Every state is known for something. As you work your way through the list, don't miss the best books set in Arizona. While you're at it, check out the best movies set in Arizona, too.
Arizona, a southwestern U.S. state, is best known for the Grand Canyon, the mile-deep chasm carved by the Colorado River. Flagstaff, a ponderosa pine–covered mountain town, is a major gateway to the Grand Canyon.
Other natural sites include Saguaro National Park, protecting the cactus-filled Sonoran Desert landscape. Tucson is the University of Arizona territory and is home to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
Best Books Set in Arizona
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- La Farge, Oliver (Author)
Laughing Boy: A Navajo Love Story
Author: Oliver La Farge
Laughing Boy is a model member of his tribe. Raised in old traditions, skilled in silver work, and known for his prowess in the wild horse races, he does the Navajos of T’o Tlakai proud. But times are changing. It is 1914, and the first car has just driven into their country.
Then, Laughing Boy meets Slim Girl—and despite her “American” education and his family's warnings, he gives in to desire and marries her.
- Kingsolver, Barbara (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
The Bean Trees (Greer Family #1)
Author: Barbara Kingsolver
A bestseller that has come to be regarded as an American classic, The Bean Trees is the novel that launched Barbara Kingsolver’s remarkable literary career.
It is the charming, engrossing tale of rural Kentucky native Taylor Greer, who only wants to get away from her roots and avoid getting pregnant.
She succeeds, but inherits a three-year-old Native American girl named Turtle along the way, and together, from Oklahoma to Arizona, half-Cherokee Taylor and her charge search for a new life in the West.
Hers is a story about love and friendship, abandonment and belonging, and the discovery of surprising resources in seemingly empty places.
- Silko, Leslie Marmon (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Almanac of the Dead
Author: Leslie Marmon Silko
In its extraordinary range of characters and culture, Almanac of the Dead is fiction on a grand scale. The acclaimed author of Ceremony has undertaken a weaving of ideas and lives, fate and history, passion and conquest in an attempt to re-create the moral history of the Americas, told from the point of view of the conquered, not the conquerors.
- Abbey, Edward (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
The Monkey Wrench Gang
Author: Edward Abbey
Ex-Green Beret George Hayduke has returned from war to find his beloved southwestern desert threatened by industrial development.
Joining with Bronx exile and feminist saboteur Bonnie Abzug, wilderness guide and outcast Mormon Seldom Seen Smith, and libertarian billboard torcher Doc Sarvis, M.D., Hayduke is ready to fight the power – taking on the strip miners, clear-cutters, and the highway, dam, and bridge builders who are threatening the natural habitat.
The Monkey Wrench Gang is on the move – and peaceful coexistence is damned!
- Hyde, Elisabeth (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
In the Heart of the Canyon
Author: Elisabeth Hyde
Over thirteen long days, twelve assorted passengers, three rafting guides, and one stray dog will navigate the rapids of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon together. From their early-morning rise on the shore of the river to the adrenaline rush of paddling through Lava Falls, they will soon come to know each other more intimately than they could have expected.
Now that you've completed the list of best books in this state, why not check out some others? Here are the Best Books Set in All 50 States.
To continue learning, check out the Arizona State History Project.
DOWNLOAD AND PRINT BOOKS SET IN ALL 50 STATES
Click here to download the printable. It has a list of books in all 50 states including the Best Books Set in Arizona.
If you enjoyed this list, I have a monthly membership for parents and educators that want to teach or supplement lessons with shows and movies.
“I absolutely love sharing movies with my kids as a way to teach them valuable lessons. It's like this awesome bonding experience where we all snuggle up on the couch with some popcorn, and I get to see their little faces light up with curiosity. Whether it's a classic with timeless morals or a new animated flick with hidden gems of wisdom, it's a fantastic way to impart important life lessons in a fun and engaging way. Plus, the post-movie discussions are priceless – hearing their take on the characters and the story adds a whole new dimension to our family time.” –a Homeschooling parent
With Homeschooling with Shows and Movies membership, you will get resources every month, including:
- List of This Month’s Suggested Themes
- List of Monthly Observances
- List Of Movies for Unit Study
- Unit Study Resource
- Seasonal Activities (minimum of three)
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These resources are worth it if you'd like to easily incorporate shows and movies into your homeschooling.
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Further Reading About the State:
- Arizona Bucket List Adventure Guide & Journal: Explore The Natural Wonders & Log Your Experience!
- Frommer's Arizona and the Grand Canyon (Complete Guide)
- Arizona: The Beauty of It All (Arizona Highways)
- Frommer's Arizona and the Grand Canyon (Complete Guide)
- What's Great about Arizona? (Our Great States)
- Birds of Arizona Field Guide (Bird Identification Guides)
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