Welcome to Day #8 of the Explorer Academy: The Nebula Secret Blog Tour!
To celebrate the release of Explorer Academy: The Nebula Secret by Trudi Trueit on September 4th, blogs across the web are featuring exclusive content from Trudi and the Explorer Academy team, as well as 10 chances to win a copy of Explorer Academy: The Nebula Secret and swag!
by Trudi Trueit, author of the Explorer Academy series
You are never too young to start exploring! While doing research for Explorer Academy, I found it incredible that almost all the explorers I met or spoke with found their calling as children. I spoke with a paleontologist who was obsessed with dinosaurs as a kid. My zoologist expert who works with animal venoms developed a lifelong fascination with snakes when he was young. I, too, have a passion for writing that began in the second grade. It made me realize that the things we are exposed to as kids has a significant impact on who and what we become.
What does it take to be an explorer? For the book, the criteria mirrored many of the people I interviewed. To be invited to join Explorer Academy, you have to be, of course, an excellent student who is self-motivated with a natural curiosity about the Earth. Beyond that, an explorer must have a compassionate heart, a cooperative spirit, and the courage to stand up for what he/she believes in. You have to be willing to stick your neck out. You can’t be uninterested or think it’s someone else’s responsibility to make the world a better place. You have to be willing to not only participate, but to lead the way to change. Really, it’s not so different from being an everyday explorer (except with cool uniforms and gadgets!).
In the real world, parents and educators should nurture kids’ passion and curiosity at every turn, from letting them out to explore their own backyards to providing the tools and encouragement to go further when they discover a new interest. Because you never know where it might lead.
We also must make sure kids see that they are incredibly powerful. Often they can make a bigger difference than adults, because they don’t let things like politics, money, or excuses stand in their way. They just start where they are and go. I want kids to be inspired by the fictional explorers in the book, as well as the real National Geographic explorers, to participate in their communities and maybe even discover a lifelong passion.
To encourage the next generation of explorers, National Geographic offers a Young Explorer Grant Program, geared to young adults ages 18 to 25, to fund first-time projects in exploration, science, research, and conservation. Help budding explorers get an early start on their dreams at nationalgeographic.com/YEG.
And remember: You’re never too young (or too old!) to get out there and discover something exciting about the world or yourself.
What does it take to be an explorer? For the book, the criteria mirrored many of the people I interviewed. To be invited to join Explorer Academy, you have to be, of course, an excellent student who is self-motivated with a natural curiosity about the Earth. Beyond that, an explorer must have a compassionate heart, a cooperative spirit, and the courage to stand up for what he/she believes in. You have to be willing to stick your neck out. You can’t be uninterested or think it’s someone else’s responsibility to make the world a better place. You have to be willing to not only participate, but to lead the way to change. Really, it’s not so different from being an everyday explorer (except with cool uniforms and gadgets!).
In the real world, parents and educators should nurture kids’ passion and curiosity at every turn, from letting them out to explore their own backyards to providing the tools and encouragement to go further when they discover a new interest. Because you never know where it might lead.
We also must make sure kids see that they are incredibly powerful. Often they can make a bigger difference than adults, because they don’t let things like politics, money, or excuses stand in their way. They just start where they are and go. I want kids to be inspired by the fictional explorers in the book, as well as the real National Geographic explorers, to participate in their communities and maybe even discover a lifelong passion.
To encourage the next generation of explorers, National Geographic offers a Young Explorer Grant Program, geared to young adults ages 18 to 25, to fund first-time projects in exploration, science, research, and conservation. Help budding explorers get an early start on their dreams at nationalgeographic.com/YEG.
And remember: You’re never too young (or too old!) to get out there and discover something exciting about the world or yourself.
*****
Blog Tour Schedule:
September 3rd — BookhoundsYA
September 4th — Kid Lit Frenzy
September 5th — Beach Bound Books
September 6th — Java John Z's
September 7th — YA and Kids Books Central
September 10th — Christy's Cozy Corners
September 11th — Chat with Vera
September 12th — A Dream Within a Dream
September 13th — Book Briefs
September 14th — Jean Book Nerd
September 4th — Kid Lit Frenzy
September 5th — Beach Bound Books
September 6th — Java John Z's
September 7th — YA and Kids Books Central
September 10th — Christy's Cozy Corners
September 11th — Chat with Vera
September 12th — A Dream Within a Dream
September 13th — Book Briefs
September 14th — Jean Book Nerd
“A fun, exciting and action-packed ride that kids will love.”
