Why is Las Vegas located in this valley?

Who were the first people to live in Las Vegas?

Why did the big hotels and casinos come to Las Vegas?

Find out in Springs in the Desert, a fun, easy-to-read history book written just for kids!

Las Vegas hasn’t always been a glitzy entertainment destination for world travelers. In Springs in the Desert, author Jonathan Peters peels back the city’s layers to reveal its long history as Native American outpost, ranching community, and economic boomtown.

Springs in the Desert takes kids on a colorful thousand-year journey, with cool illustrations and fun chapters that make Las Vegas history easy to understand for anyone. From Anasazi village to Nevada’s first ghost town (it’s true!) to tourist Mecca, Las Vegas is opened up to children as a living piece of history, with a multicultural past that points the way to the city’s future.

There’s also a companion Springs in the Desert Activity Book, written by Las Vegas teachers and librarians, filled with entertaining and educational resources that make it fun to learn about the plants and animals in the Las Vegas area and to plan day trips to local historic sites.

Springs in the Desert gives kids a chance to learn Las Vegas their own way!