Mississippi River Books for Kids

The Mighty Mississippi by Marion Dane Bauer. Learn about the river and its role in U.S. history in this level 1 ready-to-read book. (Ages 4-6)

Houseboat Girl by Lois Lenski. The last thing 9-year-old Patsy wants to do is move to a houseboat on the Mississippi, but she and her brother and sisters learn to love the river. Wriwttn in the 1950s and based on real experiences. (Ages 8-12)

Discover America State by State series. Find out interesting things about states that border the Mississippi through pictures and the alphabet. Includes B is for Badger (Wisconsin) and P is for Pelican (Louisiana) and many more from Sleeping Bear Press. (Ages 6-8)

Bayou Magic by Jewell Parker Rhodes. City girl Maddy finds magic in her surroundings when she visits her Louisiana grandmère. (Ages 8-12)

The Haunted Cabin Mystery (Boxcar Children #20) by Gertrude Chandler Warner. The mystery solving Alden siblings visit Cap Lambert near Hannibal, Missouri. (Ages 7-10)

Minn of the Mississippi by Holling Clancy Holling. This is the story of Minn, a snapping turtle who travels all the way down the Mississippi, from Minnesota to the Gulf. A Newberry Medal honoree, it tells the history of the river in text and pictures. (Ages 10-12)

Where is the Mississippi River by Dina Anastasio; Ted Hammond illustrator. Part of the best selling Where is . . . series, this book tells about all kinds of people who have lived on the river and used it as a highway. It also has a cool fold-out map! (Ages 8-12)

Swift Rivers by Cornelia Meigs. Back in the pioneer days, 18-year-old Chris needs to earn some money to take care of his grandfather, so he decides to float some logs down the Mississippi from Minnesota to the lumber mills in St. Louis. (Ages 10 and up)

Who was Mark Twain by April Jones Prince; Nancy Harrison John O’Brien illustrators. The creator of Tom, Huck, and Becky had great adventures of his own. Read about him in this biography from the Who Was / Is . . .? series. (Ages 8-12)

Can You Canoe: A Mississippi River Adventure Album by the Okie Dokee Brothers. Not a book, but terrific storytelling in song form for the whole family. Audio CD or digital streaming.