Books can transport readers on exciting journeys to fantastic places and experiences. Not only does National Geographic’s Explorer Academy book series accomplish this, but it incorporates scientific and cultural elements, exploration of important ideas and values, critical skill-building and examples of upstanding characters.
The series follows 12-year-old Cruz Coronado as he leaves his home in Hawaii to attend the prestigious Explorer Academy, where he and 23 kids from around the globe will train to become the next generation of great explorers. But there’s more at stake for Cruz as he discovers his family has a mysterious past with the organization that could jeopardize his future, even his life.
Discover more about this book series packed with adventure, mystery and excitement from the author Trudi Trueit, who will join the Boys’ Life magazine staff for a #TrekAt2 Facebook Live on Friday, July 24, at 2 p.m. CT. Now is a great time to order a copy and come prepared with questions for the author. The Boys’ Life crew will also talk about how to work on the Reading merit badge.
The series
We introduced you to the Explorer Academy series a couple of years ago when the first book, The Nebula Secret, came out. Scouts became Explorer Academy Ambassadors, got a free book and pin and shared how much they loved the new book. Boys’ Life subscribers were treated to an excerpt from The Nebula Secret in the August 2018 issue.
Since then, three more action-packed books have been released, including one this year, The Star Dunes. You can find all of the titles on Amazon:
The series appeals to youth, especially middle-grade readers, who want fun, well-written fiction stories that are exciting and different, but rooted in real-world facts. Readers will enjoy the light overlay of nonfiction concepts and careers, like STEM, exploration, photography, world travel and cultures, right alongside the multi-ethnic cast of characters, both boys and girls, that can give them someone with whom to identify.
Parents and leaders will appreciate that every science and exploration concept that characters encounter is based on the actual, ongoing work of thousands of world-class explorers and scientists in many fields, photographers, and journalists. Interactive aspects in the books also involve readers with codebreaking and puzzles, deductive reasoning and problem-solving.
The “Facts Behind the Fiction” section in each book and on the Explorer Academy website draw readers deeper into nonfiction topics, including profiles of real National Geographic Explorers who helped to inspire the series. The site also features exclusive videos and other educational resources that serve as excellent teaching aides and activity ideas.
Most importantly, at its heart, Explorer Academy is a thrilling adventure series full of exploration and discovery, mystery and safe danger, cool, high-tech gadgets and near-future inventions that will keep kids reading for hours.
What Scouts are saying
Take a look at some of the reviews from Scouts who are Explorer Academy Ambassadors:
“Awesome book! Would love to go to Explorer Academy with Cruz and Sailor. Had fun learning about butterflies and polar bears. Would love to have a cave to go on adventures in, or have a cool robot, like Mell. Can’t wait for the next book to come out, to follow more of the exciting adventures.” -Alex, age 10
“This book was one of the best books I have ever read! With the suspense keeping me up all night trying to figure out the answers. The characters were very funny and all around great!” -Riley, age 13
“I loved the fact that the mysteries required codes; I have come up with a few myself. Codes are a very big part of this wonderful journey. I think my favorite part of the novel was when everything begins to fit together, like a colorful puzzle, and then one last mind-blowing mystery emerges in the midst of it all. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.” -Airyn, age 12
“I personally like this book because of the mystery that I was trying to solve right along with the characters. I also like adventure books and this book was filled with adventure and action! If you also like adventure and mystery, then this is the book for you!” -Jack, age 10
“One of the things I loved about this book were the illustrations, which made me feel like I was in the book and witnessing the excitement. The author gave a lot of details, which described the exciting content that was happening. My favorite characters were Cruz and Emmett, who showed true friendship throughout the entire book. I recommend this fiction story to anyone who is ready for adventure!” -Trinity Marie, age 11
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