Welcome!

Enrich Your Travels with Longitude

We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.

SIGN UP FOR

Longitude News

Get our monthly e-mail update

GET A

Catalog

BEST OF 2011

Wild Coast

John Gimlette

SEE ALL >

FOR THE HOLIDAYS

To the Arctic

Florian Schultz

SEE ALL >

OUR FAVORITES

Arctic Dreams

Barry Lopez

SEE ALL >

GLOBES

The Pioneer

Replogle

SEE ALL >

ITALY

For Kids

Brava, Strega Nona!

Brava, Strega Nona!


by Matthew Reinhart | Robert Sabuda | Tomie dePaola

  • LITERATURE
  • 2008
  • HARD COVER
  • 12 PAGES
  • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)

The paper-folding duo turn their wizardry on Tomie dePaola's beloved Nona in this dazzling display of pull-tabs, panels and popup magic. (ITL987, $29.99)

Brave Donatella and the Jasmine Thief

Brave Donatella and the Jasmine Thief


by Caroline Mcalister

  • LITERATURE
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 32 PAGES
  • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)

In sixteenth-century Florence, Antonio and Donatella flee the wrath of Duke Cosimo de Medici, from whom Antonio has stolen a sprig of jasmine. They use the rare plant to make a fresh start together. Includes facts about the duke and Italian history. (ITA245, $16.95)

Carnival at Candlelight

Carnival at Candlelight


by Mary Pope Osborne

  • LITERATURE
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 105 PAGES
  • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)

Jack and Annie travel to 17th-century Venice to save the city from a disastrous flood in this Magic Tree House book for ages 8-10. (ITA63, $4.99)

Galileo's Leaning Tower Experiment, A Science Adventure


by Wendy MacDonald

  • SCIENCE
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 32 PAGES
  • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)

In this lively remaining of Galileo's Leaning Tower experiment, Wendy Macdonald and Paolo Rui show that anyone can be a scientist--all it takes is curiosity, determination, and a little imagination. (ITA65, $7.95)

Handstand Kids Italian Cookbook


by Yvette Garfield

  • FOOD
  • 2007
  • HARD COVER
  • 52 PAGES
  • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)

This fun, easy-to-use cookbook teaches budding chefs how to prepare garlic bread, spaghetti and meatballs while introducing them to the language and culture of Italy. (ITA66, $28.00)

Kids Italian Picture Dictionary

Kids Italian Picture Dictionary


by Inc. Berlitz International

  • LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 128 PAGES
  • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)

1,000 words central to a child's everyday life -- animals, flowers, people, colors, numbers and activities -- teach even the youngest readers Italian. Each word is illustrated and accompanied by a phonetic transcription and phrase. (ITL449, $12.95)

Michelangelo


by Diane Stanley

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)

A biography of the resaissance artist for kids. (ITA288, $6.99)

Pompeii, Lost & Found

Pompeii, Lost & Found


by Mary Pope Osborne

  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • 2006
  • HARD COVER
  • 40 PAGES
  • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)

Osborne offers young readers an enticing introduction to this fascinating city, long ago buried in the ash of Vesuvius. The main focus is on life in Pompeii before the volcano erupted, including the art, markets, architecture and entertainment. (ITL803, $16.95)

Starry Messenger, Galileo Galilei

Starry Messenger, Galileo Galilei


by Peter Sis

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 40 PAGES
  • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)

A beautifully illustrated homage to Galileo for children ages 6 to 8. In simple prose, Sis chronicles Galileo's life and evokes the Renaissance world. It's a memorable introduction to science and Italy. (ITL331, $7.99)

This Is Rome


by Miroslav Sasek

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2007
  • HARD COVER
  • 64 PAGES
  • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)

Sasek navigates Rome's busy, winding streets to show us visit well-known landmarks and the eccentricities of modern Roman life. A reprint of the classic, first published in 1960. (ITL822, $17.95)

This Is Venice


by Miroslav Sasek

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 60 PAGES
  • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)

A classic portrait of Venice for children, part of Savek's beloved and nostalgic children's travel series. First published in 1961, this facsimile edition of Sasek's charming original includes the same bright, stylized illustrations. Ideal for ages 4-8. (ITL627, $17.95)

Walt Disney's Pinocchio

Walt Disney's Pinocchio


by Steffi Fletcher

  • LITERATURE
  • 2002
  • HARD COVER
  • 24 PAGES
  • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)

