and teacher’s guide.

I know that we will be gifting this book for kids that we know in the future. No doubt we will also be reading other books by Laurie Keller this summer.

What have you read recently? Please be sure to link up to your Book Posts, and/or leave a comment below. Include something you read on your own, with a child or someone else. Tuesday Tales are all about spreading the love for books.

Disclosure: I purchased this book from a Scholastic Book order form that my son had sent home a while back. One widget within the review is for my Amazon Affiliate where I will receive a percentage of money for the sale of the books should you opt to buy the book mentioned.