Meet a Real NG Explorer

Explorer Academy Recruitment Days may be coming to your school! On October 9 & 10, 2019, National Geographic explorers will fan out to visits schools in a bunch of cities across the U.S. and Canada. It's all part of the launch of the third book in the Explorer Academy series: The Double Helix. Explorers will visit schools in Atlanta, Austin, Houston, Cincinnati, Detroit, New York, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Seattle, Washington, DC, and Vancouver, BC (whew!). They'll talk about their adventures and share what inspires them to help motivate the next generation of explorers.

I'll be visiting students in the Seattle area with National Geographic explorer, photographer, and eco-health researcher, Gemina Garland-Lewis. I wish I could stop in at ALL of the sites to hear the explorers speak and meet young readers, but that would be quite a feat. That's why last week, I headed to KOMO TV (ABC) in Seattle to tape a special message that will be played at each school. It was great fun to be back in front of a camera again (I used to be a TV news reporter and weather forecaster, and did my college internship at KOMO).

While at KOMO, I was also able to tape a special message for the Children's Book Council. In honor of the100th anniversary of Children’s Book Week, The CBC has teamed up with KidLit TV to release 100 short videos this year, featuring a variety of authors and illustrators! I was thrilled to be invited to give a short talk about my journey to becoming a writer and some of the challenges I faced along the way. KLTV is available in over 600,000 schools worldwide vida their website and distribution partners. So, with a little luck, I'll see you somewhere online soon!

EA Book 1 Now in Paperback

Explorer Academy, Book One: The Nebula Secret launches today in paperback. I've seen the books, and they are just as beautiful, the illustrations just as vibrant, as the hard cover version.

I'm especially thrilled that National Geographic chose to release the pb of EA 1 during the summer. That doesn't often happen (in publishing, spring and fall are the two big release seasons). When I was growing up in Seattle, no matter where we went or what we did over the summer as a family, I always had a book in my hand - in the car, at the beach, or babysitting the neighbor kids. Even now, I read far more books from June to September than I do during the entire rest of the year. There's nothing more relaxing after a busy day then settling into a chaise lounge on our back deck in the evening. Our deck overlooks a peaceful little forest and creek filled with birds, bunnies, squirrels, raccoons, and the occasional coyote or two. I leave all my electronic devices behind, as I take a moment to inhale the delicious smells wafting from a neighbor's barbecue, watch the hummingbirds flit to our fuchsias, and feel the dappled sunlight warm my face. Then, it's time to read. This, to me, is heaven

May you, too, find your perfect summer reading spot, along with great stories to fascinate, awe, and inspire you! If your young reader happens to be diving into the pages of Explorer Academy this summer, I'd love to hear about it. Drop me a note through my contact page or send/post a photo to my Facebook author page.

Happy Reading!

EA #1: The Nebula Secret in paperback is now available at Barnes and Noble or from your favorite bookseller

The Real Explorer Academy!

Now you can join the adventure just like Cruz and his friends at Explorer Academy! National Geographic has recently opened its first Ultimate Explorer Amusement Center, though you'll have to travel to China to get in on the fun!

The new immersive entertainment center is located at the K11 Artmall in Shenyang, China. From blasting off into outer space to diving to the ocean floor, visitors can follow in the footsteps of the real explorers of National Geographic. With each mission, visitors will earn badges, as they learn more about our natural world and the challenges we face.

There are twenty different missions, in all. My favorite just might be the Safari Speedway, where you can race a virtual cheetah the way Cruz does in the obstacle course in The Nebula Secret. Of course, I'm also partial to the Tomb of the Ancients. Here, visitors will get an archaeology lesson from Cruz's Aunt Marisol, a professor at Explorer Academy!

More entertainment centers are planned for Italy, Mexico, and Kuwait. Fingers crossed that the U.S. gets one, too!

Head to the website to learn more: https://www.ngux.com.cn/en/experiences/

All images copyright National Geographic, 2019