Read-Aloud Revival ®

RAR #259: Books Take You Places

Read-Aloud Revival ®

Show Notes

Have you ever read a book and felt like you’d actually been to that place?

Me too. Once, while standing in line at an amusement park, I met a couple who told me they were visiting from Maine. And I almost said, “Oh, I was just in Maine!” Except I’ve never actually been to Maine. I had just read a book that was set in Maine, and it was so immersive, it felt like I’d been there.

That’s the power of books. They take you places.

Books help us experience different narratives and cultures from all over the world and throughout history. They give us a taste of places and people we might not otherwise encounter. Reading books can enhance our real travel experiences, too.

Today, I’ve invited RAR Premium Coordinator Leilani Curtis to join me to talk about how books take us places. Plus, we’ll share a very fun new booklist we’ve created and plans for a whole new series of lists that will be coming up!

In this episode, you’ll hear: How stories help us forge connections to places Our perspective about the way reading can inspire family adventures, big and small Tips for tailoring travel reading around your child’s interests and your destination

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read-Aloud Revival Waxwing Books Subscribe to the Newsletter Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/books-take-you-places

More from Read-Aloud Revival ®

Oct 15, 2026

Today, I am over the moon to welcome one of my very favorite guests back to the show. She’s been on the show and visited us in RAR Premium several times over the years and I always love our conversations.

Oct 1, 2026

There is a type of children’s book that we haven’t talked much about here in twelve years of Read-Aloud Revival. But it’s one that almost anyone who has spent time with babies knows well: board books. Board books are how so many of our kids meet stories and books for the first time. They’re often the first books babies and littles are able to really get their hands (and mouths!) on, and experience touching the pictures and turning the pages for themselves. So today, we’re going to do a bit of a deep dive on board books, and I couldn’t think of a better person to join me for this than bestselling author and illustrator Tabitha Paige. Tabitha is a speech language pathologist as well as a creator of absolutely stunning board books, and in this episode she shares all about what they can do for our littlest readers as well as what to look for when choosing board books. In this episode, you’ll hear: How board books create positive experiences that make kids want to come back to books again and again Why realistic illustrations are an important tool for building vocabulary The way the multi-sensory experience of physically interacting with a board book enhances learning

Sep 17, 2026

We all want our kids to be readers.

Sep 3, 2026

The heart of homeschooling is relationships. Building meaningful, lasting connections is the real secret sauce of reading aloud with your kids. Those connections are also built when you spend time in nature together. Sounds simple, right? Read books. Go outside. But it can also feel like yet another thing to add to your already packed to-do list. How do we make time in our already full days to get outside with our kids? We’ve got an absolute treat for you today on the show. Ginny Yurich, the founder of the global 1000 Hours Outside movement, is here to talk about how families can bring the transformative power of nature into their everyday lives. She candidly shares her journey from indoorsy kid to overwhelmed mama to the fall afternoon that planted the seed of 1000 Hours Outside. We also dig into the benefits of spending time in nature, and of course, practical strategies for spending more time outside. In this episode, you’ll hear: The lifelong physical, social, emotional, and academic benefits of spending time outside How accessible 1000 hours really is Practical ways to get more time outdoors, how to engage older kids, and why it doesn’t have to be that complicated

Aug 20, 2026

Over the past few months on the podcast, we’ve talked a lot about how reading aloud benefits kids academically, how it develops their resilience, empathy, and virtue, and even reduces physiological stress. Today on the show, we’re diving into the flip side of reading: writing.

See all episodes →