When planning a trip to Hawaii, you’ll spend a lot of time reading about all there is to see and do. But don’t let your reading be just about planning the trip; be sure to include some inspirational reading as well.
There are many books about Hawaii that delve into its landscapes, people, culture, and history. some may prefer to consume it in non-fiction form; others may enjoy a novel set in Hawaii. Either way, reading about the destination in narrative form will add to your perspective and get you excited about exploring the islands.
You are reading: Best books about hawaii
Below, we’ve highlighted some of our favorite books about Hawaii by dividing them into different categories, including fiction, non-fiction, and children’s books.
- amazon.com vs. bookshop.org
- novels set in Hawaii
- books on Hawaiian history
- books about Hawaii’s natural environment and local culture
- children’s books about Hawaii</li
- works by local authors
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but first: why do we suggest both the amazon website and the bookstore website?
You will see below that we give you the option to see the books that we recommend both on the amazon.com website and on the bookshop.org website. we do this to give you a choice between convenience (amazon) and the ability to more directly support local bookstores (bookstore).
- bookshop.org is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local and independent bookstores. they give away more than 75% of their profit margin to stores, publications, authors and others who make up the thriving and inspiring culture around books. One drawback to using the bookstore is that they don’t ship orders to Canada or internationally (yet). Audiobooks and e-books are also available on the bookstore’s website, and their prizes are similar to or sometimes slightly higher than Amazon’s. Read more about bookshop.org here.
- amazon.com needs no introduction and is the online store of choice for many people. If you already have an Amazon account, using Amazon is more convenient, and if you don’t live in the United States, Amazon is a better option for you because Bookshop.org doesn’t ship internationally.
Disclosure: love big island is a bookshop.org affiliate and amazon associate, and earns a commission if you click through and make a qualifying purchase.
novels set in Hawaii
Reading these novels based on Hawaii will introduce you to the sights and sounds of the islands.
hawaii
print length: 937 pages | overall score: 4.6/5
Arguably the most famous book focusing on the islands, Hawaii by James Michener was published in 1959 and is still just as popular today. If he only read one book before coming to Hawaii, this would be the one that would help him get an overview, albeit in a fictional format, of the long history of the islands.
captures the complete history of hawai’i, first as a chain of untouched volcanic islands that rose from the ocean, to the arrival of the first Polynesian settlers, to the modern era, when American missionaries and business owners moved to always the trajectory of the islands. After reading, you will have a greater understanding and appreciation of what has transpired on this small chain of islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
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molokaʻi
print length: 400 pages | overall score: 4.6/5
Molokaʻi has always been somewhat of a mystery to visitors, given its low-profile and, at times, indifferent attitude towards tourism. Those who visit the island are always captivated, however, by the story of Kalaupapa, the leper colony on the island’s north shore. It remains active today with a handful of patients; though its “heyday” was in the 1860s, when it was created to prevent the spread of leprosy throughout the islands. Many saintly types, including Father Damien, rushed to help care for the patients, but ultimately, more than 8,000 people died at Kalaupapa from the disease, making its story one of the most heartbreaking in all of Hawaiian history.
molokaʻi, the book, aims to tell this story through a fictional account of a girl who is sent to kalaupapa after contracting the disease. We recommend it for everyone visiting Molokaʻi, but also for anyone interested in the history of Hawaii before it became part of the United States. today, kalaupapa is a national historical park.
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the descendants
print length: 320 pages | overall score: 4.5/5
now a great movie starring george clooney, you may already know the story of the descendants. However, as the saying goes, the book is better, or at least provides much more context and detail, and presents an interesting perspective on the idea of Hawaii as an island paradise.
In fact, one of the main disconnects between a traveler and a resident, all over the world, but especially in Hawaii, is the temptation to see a place as a paradise full of pleasure when visiting for a few days, ignoring the realities of life of the residents of the area. Rest assured, people who live in Hawaii have problems too.
descendants puts this theme center stage as it blends tragedy, growth, and humor with its story that follows a husband’s quest to find and inform his wife’s lover of her impending death (she is in a coma). add two daughters in tow, and it’s safe to say it’s a messy situation that’s sometimes sad and sometimes funny. The story is set on Kauaʻi and also touches on local themes, such as ancestral lands. While you may not be excited about visiting the islands, it’s nice to read during your visit; a good beach book, so to speak.
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books on Hawaiian history
These books dive into Hawaii’s rich history and mythology, helping you gain perspective on modern Hawaii and understand its past.
time slump
print length: 512 pages | overall score: 4.5/5
If you want to consume your Hawaiian history in non-fiction form, Shoal of Time is a great place to start. It relays scenes from Captain Cook’s first discovery of the islands to Hawaiʻi’s recognition of statehood in 1959, introducing readers to the Hawaiian monarchy and the slow but sure way that western business and influence began to change the islands forever.
If you haven’t read much about the history of Hawaii, this book will give you a broad overview of its timeline, major periods, and important events. is a good starting point and other books will allow you to delve into individual time periods.
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captive paradise
print length: 464 pages | overall score: 4.5/5
Another option for non-fiction history is Captive Paradise. It does give a broad overview when all said and done, but it does so by focusing mainly on the way Hawaiʻi has been changed by outside influences. It highlights how western ideas of business and religion pushed out Native Hawaiian practices and beliefs. The tone of the book is one of oppression and struggle, which, while not unfair, isn’t exactly uplifting material.
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But it is an important read for those interested in learning about the real Hawaii and its historical struggle. It is also important because the native Hawaiian culture has undergone a renaissance on the islands, leading to many conversations about its past, present, and future. Astute travelers will want to understand this perspective as they navigate the islands.
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the history of hawaii by the queen of hawaii
print length: 174 pages | overall score: 4.6/5
If the story of how Hawaiʻi came to be a U.S. State intrigues you, Hawaiʻi’s Story by Hawaiʻi’s Queen provides a unique account. It was written by Queen Liliʻuokalani, the last queen of Hawaiʻi. She was the queen that was captured and forced to sign control of Hawaiʻi over to the U.S. government following an insurrection.
The book introduces readers to her childhood and journey to becoming queen, the events leading up to the “overthrow” and the appeals process that followed. because it was written by the queen herself, the perspective comes from a completely Hawaiian point of view, which is not often the case in historical books.
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books about the natural environment and local culture of hawaii
These books will introduce you to the natural world and different aspects of Hawaiian culture.
wind, wings and waves
Print length: 384 pages | Aggregate rating: 4.6/5 
If you’re looking to get to know Hawaiʻi’s natural landscape, both on land and in the ocean, this is the book for you. It touches on just about everything: the coral reefs, the volcanoes, the night sky, and its flora and fauna, complete with color illustrations.
Another thing the book does well is provide context for certain aspects of Hawaii’s natural environment. For example, it details how and why Hawaii became a center for astronomy, how plants and animals came to the island, which reefs to visit, and the life cycle of a volcano, among other topics.
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the hawaiian uprising: hōkūle‘a, nainoa thompson and the hawaiian renaissance
print length: 344 pages | overall score: 4.8/5
Polynesians arrived in Hawaiʻi close to 2,000 years ago. A voyaging society, they traveled and navigated by the stars, an ability that was a staple of Hawaiian culture for centuries. However, somewhere along the way, that expertise was lost, and the ability to navigate using the night stars gave way to modern technology.
hawaiki rise is the uplifting story of how this indigenous skill was replicated in modern Hawaii, culminating in the successful circumnavigation of the globe using only star navigation in 1975 by the hōkūleʻa, a replica of an ancient Hawaiian canoe.
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food heaven: exploring hawaii’s culinary heritage
print length: 296 pages | overall score: 4.4/5
Foodies will love this book because it combines tangible recipes (150 of them) with an explanation and investigation into Hawaiʻiʻs local cultures and the cuisine that has come from their intermixing.
Instead of focusing on the “pacific side” cuisine offered in luxury hotels or sticking to a traditional cookbook format, the book takes the reader to the markets and vendors that serve the food they local residents eat daily. After reading, one will have a good overview of how the dishes became popular in Hawaii, what to try while there, and ideas to try to recreate at home.
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children’s books about hawaii
Read these books with your children in the days leading up to your trip.
ʻohana means family
reading age: 4-8 years old | overall score: 4.7/5
If your kids have seen Lilo and Stitch, they probably already known the word ʻohana, which translates to “family.” This adorable book will introduce them further to the concept of familial togetherness in Hawaiʻi as the story follows the preparation of poi for a lūʻau.
