The Explorer

Starred review from July 10, 2017
A plane crash strands four children in the Amazon in this mesmerizing tale of courage and adventure from Rundell (The Wolf Wilder). Fred, Con, Lila, and Lila’s five-year-old brother, Max, must face predators (including piranhas and caimans), growing hunger, and extreme elements if they hope to find their way back to civilization. A map, found by chance, charts their course, leading them to a ruined city of secrets. The dangers of the Amazon leap from the pages, as does the daring the main characters display amid overwhelming circumstances. Readers will be fascinated by the lengths the children go to in order to survive: “The grubs, when mixed with the cocoa beans and pounded with a clean stick, turned into a paste, which, if you squinted and were of an optimistic temperament, looked like flour and water.” A quieter thread contemplates the nature of exploration and curiosity, tying into the enigmatic city of ruins. Fans of survival stories like Hatchet and My Side of the Mountain are an ideal audience for this fast-paced escapade with a lush and captivating setting. Ages 8–12. Agent: Claire Wilson, Rogers, Coleridge & White.

When their small plane crashes and the pilot dies, four children are stranded alone in the Amazon jungle. Thus begins an exhilarating and sometimes harrowing old-fashioned adventure that comes beautifully, vibrantly alive on audio. Narrator Peter Noble is utterly convincing as Fred, Con, Lila, and, especially, 5-year-old Max. With subtle variations, Noble gives them all distinctive voices that reflect their personalities and backgrounds, and he communicates their fear and excitement as they struggle to survive, learn to work together, and discover hidden wonders of the jungle. But their greatest discovery of all is an ancient city--and the mysterious explorer who lives there. Listeners will be riveted, breathless, until the very end. J.M.D. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine