Welcome to the Explorer Academy: The Forbidden Island Blog Tour!
Follow along all week as we celebrate the release of The Forbidden Island — the heart-pounding final adventure in the hit Explorer Academy series — with behind-the-scenes looks from author Trudi Trueit, plus 5 chances to win the complete 7-book series and an Explorer Academy map!
New Series
by Trudi Trueit
When you write a series, you spend a lot of time with your characters. In fact, it’s pretty much impossible not to think about them, even when you aren’t writing. I always hope that readers will come to care for them as much as I do. Cruz, Emmett, Lani, Sailor, and the Explorer Academy cast have been my close companions now for the past six years, and I am grateful to the readers, parents, educators, librarians, and book lovers around the world who look upon them as friends, too.
Sharing a bit about the writing life with students at Rancho Romero School in Alamo, CA
Meeting readers at the National Book Festival in Washington, DC
You’ve sent me letters, artwork, fan fiction, and photos of yourselves reading Explorer Academy in all kinds of locations, everywhere from the San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge to the ancient city of Petra in Jordan. (The Double Helix – yes!). I’ve met you doing school visits, bookstore signings, conferences, festivals, and even comic cons! You’ve told me what you like (codes and puzzles), what you don’t like (codes and puzzles that are super hard to solve) and what you want to see more (another series!).
You never know who will show up at Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle, WA (love the blue guy!)
Having a few laughs with readers at Brick & Mortar Books in Redmond, WA
That’s why I’m delighted to share that a second Explorer Academy series is in the works! The new series features an explorer loyal readers will already know, so I’ll let her take it from here with a scene from The Forbidden Island told from her point of view. Thanks to everyone who has come along for the ride through seven books and I look forward to bringing back some old friends and introducing you to a few new ones. Dare to explore!
The Adventure Continues . . .
“M-Monsieur . . . L-Legrand!”
Hearing Cruz’s voice blare through her comm startled Sailor. She nearly dropped her paddle into the icy water.
“I see,” came the cool response from their teacher. “Alert your team.”
“Um . . . ev-everybody,” sputtered Cruz. “Cetacean sighting on the starboard side of kayak number . . . uh . . . uh . . .”
“Three,” chimed in Emmett when it became obvious Cruz was too overwhelmed to remember which tandem kayak they were in.
Sailor grinned. She was excited, too, but knew better than to make a sudden movement. Cruz and Emmett were in the boat behind them. If she whirled around to catch a glimpse of the animal, she’d risk capsizing her kayak. Dugan, sitting in front of her in the bow, would kill her if she dumped them into the frigid Weddell Sea. Lifting her paddle, Sailor ever-so-carefully swiveled her upper body. The sight of a massive, steel gray body gliding through the mosaic of ice made her gasp. A whale was coming alongside their hull! Dugan stopped paddling, too. As the kayak slowed, the whale matched their drifting speed.
“Magnifique,” whispered Monsieur Legrand through the comm link. “Minkes can be curious, but it’s rare to see them this close. They’re among the smallest baleen whales and quite fast. A minke can scoop, strain, and eat krill in less time than it takes for a humpback to open its mouth.”
Looked deeper . . .
Face your pain.
Sailor jerked away, setting the boat rocking.
“Hey!” yelled Dugan. He slapped the water with his blade to keep them from flipping.
“Sorry, sorry!” Sailor sat up straight to help them regain their balance. Her heart was galloping, her head spinning. She was breathing fast. Too fast.
The kayak settled.
“You okay?” Dugan had glanced back.
“Uh . . . yeah,” she rasped. “I’m just . . . cold.”
“Better check your O.S. band. Your hide-and-seek jacket could be malfunctioning.”
“Right. Thanks.” But Sailor knew that what she was feeling had nothing to do with her coat. Fortunately, the minke had was cruising toward the lead boat where Lani and Bryndis eagerly waited. It took a minute for Sailor’s pulse and breathing to return to normal. It took her brain a little longer to recover.
One thing was certain. She couldn’t let that happen again. Not here. Not now. Not ever.
It could ruin everything.
About the Book
A heart-pounding final showdown changes the life of Cruz Coronado forever in the seventh and final book in this thrilling fact-based fiction series.
Amid assignments that take the Explorer Academy recruits from the iceberg-filled waters of Antarctica to the bone-dry deserts of Argentina, Cruz Coronado is scrambling to complete the last piece of the cipher. With Nebula agents and the elusive explorer spy still out there, his opportunity to recover his mother’s world-changing formula is slipping away. But as Cruz has learned from his time aboard Orion, true explorers must never give up.
Even after completing dozens of high-risk missions and traveling to all seven continents, Cruz could never prepare himself for one ultimate surprise.
Explorer Academy features: Gripping fact-based fiction plot that inspires curiosity with new technology and innovations; amazing inventions and gadgets; a cast of diverse, relatable characters; secret clues, codes, and ciphers to track down within the text; vibrant illustrations; elements of STEAM; National Geographic explorer profiles in the "Truth Behind" section.
Check out the Explorer Academy website featuring videos, comic shorts, games, profiles of real-life National Geographic Explorers, chapter excerpts and more.
Praise:
"Sure to appeal to kids who love code cracking and mysteries with cutting-edge technology."
—Booklist
"A perfect blend of adventure with real science and technology!"
—New York Times #1 best-selling author Rick Riordan
The whale rolled onto its side and seawater cascaded off its body. Sailor saw deep skin grooves, the curve of a long, tapered snout, and a single eyeball that seemed far too small for such an immense creature. Sailor stared into the eye. It stared back. The black pupil surrounded by a silvery blue iris seemed to be drawing her in. She leaned closer . . .
"A fun, exciting, and action-packed ride that kids will love."
—J.J. Abrams, director and screenwriter of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Lost, Alias
"Inspires the next generation of curious kids to go out into our world and discover something unexpected.”
—James Cameron, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence and acclaimed film-maker
About the Author
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
TRUDI TRUEIT has written more than 100 books for young readers, both fiction and nonfiction. Her love of writing began in fourth grade, when she wrote, directed, and starred in her first play. She went on to be a TV news reporter and weather forecaster, but she knew her calling was in writing. Trueit is a gifted storyteller for middle-grade audiences, and her fiction novels include The Sister Solution, Stealing Popular, and the Secrets of a Lab Rat series. Her expertise in kids nonfiction encompasses books on history, weather, wildlife, and earth science. She is the author of all the narratives in the Explorer Academy series, beginning with Explorer Academy: The Nebula Secret. Trueit was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, and lives in Everett, Washington.
GIVEAWAY
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- Five (5) winners will receive the COMPLETE 7-book Explorer Academy series and an Explorer Academy map, showing all the places around the world that Cruz and his classmates visit over the course of the series!
- US/Canada only
- Ends 10/23 at 11:59pm ET
- Enter via the Rafflecopter below
- Visit the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!
Blog Tour Schedule:
October 10th — Mama Likes This
October 11th — Feed Your Fiction Addiction
October 12th — Pragmatic Mom
October 13th — YA Books Central
October 14th — YA Book Nerd
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