Ethan & Oliver Adventures — Educator Resources
Built for the road.
Designed for learning.
Faith-based, place-based road trip books that make history, geography, and science come alive — written for families and built for curious kids.
The Framework
Learning that happens outside the classroom
Each Ethan & Oliver book uses the PBED framework — drawn from military mission planning — to give kids a structure for experiencing the world with intention. Every stop has a purpose. Every night has a debrief.
By the Book
Standards alignment & learning details
Select a book to see its full educational profile — topics covered, standards alignment, and what’s inside.
Florida Beneath the Surface
Book 4 · 20-day route · Panhandle to the Florida Keys
Reading Level
Grade 4
Ages 8–10
Word Count
~47,000
4–5 hr read aloud
NPS Stops
19
Stampable locations
Subjects
6
Cross-curricular
Topics Covered
- Civil War history (Fort Pickens, Marianna)
- Space exploration & NASA
- Marine ecosystems & coral reefs
- Native American & Seminole history
- Slavery & Reconstruction (Kingsley Plantation)
- Florida springs & aquifer systems
- Sea turtle & wildlife conservation
- Florida’s role in national defense
State Symbols Featured
- Northern Mockingbird (state bird)
- Sabal Palm (state tree)
- Orange Blossom (state flower)
- American Alligator (state reptile)
- Manatee (state marine mammal)
- Zebra Longwing (state butterfly)
- Florida Panther (state animal)
- Loggerhead Sea Turtle
NPS & Landmark Stops
- Fort Barrancas & Fort Pickens (Gulf Islands NS)
- Florida Caverns State Park
- St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
- Ichetucknee & Silver Springs State Parks
- Blue Spring State Park
- Castillo de San Marcos & Fort Matanzas NM
- Canaveral National Seashore
- Kennedy Space Center
- Kingsley Plantation (Timucuan NS)
- The Ringling Museum · Vizcaya · Coral Castle
- John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
- Everglades & Biscayne National Parks
- Dry Tortugas National Park
Subjects Touched
- American History
- Geography & Earth Science
- Life Science & Ecology
- Civics & Government
- STEM / Space Science
- ELA — narrative nonfiction, notebooking
Florida 4th Grade Standards Alignment (SS.4)
This book supports Florida’s 4th Grade Social Studies Academic Standards across American History, Geography, and Economics strands. All alignment is descriptive — the book supplements and enriches these standards through narrative and place-based experience.
4th Grade Free! Every 4th grader receives free NPS admission all year through the Every Kid Outdoors program — covering 19 stampable stops in this book alone. Print your pass before you go.
Great Alabama Road Trip
Book 1 · 12-day route · Heart of Dixie
Reading Level
Grade 4
Ages 8–10
Word Count
~28,000
2.5–3 hr read aloud
NPS Stops
14
Stampable locations
Subjects
6
Cross-curricular
Topics Covered
- Civil Rights Movement (Selma, Birmingham)
- Space & STEM (NASA, rocket science)
- World War II (Tuskegee Airmen)
- Creek War & Native American history
- Military history (USS Alabama)
- Southern ecology & Longleaf Pine forest
- Education & perseverance (Booker T. Washington)
State Symbols Featured
- Northern Flicker (state bird)
- Camellia (state flower)
- Longleaf Pine (state tree)
- Black Bear (state mammal)
NPS & Landmark Stops
- U.S. Space & Rocket Center (Huntsville)
- Alabama Constitution Hall Historic Park
- Russell Cave National Monument
- Ave Maria Grotto
- Horseshoe Bend National Military Park
- Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site
- Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site
- 16th Street Baptist Church (Birmingham)
- Freedom Riders National Monument
- Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail
- Lowndes Interpretive Center
- Little River Canyon National Preserve
- Cheaha State Park (highest point in Alabama)
- USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park
Subjects Touched
- American History & Civil Rights
- Geography & State Studies
- Life Science & Ecology
- STEM / Space Science
- Civics & Social Justice
- ELA — narrative nonfiction, notebooking
Alabama 4th Grade Standards Alignment (2024 Course of Study — effective 2026–27)
Grade 4 theme: Alabama in American History and Government II: Colonies to 1900. This book supplements these standards through narrative and place-based experience.
