A Literary and Historical Day in Boston, MA

We were lucky enough to visit Boston with a local friend to act as tour guide who also happens to be a former 5th grade teacher with Boston field trip experience and a degree in History. These are a few books that we read in advance of our trip in order to make it more memorable, and the places where they came to life.

Make Way for Ducklings, by Robert McCloskey, for Toddlers through First Grade

Ok, so we actually forgot to look for this! But, we did read the book quite a few times before our trip. This is a charming picture book that has been popular since the 1940’s. The story is all about a pair of ducks who raise their ducklings on a lagoon in Boston Public Gardens.

Now, you can find the famous duckling statues by Nancy Schön in the northeast corner of the Public Gardens. (Make your way from the lake toward the corner of Beacon and Charles Streets, and you should pass them.)

The Trumpet of the Swan, by E.B. White, for Second to Fourth Grade

We loved this classic chapter book about Louis, the swan, who lacks a voice, but overcomes his disability and succeeds with the help of a trumpet. In one chapter of the book, Louis gets a job playing the trumpet in Boston while swimming along with the swan boats.

You can still take a swan boat ride in the Public Gardens, and it is still quite affordable, at less than $5 a ticket. Of course, we had to try this and enjoyed our boat ride in these iconic little vessels.

Johnny Tremain, by Esther Forbes, for Middle and High School Readers

I still loved this book as an adult. It is a coming-of-age story about a silversmith apprentice who takes part in the revolution (including involvement in the Boston Tea Party and carrying messages relevant to the earliest battles of the Revolutionary War) after an injury to his hand.

A great way to help this book (and this moment in history) come alive, is to visit the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum. It was a bit over the head of our Kindergartner, but the other kids enjoyed it. It was also a bit of a splurge, at around $35 a ticket ($26 for kids).

We felt it was worth it – the museum staff are talented, providing performances that educate and entertain, and engaging the audience in rebellion against the British (Huzzah!) – even in throwing some tea off of the ships after touring them.

“The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere,” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, for All Ages

I remember reading this poem as a child, and shared it with my own children prior to visiting Boston. It tells the story of Paul Revere’s daring ride to warn and rally the farmers of Boston that the British were on the attack.

If you walk Boston’s Freedom Trail, you can see Paul Revere’s final resting place as well as his home, and the Old North Church where the lantern was hung to signal to him that the British were coming by sea.

We did not walk the entire trail, but got to see several of the 17 historic sites along the trail, including Park Street Church, a still-active 1809 historic church which stood up for abolition and other important social reforms; the Massachusetts State House, with its brilliant golden dome; the Granary Burying Ground, where you can find not only Paul Revere’s headstone, but also John Hancock’s and Samuel Adams’; the site of Boston’s first public school (from 1635!); and the site of the Boston Massacre that fueled the rebellion against Great Britain.

All in all, it was a great day of exploring this very historic destination. The best part was spending time with a friend, but her knowledge in being our tour guide was the icing on the cake!