• Kid’s Guide to D.C.
• Courtesy of Harcourt Children’s Books

A Kid’s Guide to Washington, D.C.

by Diane C. Clark, revised and updated by Miriam Chernick, illustrations and maps by Richard E. Brown. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2008; $14.00, For ages 6 and up.

Here’s a guide specifically written for kids. At last, you don’t have to plan every vacation activity by yourself. Let your kids do their own research and have a say in the family’s itinerary. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, well known for its line of children’s books, created an attractive large square format and remembered that kids of all ages are drawn to illustrations.

Pros

One neat feature is the Did You Know? sidebar, which highlights interesting or important trivia about each attraction. In addition, there are Test Yourself call-outs that provide a mini-quiz pertinent to the topic discussed. For instance, did you know two-dollar bills have not been printed since 1976 because they aren’t very popular? It might be fun to buy a few at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing’s gift shop. There’s also a page where kids can design their own postage stamp, and a What’s Wrong With This Picture game that teaches them what they’d find (or not find) in the Washington Navy Yard. 

In keeping with a children’s book, each section plays to a kid’s interest. While you may be looking logistically at how far the National Air and Space Museum is from that family-friendly lunch place, your kids will care only about how fast they can get there so they can taste the astronaut freeze-dried ice cream, squish their fingers through some Mars mud and find out just what a gyroscope does. 

The book does a stellar job of highlighting facts kids will devour, like that the famous dome on the top of the Capitol building weighs nine million pounds! Or how about an eerie one for older kids: See if they can find the discoloration on the marble stairs leading to the White House Press Gallery. This was where, in 1890, a congressman was shot to death by a newspaper reporter during an argument about some of his articles. Who said learning can’t be fun?

Kids will love the oversized displays of the 12-ton African bush elephant or the replica of the Tyrannosaurus rex in the National Museum of Natural History. For something living, check out the Orkin Insect Zoo, where the entire family can enjoy up-close-and-personal experiences with gigantic hissing cockroaches, tarantulas and leaf-cutting ants!

Cons

I looked hard to find something I didn’t like about this guide. Simply put, I came up empty.

Worth Buying?

Definitely. With enough puzzles, coloring pages, maps, quizzes, games and trivia to keep the kids entertained before, during and after your visit to D.C., not having this book along for the trip would be a crime. Just don’t forget to BYOC (bring your own crayons).