In celebration of America250, my friend, fellow book lover, and homeschooling mom, Summer Smith, recently created a book list of American literature to read in 2026. She was on The New Mason Jar podcast today to talk about this list, and as I listened, I was inspired to create my own book list specifically for children’s and YA books from each of the 50 states. Summer’s list was very broad with many adult titles, and I wanted to narrow my focus to books appropriate for my own kids (ages 10 and 15.) It was harder than I expected!
Some states have a lot of great kid lit set in them, so I had many choices and tried to narrow it down to just two titles. For other states, I had a hard time finding books with a story specifically set in them, and I wanted to the setting to be at least somewhat prominent in the storyline. I also had to really hunt to find much information on the unfamiliar titles I did come up with, so sometimes I placed two unknowns on the list with a state just in case one of them is a flop. Of course, I have not personally read all the books on this list, and I can’t vouch for the content of every single title I have listed. I tried really hard to vet these books and picked as many older publishing dates and trusted authors as I could, but I am guessing there are still a few on this list that might not pass muster with everyone. With that caveat out of the way, I now present to you the “Reading Across the 50 States” booklist to celebrate America’s 250th birthday! (Click here for a free downloadable PDF of the entire list!)
Books from All 50 States:
Any book that I have read and/or come from a trusted source and can recommend as worthy reading will be marked with an asterisk(*). Some books that I specifically think would be best saved for older teens are marked with (YA). Rather than linking to each book individually on Amazon, I have created a Reading Across the 50 States list there with all the currently available titles on it. If a book is out of print, I have linked to it on archive.org.
Alabama: *The Story of My Life by Helen Keller / Tru and Nelle by G. Neri
Alaska: *Gentle Ben by Walt Morey / *Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George (YA)
Arizona: *Brighty of the Grand Canyon by Margeruite Henry / Waterless Mountain by Laura Adams Armer
Arkansas: The Legend of Bass Reeves by Gary Paulsen / Cotton in My Sack by Lois Lenski
California: *Blue Willow by Doris Gates / *Kildee House by Rutherford G. Montgomery
Colorado: *Little Britches by Ralph Moody / *The Wonderful Year by Nancy Barnes
Connecticut: *The Moffats by Eleanor Estes / *Winterbound by Margery Williams Bianco
Delaware: Hill Hawk Hattie by Clara Gillow Clark / Water Rat by Marnie Laird (YA)
Florida: *Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski / *The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Georgia: *Sounder by William H. Armstrong / *Tree Castle Island by Jean Craigshead George
Hawaii: Operation Happy by Jenni L. Walsh
Idaho: Kirsti by Helen Markley Miller / *Leepike Ridge by N. D. Wilson
Illinois: *Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt / *Fair Weather by Richard Peck
Indiana: *A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter (YA) / *The Bears of Blue River by Charles Major
Iowa: Little Heathens by Mildred Armstrong Kalish (YA) / Sparrow Hawk by Meridel Le Sueur
Kansas: *Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder / *Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith
Kentucky: *Tree of Freedom by Rebecca Caudill / A Long Row to Hoe by Billy C. Clark
Louisiana: Trumpeter’s Tale: The Story of Young Louis Armstrong by Jeanette Eaton
Maine: *Calico Bush by Rachel Field / *Stories from the Old Squire’s Farm by C. A. Stephens
Maryland: Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Patterson
Massachusetts: *Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes / *Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Michigan: Once on This Island by Gloria Whelan / Brothers of the Heart by Joan W. Blos
Minnesota: *Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater / *The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich
Mississippi: *Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Missouri: *The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Montana: The Blind Colt by Glen Rounds / Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson
Nebraska: Prairie Songs by Pam Conrad / Orphan Train Rider by Andrea Warner
Nevada: *Mustang, Wild Spirit of the West by Marguerite Henry
New Hampshire: *Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates / *Calico Captive by Elizabeth George Speare
New Jersey: Onion John by Joseph Krumgold / *Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank Gilbreth, Jr.
New Mexico: Sing Down the Moon by Scott O’Dell / …And Now Miguel by Joseph Krumgold
New York: *The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright / *Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
North Carolina: *Blue Ridge Billy by Lois Lenski / The Mandie Collection by Lois Gladys Leppard
North Dakota: Fly Away by Patricia MacLachlan
Ohio: *Homer Price by Robert McCloskey / *What Katy Did by Susan Coolidge
Oklahoma: *Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Oregon: *Moccasin Trail by Eloise Jarvis McGraw / Cranes in My Corral by Dayton O. Hyde
Pennsylvania: *Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen / *Bright April by Marguerite de Angeli
Rhode Island: The Art of Keeping Cool by Janet Taylor Lisle / Lone Journey: The Life of Roger Williams by Jeanette Eaton
South Carolina: The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA by Brenda Woods
South Dakota: *By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder / Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park
Tennessee: The Perilous Road by William O. Steele
Texas: *Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
Utah: The Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald
Vermont: *Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Virginia: *Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
Washington: Some King of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart / The Nickel-Plated Beauty by Patricia Beatty
West Virginia: *Shiloh by Phillis Reynolds Naylor / *Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam (YA)
Wisconsin: *Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink / *Rascal by Sterling North
Wyoming: *My Friend Flicka by Mary O’Hara
And that’s it! I hope you and your children find some new books and places to explore in story from this list. And if you know of some amazing book set in the state that you are from that I should have included on this list, please leave a comment! Until next time, happy reading, friends!