4th Grade Free! Every 4th grader receives free NPS admission all year through the Every Kid Outdoors program. Print your pass before you go.
Georgia’s On Our Mind Road Trip
Book 2 · 12-day route · Peach State
Reading Level
Grade 4
Ages 8–10
Word Count
~25,000
~2.5 hr read aloud
NPS Stops
12
Stampable locations
Subjects
6
Cross-curricular
Topics Covered
- Civil War history (Chickamauga, Andersonville)
- Native American history (Creek, Cherokee, Trail of Tears)
- Mountain & swamp ecosystems
- Slavery & Reconstruction
- Coastal Georgia & the Golden Isles
- POW history (Andersonville)
- Faith & character
State Symbols Featured
- Brown Thrasher (state bird)
- Cherokee Rose (state flower)
- Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (state butterfly)
- Largemouth Bass (state fish)
NPS & Landmark Stops
- Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park
- Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
- Stone Mountain Park
- Chickamauga & Chattanooga NMP
- Brasstown Bald (highest point in Georgia)
- Red Top Mountain State Park
- Andersonville National Historic Site
- Georgia Veterans State Park
- Fort Frederica NM (St. Simons Island)
- Jekyll Island
- Cumberland Island National Seashore
- Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge
Subjects Touched
- American History & Civil War
- Geography & State Studies
- Life Science & Ecology
- Native American Studies
- Civics & Social Justice
- ELA — narrative nonfiction, notebooking
Georgia 4th Grade Standards Alignment (Standards of Excellence)
Grade 4 theme: United States History — Year 2: Revolution to Reconstruction. All four strands (history, geography, civics/government, economics) are integrated. This book supplements these standards through narrative and place-based experience.
4th Grade Free! Every 4th grader receives free NPS admission all year through the Every Kid Outdoors program. Print your pass before you go.
Mississippi Roads and River Tales
Book 3 · 13-day route · Magnolia State
Reading Level
Grade 4
Ages 8–10
Word Count
~24,000
~2.5 hr read aloud
NPS Stops
13
Stampable locations
Subjects
6
Cross-curricular
Topics Covered
- Delta Blues & American music history
- Civil War history (Vicksburg)
- Civil Rights Movement (Medgar Evers)
- Native American history (Natchez people)
- Slavery & the Forks of the Road
- Hurricane Katrina & Gulf Coast resilience
- River ecology & wetland conservation
- Endangered species (Mississippi Sandhill Crane)
State Symbols Featured
- Northern Mockingbird (state bird)
- Magnolia (state flower & state tree)
- Mississippi Sandhill Crane (endangered)
- American Alligator
NPS & Landmark Stops
- Natchez Trace Parkway (Southern Terminus)
- Grand Village of the Natchez Indians NHP
- William Johnson House NHP (Natchez)
- Natchez National Cemetery
- Vicksburg National Military Park
- Medgar Evers Home (Civil Rights landmark)
- Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR
- Gulf Islands National Seashore
- Delta Blues Museum (Clarksdale)
- GRAMMY Museum Mississippi
- Mynelle Gardens (Jackson)
- Elvis Presley Birthplace (Tupelo)
- Mount Locust Historic House (Natchez Trace)
Subjects Touched
- American History & Civil War
- Geography & State Studies
- Life Science & Conservation
- Music History & Cultural Studies
- Civics & Social Justice
- ELA — narrative nonfiction, notebooking
Mississippi 4th Grade Standards Alignment (MS CCRS 2022)
Grade 4 theme: Mississippi Studies and Regions — all strands including Civics, Economics, Civil Rights, Geography, and History. This book is one of the strongest state-level alignments in the series, touching nearly every standard in this grade.
4th Grade Free! Every 4th grader receives free NPS admission all year through the Every Kid Outdoors program. Print your pass before you go.
More Resources
Everything you need to get started