Are We There Yet? by Alison Lester is a book that chronicles the journey of a family around Australia. The book begins with a map of Australia and the route that the family took around the country. During the book, the family rides around the country in a camper. The family travels to many different places and at each place some of the geological features are explained. Each time they move to a different part of Australia it is represented on a small map of Australia on the top of the page. At each stop the youngest child asks “are we there yet?”
Curriculum Connections
This book is a way to look at map skills, as well as how geographic features affect clothing, shelter, etc. This matches to Virginia SOL’s 1.4 and 1.6.
Additional Resources
- Nullabor Travel Guide has a website with some pictures of the Head of the Bight as well as whale watching that is mentioned in the book.
- Penguin Publishing provides a number of lesson plans associated with Are We There Yet which touches on reading, science, and geography.
- The Melbourne Tourist website looks at the Twelve Apostles which is a scenic rock formation that the family visits in the book.
Book: Are We There Yet?
Author and Illustrator: Alison Lester
Publisher: Kane/Miller Book Publishers
Publication Date: January 2005
Pages: 32 pages
Grade Range: 1-3
ISBN-13: 978-1929132737