ʻohana is one of the most important concepts in hawaiʻi, and this book will inspire you to think of your own family the same way. they’ll also be thrilled to experience a lūʻau.
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honey girl: the Hawaiian monk seal
reading age: 5-8 years old | overall score: 4.8/5
If your kids love animals – and we’re sure they do – this is a good one to read before coming to the islands to introduce them to one of our most-beloved creatures, the Hawaiian monk seal.
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They are sadly endangered, but you see them more than you think lounging on beaches. This book will introduce you to the monk seals and oceans of Hawaii. They’ll be excited to see one during their visit, maybe even motivate them to spend a day at the beach.
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hawai’i (a real book: my united states)
reading age: 8-10 years old | overall score: 5/5
Curious children (grade 3-5) who love fun facts will eat up this book that breaks down what makes Hawaiʻi unique. Part of a series that dives into each state and highlights its makeup, Hawaiʻi provides a wonderful introduction to the islands and its people.
If your child is at the stage where they question everything, let them delve into Hawaii’s history, environment, and culture, including surfing and lūʻas, as well as what residents do for work and the wildlife that lives on the islands. . After reading, your child will know all about how Hawaii works and you’ll probably be able to educate them on a few things.
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maui hooks the islands
reading age: 3-5 years | overall score: 4.8/5
The story of the demi-god Maui is one of the most-told folklores in Hawaiʻi, and many children were introduced to it in the Disney movie Moana. If they liked that, let them try this book, which builds on Maui’s story.
Maui Hooks the Islands explains how Maui “fished” the islands from the sea. more importantly, it introduces visiting keiki (children) to a Hawaiian legend/bedtime story that local children grow up listening to.
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kino and the king
reading age: 10-18 years old | overall score: 4.5/5
Kino is chased by bullies into the Hawaiian Hall at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu where she ducks into the ancient grass hut display. With a flash of bright light, she is transported to 1825 where she meets 11-year-old Kauikeaouli, just weeks before he becomes Kamehameha III, Hawaiʻi’s longest reigning monarch.
Enjoy the ride around oʻahu before all the concrete and traffic, and take a look at a unique friendship between a modern girl and an important aliʻi, on her quest to break an ancient curse and change the future of kino of the past.
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works by local authors
Looking for something local? Try these books, written by residents of Hawaii.
detours: a decolonial guide to hawai’i
print length: 448 pages | overall score: 4.6/5
Most guidebooks to Hawaii present the islands from a tourist point of view, classifying them through a variety of activities or stereotypes, such as hula girls, lūʻas, and sunny days on the beach. detours hopes to turn this idea on its head with a guide to Hawaii that “will redirect readers from the fantasy of Hawaii as a tropical paradise and travel destination to a multi-layered, holistic engagement with Hawaii’s complex history and culture.” /p>
Filled with itineraries, maps and essays, the book will introduce you to authentic things to see and do, and allow you to separate the myth from the reality when it comes to the way of life on the islands.
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shark dialogues
print length: 516 pages | overall score: 4.4/5
if you like long books with a lot of poetic writing, try kiana davenport’s shark dialogues. combines mythology and history to convey the rich and complicated history of local families as Hawaii has evolved over the centuries.
“Though written as fiction, Shark Dialogues is a chronicle of my family’s story told to me by my elders over the years, dating back to the early 19th century, when a great white whaler fell in love with me. ancestor, kelonikoa awa’awa, the daughter of a tahitian chieftain,” the author writes. “going further back, he talks about the first settlement in hawaii almost 2,000 years ago by polynesians who traveled by canoe from the islands of tahiti and tuamotu. finally, the shark dialogue is a love story, love for my islands, love for my people, and it is written from the heart.”
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this is paradise
print length: 240 pages | overall score: 4.4/5
This collection of stories by Kristiana Kahakauwila highlights different stories of individuals living in Hawaiʻi and dives into the mixing of locals, tourists, and the two entirely different views that each group has of the islands. For example, the book’s first story, also called This is Paradise, follows a group of housekeepers in Waikīkī.
But it’s not just about pitting locals against tourists. the other five stories deal with humanistic struggles that we can all identify with as human beings. if you like to read stories, this is a good choice from a local author.
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