This post is a free preview from the Loop Families Book Club Membership.

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Kid Favorites for Florida & the Keys

All December book links for Amazon are on our public December Books Page. Amazon doesn’t allow affiliate links behind paywalls, so this page stays open. Everything below is for members only.

If you’re cruising the Loop with little ones this month, you’re in for a treat! December brings warm weather, lots of wildlife sightings, and endless opportunities to turn the Florida coastline into a floating nature classroom.

Here are some of my favorite books for kids ages 3–12 that pair beautifully with life along the ICW and in the Keys.

Please share your book, movie, and activity ideas in the comments!

Picture Books

Find links for these books on the Florida & Keys Resource Page.

• Marjory Saves the Everglades
  • An excellent picture book about how Marjory Stoneman Douglas helped turn part of the Everglades into a National Park to protect the plants and animals.
• Manatee Winter
  • A gentle intro to conservation featuring one of Florida’s most beloved animals.
• Good Night, Florida Keys
  • A sweet geography-based bedtime book.

Chapter Books & Middle Grade

Find links for these books on the Florida & Keys Resource Page.

• Sharks Incorporated (4 book series)
  • Join three kids as they help Doc Ford (from Randy Wayne White's adult series) protect animals! Luke recently relocated to Sanibel Island from the Midwest, while sisters Maribel and Sabina arrived from Cuba only recently. Join them in the first book as they try to save sharks from poachers!
  • Recommended Readers:
    • ages 8 to 12 or
    • grades 3rd through 7th
• Turtle in Paradise
  • Set in Key West, this story is light, funny, and full of Keys charm.
  • Recommended Readers:
    • ages 9 to 11 or
    • grades 3rd through 7th
• Junonia
  • A slower, thoughtful read set on Sanibel Island.
  • Recommended Readers:
    • ages 8 to 11 or
    • grades 3rd through 7th
• The Sea Turtle Scientist
  • Nonfiction STEM that connects perfectly with Florida wildlife centers.
  • Recommended Readers:
    • ages 10 to 12 or
    • grades 5th through 7th
• The Boy and the Dolphin
  • A short, beautiful story that always sparks boat-kid conversations.
  • Recommended Readers:
    • ages 12 to 18

Activity Ideas: Sea Turtle Sketch + Visit a Rescue Center

If you’re anywhere near Marathon or Juno Beach, you can visit a turtle hospital.

Have kids sketch their favorite turtle and make up a short story about its “Loop Journey.”

Movie Tie-Ins:

Find links for these movies on the Florida & Keys Resource Page.

• Finding Nemo (reef science!) - Rated G

• The Rescuers Down Under (animal rescue, fun adventure) - Rated G