When planning your next weekend getaway, why not bring your child's favorite book to life? Visiting the home of Tom Sawyer in Hannibal, Mo., or Eloise's royal room in New York City can help make their adventures your own. Trisha Thompson of Wondertime magazine offers some trips you can take to inspire young readers in your family. 

New York City, N.Y.

“Eloise” by Kay Thompson — Plaza Hotel, NYC

Build your visit around lunch or tea at the Palm Court in the Plaza Hotel.

• Stay in one of The Plaza's hotel rooms, order room service and “charge it please.”
  
  
• Explore the Hilary Knight oil painting of Eloise on the ground floor of the Plaza.
  
  
• Ride the elevators a while.
  
  
• Wander into the Oak Room and see if you can snatch a “broken mint.”
  
  
• Visit FAO Schwarz for a shopping trip. Explore the Eloise section on the second floor — it’s full of Eloise everything!
  
  
• Hop into a horse-drawn carriage outside the front door for a ride through Central Park.
  

“Stuart Little” by E.B White

• Stuart, the two-inch mouse, spends a lot of time either inside the Little family’s apartment or, later in the book, in an unnamed part of upstate New York.
  
  
• The book's most memorable scene — when Stuart becomes a sailor — takes place on the boat pond in Central Park.
  
• Spend an hour sailing a rented or handmade boat on the pond.
  
  
• Allow a little detour time for the adjacent Alice in Wonderland sculpture, a satisfying piece to climb on and explore.
  

The “Madeline” books by Ludwig Bemelmans — The Carlyle Hotel, NYC

This is a trip best suited for children ages 5 to 10 (or any older die-hard Madeline fans who like to dress up for tea!).

• Though the books take place in Paris, France, you can visit Bemelmans Bar in The Carlyle Hotel to see the large-scale murals that Madeline creator and illustrator Ludwig Bemelmans painted on the bar walls. See Central Park the way the artist did (with rabbits!).
  
  
• On Saturdays and Sundays (note summer hours below), Bemelmans Bar hosts a delightfully playful afternoon and sing-a-long for parents and children alike. Enjoy Madeline's Children’s Buffet, afternoon tea, and an á la carte menu for adults while listening to songs from the Madeline Song Book with Tina de Varon.
  
  
• Note that in July, Madeline Tea will be open Saturday and Sunday for the 12:30 p.m. show ONLY. In August: Madeline Tea will be closed ALL MONTH. Madeline Tea will reopen on Saturday, September 6th, for two normal seatings: 10:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
  
  
• Bemelmans Bar is the only location of commissioned work by the artist that is open to the public.

Important information: The Carlyle Hotel: 212.744.1600 www.thecarlyle.com; 35 East 76th Street, New York, NY 10021, Reservations are a must! Call: 212-570-2144

Portland, Ore.

“Ramona Quimby, Age 8” (1981) and other titles by Beverly Cleary — Portland, Ore.

• From the OMSI, a science museum known for its planetarium and real submarine and the Children’s Museum of Portland to a great outdoor craft market with food, music and entertainers and the Oregon Zoo — Portland is a wonderful city for a family vacation.
  
  
• There is also the annual Rose Festival, the run through Salmon Street Springs fountains in Tom McCall Waterfront Park and just outside of town, the Oregon Caves.
  
  
• A must-see is Cleary’s old neighborhood, especially Klickitat Street and Grant Park. In the park you can even find baseball fields, basketball and tennis courts and a playground.
  
  
• You’ll undoubtedly want to see the Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden, which includes larger-than-life bronze statues of Ramona, Henry and Ribsy. In the summertime the garden is turned into a fountain and is a great place to cool off after wandering around the city.
  
  
• Another enjoyable stop is the Beverly Cleary Children’s Library and the Children’s Story Garden located in Waterfront Park.
  
  
• And to top of your visit, Powell’s, the world’s largest bookstore, is waiting to be discovered by all ages. A huge number of used and new books shelved together in an enormous space easy to wander through on a cozy, rainy afternoon.
  

Important information: Grant Park: 503-823-PLAY, Beverly Cleary Children’s Library: 503.988.5123; Powell’s City of Books: 502.228.0540 or www.powells.com, www.beverlycleary.com

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