—J.J. Abrams, director of Star Trek, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Lost and Alias
"Explorer Academy is sure to awaken readers’ inner adventurer and curiosity about the world around them."
—LeVar Burton, host of “Reading Rainbow”and “LeVar Burton Reads”
Follow National Geographic Kids: Website | Twitter | Books Twitter | Facebook | Youtube
Description:
Adventure, danger, and a thrilling global mission await 12-year-old Cruz Coronado as he joins an elite school for explorers.
Cruz leaves his tranquil home in Hawaii to join 23 talented kids from around the globe to train at the Explorer Academy with the world's leading scientists to become the next generation of great explorers. But for Cruz, there's more at stake. No sooner has he arrived at the Academy than he discovers that his family has a mysterious past with the organization that could jeopardize his future. In the midst of codebreaking and cool classes, new friends and augmented reality expeditions, Cruz must tackle the biggest question of all: Who is out to get him, and why?
Readers can get in on the excitement with puzzles and codes embedded throughout.
Author Trudi Trueit
is a gifted storyteller for middle-grade audiences. She has written
more than 100 books for young readers, both fiction and nonfiction,
including The Sister Solution, Stealing Popular and the Secrets of a Lab
Rat series. Trueit lives in Everett, Washington.
- One (1) winner will receive a copy of Explorer Academy: The Nebula Secret, plus an Explorer Academy tote, stickers, folder, poster and pin!
- US/Canada only
One lucky family of four will embark on a spectacular ship-based adventure, just like the students at Explorer Academy. Experience the remarkable beauty of Alaska’s famed Inside Passage on this thrilling 8-day voyage, courtesy of National Geographic Expeditions. Get up close to icebergs and calving glaciers. See orcas and humpback whales, then listen to them with the ship's hydrophone. Visit Glacier Bay National Park, learn about Alaska’s rich Native American heritage, and pass islands teeming with wildlife, including brown bears, sea lions, sea otters, and perhaps the world's highest density of nesting bald eagles. Visit natgeoexpeditions.com to see a detailed itinerary for Alaska's Inside Passage Cruise.
Calendar of Events
Join Explorer Academy
author Trudi Trueit and National Geographic explorer and venomous snake
researcher Zoltan Takacs as they discuss the book series and answer
questions from readers. Trudi will sign copies of the book as well.
Friday, September 21, 2018: Greenwich
HAMILTON AVENUE SCHOOL
Hosted by the Greenwich Public School District
184 Hamilton Ave.
Greenwich, CT 06830
6:30 p.m.
Saturday, September 22, 2018: New York Launch Event
BOOKS OF WONDER
18 West 18th Street
New York City, NY
1 p.m.
Sunday, September 23, 2018: Chicago
57TH STREET BOOKS
1301 East 57th Street
Chicago, IL
3 p.m.
Monday, September 24, 2018: Chicago
ANDERSON’S BOOKSHOP
123 West Jefferson Avenue
Naperville, IL
7 p.m.
Wednesday, September 26, 2018: Atlanta
LITTLE SHOP OF STORIES
133 East Court Square
Decatur, GA
6 p.m.
Thursday, September 27, 2018: Los Angeles
BARNES & NOBLE
160 S. Westlake Blvd.
Thousand Oaks, CA
7 p.m.
Friday, September 28, 2018: Los Angeles
Newport Beach Library, in Conjunction with Whale of a Tale Children’s Bookshoppe
1000 Avocado Ave
Newport Beach, CA
4 p.m.
*Saturday, October 13, 2018: Seattle
UNIVERSITY BOOKS
15311 Main Street
Mill Creek, WA
2 p.m.
*Friday, October 19, 2018: Seattle
THIRD PLACE BOOKS - RAVENNA
6504 20th Ave. NE
Seattle, WA
7 p.m.
* Please note, Zoltan Takacs will not attend this event.
No comments:
Post a Comment