The vintage illustrations in this Little Golden Book retelling will charm children and families alike -- a great companion to the beloved film. (ITA61, $3.99)

Ancient Rome Workbook

Ancient Rome Workbook


by Sue Nicholson

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 46 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

This colorful activity book (with stickers!), perfect for 8-10 year olds, presents the history, geography and culture of ancient Rome through fun activities, illustrations and fast facts. (ITA59, $9.99)

Ancient Rome, Cultural Atlas For Young People


by Mike Corbishley

  • HISTORY
  • 2007
  • HARD COVER
  • 96 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

Offers a wealth of lively information about the geography, society, religion, and politics of Ancient Rome. (ITL854, $35.00)

Bodies from the Ash, Ancient Pompeii

Bodies from the Ash, Ancient Pompeii


by James M. Deem

  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • 2005
  • HARD COVER
  • 50 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

Deem recreates the life and destruction of Pompeii on that terrible day in A.D. 79. Geared for ages 9-11, the book tells the story with evocative photographs of the city and its buried inhabitants and interviews with modern-day archaeologists. (ITL861, $17.00)

Cathedral, The Story of its Construction

Cathedral, The Story of its Construction


by David Macaulay

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1973
  • HARD COVER
  • 77 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

In this illuminating book for middle readers, master draughtsman MacAulay presents text and innovative drawings that detail the planning and construction of a 13th-century Gothic cathedral. It's a masterpiece. (EUR24, $18.00)

Eyewitness: Ancient Rome

Eyewitness: Ancient Rome


by Simon James | Nick Nichols

  • HISTORY
  • 2008
  • HARD COVER
  • 72 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

A visually rich survey of ancient Rome, this book in the excellent Eyewitness series explores daily life and history in the city and the outlying empire. (ITL337, $16.99)

Into The Volcano

Into The Volcano


by Donna O'Meara

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 56 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

O'Meara's lively, illustrated eyewitness accounts of adventures in volcanology include Arenal in Costa Rica, Kilauea in Hawaii and Stromboli off the coast of Italy. Geared for grades 5 to 8, this is a great introduction to volcanoes for the whole family. (GEO39, $9.95)

Italy


by Claire Throp

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 48 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

One in the illustrated and informative Countries Around the World series, geared for ages 8-11. (ITA277, $8.99)

Italy, Enchantment of the World


by Jean F. Blashfield

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2008
  • HARD COVER
  • 144 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

This illustrated, factual survey by Children's Press introduces youngsters ages 9-12 to the people, daily life, history and culture of Italy. Filled with drawings, maps and photographs, this primer has much to offer the entire family. (ITA44, $39.00)

Leonardo Da Vinci

Leonardo Da Vinci


by Kathleen Krull

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 124 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

Beginning with a vivid description of superstition and squalor in the Middle Ages, Krull sets Da Vinci's extraordinary life in the context of his extraordinary time. A volume in the Giants of Science series, geared for grades 4-8. (ITL705, $5.99)

Leonardo, Beautiful Dreamer


by Robert Byrd

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2003
  • HARD COVER
  • 40 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

An oversize, beautifully illustrated introduction to the life and work of Leonardo for 7-10 year olds. (ITL487, $17.99)

Michelangelo, The Renaisssance


by David Spence

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 31 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

Aimed at ages 10-13, this book explores the world, art and work of the famous artist and thinker. (ITA291, $6.95)

Midnight Magic

Midnight Magic


by Avi

  • LITERATURE
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

Newbery Medal-winner Avi conjures the architecture, costumes and fears of medieval Italy in this action-packed tale of a princess tormented by what seems to be a ghost. (ITA40, $6.99)

Rome Antics


by David Macaulay

  • HISTORY
  • 1997
  • HARD COVER
  • 80 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

The incomparable MacAulay depicts Rome, ancient and modern, in this illustrated book told from the point of view of a wayward pigeon. For readers of all ages. (ITL64, $18.00)

Spend the Day in Ancient Rome, Projects and Activities That Bring the Past to Life


by Linda Honan

  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 128 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

Subtitled Projects and Activities that Bring the Past to Life, this workbook zooms in on the life of a family in ancient Rome, presenting their diet, clothing and way of life through 30 hands-on activities. Geared for kids ages 8-12 (ITA60, $14.95)

The Diary of Melanie Martin: Or How I Survived Matt the Brat, Michelangelo, and the Leaning Tower of Pizza

