Where in the World? Geography Books
A GPS app can tell you how to get from A to B, but atlases and other geography resources open up the world to you. Check out my collection of map books.
Maps have fascinated me since childhood. I recall lying prone on the living room floor to study our oversized Reader’s Digest atlas of 1963. I particularly enjoyed the solar system illustrations.
When we hosted Japanese students in our home, my dad would always drag out this atlas and ask them to point out where they lived.
I relished map assignments in school, labeling nations, states, cities, rivers, and mountains. However, learning all the African countries and their capitals in seventh-grade social studies proved to be a significant challenge.
My enjoyment of maps led me to collect several atlases and other geography resources over the years. Even outdated atlases have value from a historical perspective. A few of our geography games date to the Soviet Union era. Still, they provided my children with an understanding of the world.
Whether you are a homeschooler, an active parent, or simply a curious adult, one of my geography resources may intrigue you.
Modern Atlases
Children’s Reference Works
It’s a Big, Big World
When our son was very young, I picked up this giant board book atlas at Safeway (of all places!). Fun illustrations.
Children’s Illustrated Atlas of the United States
Each state has a two-page spread with a small map, timeline, and quick facts.
Young Person’s Atlas of the United States
Each state has a two-page spread with a small map, facts, and symbols.
Rand McNally Kids’ Road Atlas
In this activity book, each page offers a state road map with a fun puzzle.
Children’s Atlas of God’s World
Published by Masters Books, this volume features two-page spreads on 22 nations. These pages list information about the country, Christian history and heritage, cultural knowledge, world heritage sites, and maps with essential locations marked.
The Kid’s Book of Canada (1997)
Learn about our northern neighbor. Each Canadian province has four pages of facts, symbols, a simple map, and a timeline.
Atlas of the World
This thicker volume offers an overview of planet Earth, an introduction to each continent, and features a few nations on each continent with a focus on Europe and the Americas. Pictures, history, quick facts, and cultural information surround simple maps.
Children’s Illustrated World Atlas (1993)
Unlike the above books, this atlas offers more detailed maps with some facts and illustrations.
Search & Learn Around the World
This cartoon-style book lists items for a reader to hunt for on each two-page spread. Speech bubbles next to people and animals share most of the information.
The Eyewitness Atlas of the World
This Dorling Kindersley book mixes pictorial maps highlighting natural resources and industry with photographs accompanied by short paragraphs typical of a DK publication. It opens with a summary of the Earth, then provides chapters on each continent and spotlights some nations. Contains a glossary of terms and an extensive index.
Children’s Atlas of the Universe (1990)
Not an actual geography resource but an astronomical one—but still an atlas!
Student and Adult Reference Works
Comparative World Atlas (1986)
This book served as one of my Political Science textbooks in college. It provides a comparison of national resources, population data, and more.
Reader’s Digest Great World Atlas (1963)
My childhood atlas that I rescued from being donated to a thrift store.
Atlas of World Geography (Rand MacNally, 2006)
This atlas offers physical, political, and thematic maps. Topics include each continent's environment, economics, culture, and historical content.
The Explorer II World Atlas (1981)
I used this detailed atlas during my teen and college years.
Historical Atlases
The Kingfisher Atlas of the Ancient World
Pictorial maps from around the globe depicting ancient nations.
United States History Atlas
This slim atlas works well as a companion to an American history curriculum.
Historical Atlas of the 19th Century World 1783-1914
Historical Atlas of the 120h Century World 1900-1999
These two historical volumes contain informative articles in addition to maps.
Rand McNally’s Historical Atlas of the World (2011)
This atlas offers comparative maps on politics, economics, populations, environmental information, and more. It’s more like an almanac.
Concise Atlas of World History (2002), Oxford
Over an inch thick, this volume walks you through history from prehistoric times, the ancient world, the medieval world, the early modern era, and the age of revolution through the twentieth century. Encyclopedic articles and illustrations expand the informational maps.
National Geographic Historical Atlas of the United States
This volume reads more like an overview of US history with some maps and timelines included. Excellent as a supplement to a US history course.
The Atlas of Atlases: The Map Maker’s Vision of the World
I have yet to read this thrift-store find that contains beautiful reproductions of maps from the 15th century to those of more recent times.
Understanding Maps
Blackline Maps of World History (5000 BC to the Present) CD-ROM (2004)
I used this resource extensively to augment my children’s history lessons.
Uncle Josh’s Outline Maps CD-ROM
I used this resource frequently as well for student assignments. Unfortunately, the CD is no longer readable, but I have the files on my computer. You can’t check it out, but I recommend it. You can buy it online.
Geography from A to Z: A Picture Glossary
An easy-to-read picture book to introduce geographic and geological terms to young children.
A Map Is a Picture
This Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science book from 1962 offers timeless information about maps at an elementary level.
Bible Atlases
The Student Bible Atlas
I keep this magazine-sized booklet at my Bible study table to look up locations mentioned in my Bible readings.
Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps, and Time Lines
I found this gem at the Orange County (John Wayne), CA, airport. It contains a wealth of information in a concise format in addition to maps.
Bible Geography for Schools
Seeing the volume of information in this antique third-grade Lutheran textbook from 1899, one can easily recognize how much our education system has been dumbed down.
Poster Maps
I own a set of poster blackline maps from Geomatters. We used dry-erase markers to trace explorers, war battles, and the western expansion of the United States.
Geography Games
Take Off!: World Edition. Learn the names and locations of the world’s nations, including their capitals and flags, as you chart connecting flights across the globe (age 5 and up; 1987, Soviet Union era).
Borderline Card Games
Match nations by the borders they share. The game plays somewhat like Uno. (age 8 and up).
USA Edition
Europe/Middle East Edition
Africa Edition
10 Days Games
Travel by train, airplane, ship, or on foot to reach your destination in 10 days (ages 10 and up).
10 Days in Africa
10 Days in Asia
Geography Trivia Games
National Geographic Global Pursuit
This game has four sets of map cards: People & Places, Historic Happenings, People and Products, and Planet Earth. With these pentagonal cards, you build a world map. Plus, you use trivia cards to earn points. (1987, Soviet Union era).
Where in the USA is Carmen Sandiego? Mystery game (ages 8 and up).
Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Mystery game (ages 10 and up).
Geography Puzzles
Africa & the Middle East GeoPuzzle (ages 4 and up, 65 pieces, 17” x 17”)
Asia GeoPuzzle (ages 4 and up, 50 pieces, 19” x 16”)
United States floor puzzle (ages 4 and up, 51 pieces, 2’ x 3’)
Global Puzzle has 600 pieces, and the country pieces are shaped like the individual nations and surrounded by ocean pieces.
See my Academy Northwest post to learn how to incorporate map resources in a homeschool curriculum.