When I was a child, one of my favorite books was my mother’s autographed copy of The Useful Dragon of Sam Ling Toy, by Glen Dines. Set in San Francisco, the story tells of a laundry man who discovers what he thinks is a lizard. But as the lizard grows into a dragon, he finds that his new pet has many uses. The fantastical story certainly caught my attention, but it was also the San Francisco setting that kept the book high on my list. Growing up only 30 minutes away, I already thought the city was magical—and reading about a lizard turning into a dragon only proved me right.

Unfortunately, the book is now out of print (it was published in 1956), but that shouldn’t stop you from finding some fun books for kids set in San Francisco. Here’s a short list to start with:

This Is San Francisco (Universe Publishing, 2003), $17.95. Written by Miroslav Sasek.

Originally published in 1962, this book was reissued in 2003. I remember reading this one as a child also. It takes the reader on a cable car through Golden Gate Park, Chinatown, Union Square, Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf and more. I don’t care how old it is—the story and illustrations are still wonderful.

Maybelle the Cable Car (Houghton Mifflin, 1997), $16.00. Written by Virginia Lee Burton.

Another oldie but goodie, this book tells the story of the city of San Francisco’s efforts to keep their beloved cable cars running. Illustrations show locations of cable car grips and levers, for kids into the mechanics of things.

Journey Around San Francisco From A to Z (Commonwealth Editions, 2003), $17.95. Written by Martha Day Zschock.

This book is more than just an alphabet book. It also provides a wealth of information about San Francisco locations, interesting to older kids as well as adults. A pelican (sometimes in disguise) serves as your guide—which is especially appropriate on the “Isolated Alcatraz” page, since the island was named after pelicans.

Earthquake in the Early Morning (Random House Books for Young Readers, 2001), $3.99. Written by Mary Pope Osborne.

Here’s one for the older kids—an adventure that teaches a little about the history of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. It’s part of the Magic Tree House series, so if you or your child is a stickler for order, you might want to start at the beginning, before jumping to this one—number 24.