In 1799, after Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte of France surprised everyone by selling a huge swathe of North America, called the Louisiana Purchase, to the newly minted U.S., third president Thomas Jefferson had a dilemma on his hands: Who would explore this new region? In Lewis & Clark, kids will read how Jefferson pinned his hopes on an old army buddy, Meriwether Lewis, who accepted this gargantuan task, hired his friend William Clark to help him, and put together the Corps of Discovery: a trusted, if rag-tag, team of adventurers who set out on May 14, 1804, to chart this great unknown.

And so set forth Lewis & Clark. For kids who play sports, their journey, which required incredible leadership and teamwork, will probably feel very familiar. Each person in the Corps had a particular talent or skill that ensured that the band succeeded in traveling from St. Louis to the Oregon coast – and back again – without losing a life until the very end. Along the way, they encountered Native American tribes and documented every new species of plant and animal that they came across. As kids will learn here, nothing better symbolizes the American spirit of exploration than the expedition of Lewis & Clark. For kids inspired by their journey, a list of tips at the end on how to keep an explorer’s notebook is sure to prove popular.