The Diary of Melanie Martin: Or How I Survived Matt the Brat, Michelangelo, and the Leaning Tower of Pizza


by Carol Weston

  • LITERATURE
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 144 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

Ten-year-old Melanie tells all about her family's summer trip to Italy, writing it all down in her dear diary. A hit on the middle-school market, it packs in a lot of cultural information while being very of-the-moment. Ages 8-10. (ITL438, $5.50)

The Genius of Leonardo


by Guido Visconti

  • LITERATURE
  • 2000
  • HARD COVER
  • 40 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

A picture-book biography of the master's later years, integrating quotes from Leonardo's notebooks and his interactions with a fictional 10-year-old apprentice, whom the artist calls "a liar, a thief, and a greedy brute." Geared for ages 7-12. (ITL706, $16.99)

The Last Girls of Pompeii

The Last Girls of Pompeii


by Kathryn Lasky

  • LITERATURE
  • 2007
  • HARD COVER
  • 192 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

Intoxicated by Pompeii even as a child, Kathyrn Lasky sets her dramatic tale for ages 10 and up on the streets and byways of ancient Pompeii in the days just before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Though fictional, Lasky draws from her visit to Pompeii and the writings of Pliny and others to evoke the world of the two girls. (ITL819, $15.99)

The Roman Colosseum, A Wonders of the World Book


by Elizabeth Mann

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 48 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

One in the growing series of illustrated Wonders of the World, this book tells the story of the first stadium's construction and uses, highlighting both the ingenuity and cruelty that defined the Roman Empire. (ITL789, $9.95)

The Roman News

The Roman News


by Philip Steele | Andrew Langley

  • HISTORY
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 32 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

As accessible as your morning paper, The Roman News will give kids the unforgettable sense of actually being a citizen of an ancient nation. (ages 9-14) (ITL339, $9.99)

You Wouldn't Want to Be a Roman Gladiator!

You Wouldn't Want to Be a Roman Gladiator!


by John Malam | David Antram

  • HISTORY
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 32 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

One in a clever educational series, this amusingly illustrated book discloses the gory details of life in the Roman arena. (ITL340, $9.95)

Dante's Daughter

Dante's Daughter


by Kimberley Heuston

  • LITERATURE
  • 2003
  • HARD COVER
  • 302 PAGES
  • YOUNG ADULTS

In this richly drawn historical novel for young adults, the daughter of the famed poet must forge her own destiny in patriarchal 14th-century Florence, where her artistic talent and intelligence are often overlooked. (ITL708, $16.95)

Daughter of Venice

Daughter of Venice


by Donna Jo Napoli

  • LITERATURE
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 274 PAGES
  • YOUNG ADULTS

Prevented by Venetian custom from walking about her own native city, high-spirited Donata dresses herself as a boy and sets out to see the sights. Lots of period detail enlivens this young adult novel about life in 16th-century Venice. (ITL343, $6.50)

Fire in the Hills


by Donna Jo Napoli

  • LITERATURE
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 215 PAGES
  • YOUNG ADULTS

In this sequel to Stones in the Water, Roberto escapes the Nazi camp and joins a small band of resistance fighters back in Italy. (ITA43, $7.99)

Learn Italian Together


by Living Language

  • LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS
  • 2006
  • BOXED
  • FAMILY

These multimedia boxed sets feature CDs, games, stickers and adorable illustrations to help kids and parents pick up a new language together. (ITL761, $22.95)

Leonardo's Horse


by Hudson Talbott | Jean Fritz

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2001
  • HARD COVER
  • 40 PAGES
  • FAMILY

Crackerjack children's writer Jean Fritz here presents an intriguing dual biography: first, of Leonardo da Vinci, who labored for years on a giant bronze sculpture of a horse, never finished; and secondly, of Charlie Dent, an American who in 1977 vowed to complete what Leonardo began. (ITL344, $21.99)

Rome, A Fold-out History of the Ancient Civilization

Rome, A Fold-out History of the Ancient Civilization


by Leigh Grant

  • HISTORY
  • 2005
  • HARD COVER
  • FAMILY

This full color books folds out to reveal a foot-tall and four-foot-long 3-D portrait of ancient Rome. It's designed accordion style with detailed color panels and descriptive information on the reverse. (ITL674, $17.95)

 

Longitude provides recommended reading for travelers in partnership with the leading tour operators and travel programs for hundreds of destinations worldwide. We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.