If you’re planning a family trip to Charleston you’ve come to the right place. Here I’ll discuss some of the best children’s books for Charleston, SC as part of my “best children’s books for a trip to…” series. If the Charleston portion is just a small part of a greater South Carolina trip, you’ll also want out check out children’s books set in South Carolina for more idea.
Charleston, South Carolina is one of my favorite town in the United States. It has that perfect combination of great weather (most of the time), awesome architecture, close proximity to the beach, and amazing food (all of the time).
If you’re planning a family trip there, you’ve picked an amazing place. I’m going to share some fun books to help get the kids excited about the trip and give some travel tips based off of our own travels to Charleston.
Board books for Charleston
You’ll often hear me say that “this board book makes a good souvenir and I was at a gift shop when the gift owner told me that a lot of customers collect this series on their travels”. That board book series is the popular Good Night Our World board book series that’s based on the popular Good Night Moon children’s book – and that gift shop was in Charleston.
So, my board book recommendations will obviously include that one. And to round it out, I’ll also have the Hello, Charleston book.
Charleston, SC Board Book – city introduction
Hello, Charleston!
by Martha Day Zschock
Introduce your kids to Charleston with this cute illustrated board book.
Charleston, SC Board Book for bedtime
Good Night Charleston
by Mark Jasper and illustrated by Cooper Kelly
What a fun way to learn about Charleston, with the famous style of Good Night Moon.
Kid’s books about learning about Charleston
Fun facts about Charleston, SC for kids
Charleston, SC: Cool Stuff Every Kid Should Know
It’s fun to prepare kids for a trip by learning fun facts about the destination. And parents will probably learn a thing or two, too.
Buy Charleston, SC: Cool Stuff Every Kid Should Know on Amazon.
Family Travel Guide for Charleston, SC
Hey Kids! Let’s Visit Charleston, South Carolina
by Teresa Mills
If you’re looking for things kids will enjoy on a trip to Charleston, get this book and read it with them to plan your itinerary.
Buy Hey Kids! Let’s Visit Charleston, South Carolina on Amazon.
Illustrated Book of Charleston, SC
Very Charleston
by Diana Hollingsworth Gessler
Ok. This one isn’t geared to kids at all. I actually bought this one for myself when I was in Charleston. I love the illustrations a lot. Like, a lot a lot.
Children’s stories set in Charleston, SC
The following books are tours of Charleston in book form. They’re also great for kids to think about what they might want to do what while there. Parents can also reference the places from the book during the trip. “Hey, that’s the Charleston City Market like we saw in the book!”
Charleston, SC Picture Book for Kids
Joseph’s Charleston Adventure
by Laura Jenkins Thompson
Visit Charleston’s famous sights with Joseph while he looks for his puppy.
Classic Story set in Charleston, NC
Rosebud Roams Charleston, a Child’s Clippity-Clop Guide to the City
by Sally Smith
This book has very limited availability. It uses illustrations to tell the story of the Rosebud discovering Charleston.
Buy Rosebud Roams Charleston, a Child’s Clippity-Clop Guide to the City on Amazon.
Children’s story set in Charleston, SC
Heyward the Horse Loves Charleston, Of Course
written and illustrated by Andrew Barton
Join Heyward the horse on a carriage ride, one of the very popular forms of Charleston transportation, through a tour of the city.
Do you have any books set in Charleston that you would add to this list? Let me know in the comments.
Tips for visiting Charleston, SC with kids
Before I leave you to find these books, I thought I’d recommend a few Charleston things that I love:
- Hotel Recommendation: Harbour View Inn – I can NOT say enough good things about this hotel. Amazing staff. Perfect location next to the water, the best ice cream shop in town is just a few doors down, a fun bookshop, and all of the good food. Exceptional service including things like a variety of drinks and snacks at check-in, cheese and cookie service.
- Downtown Charleston Culinary Tour – love a good food tour. And Charleston has the best food. No trip will ever be long enough, so might as well knock a few places out with one tour.
- Charleston City Sightseeing Bus Tour – It’s not the famous horses. While I did go on a horse tour once, I’ve also done the bus tour and I just feel better about encouraging people to go that route. Plus, in the summer, it’ll keep you cool. If you’re there in the winter like we were, it’ll keep you nice and warm.
- Charleston’s Alleys and Hidden Passages – On our ghost tour we learned a lot of interesting facts about this city. Not all kids can handle ghost tours, though, so this may be a great alternative. It gets you into all those fun nooks and crannies that the family won’t forget anytime soon.
- Scavenger Hunt – Kids love a scavenger hunt and they’ll love getting to know about Charleston via one. This three-hour tour takes them all around town and gets them more involved than they would be on another tour.
- Private Vacation Photo Session – Charleston is probably the most picturesque city in the United States. It’s gorgeous. A fun way to remember your trip is to use a local professional photographer who knows all the best spots to take your family portrait. This is so much better than vacation selfies.
- The benefit of world travel for kids
Do you want to join other like-minded families who are interested in learning about other cultures via books and travel? Join our Facebook Group. I approve new members daily. It’s still small but growing.
