The Star Dunes Book Review

The Star Dunes (Explorer Academy: Book 4) 
By Trudi Trueit
Published March 17, 2020

Mom's Review
The Star Dunes picks up immediately where The Double Helix left off. Teen Cruz is trapped in a deep hole while his classmates are excavating a Turkish archaeological site. Trueit starts off this installment of the Explorer Academy series with some intense action: Cruz is swept out of the hole by rushing water that tumbles him through lava tubes before depositing him in a prehistoric cavern filled with untouched artifacts.  And then things really get going. All the young explorers continue their education in Uganda and Namibia, where they must inoculate mountain gorillas, track cheetahs and pangolins, and thwart poachers. On top of the course load, Cruz and his close friends continue to decipher clues left by his mother that will ultimately lead to a formula that will change medicine forever. And just in case that sounds too easy, big-pharma Nebula is trying to kill Cruz before he discovers it.

Trueit set the bar high with The Nebula Secret (book one), and has continued to deliver action-packed conservationist adventures with each installment. I have flown through each book and been fascinated by the back matter, which introduces real scientists and conservationists who inspired the characters, inventions, and events of each book. Trueit combines imagination and research to present a believable world in which Cruz and his friends continue to unravel a mystery that takes them around the globe. The plot is thrilling. The work the students execute is inspiring. The characters are relatable. T can't wait to read this series, and I am excited to share it with him.  I continue to wholeheartedly recommend this series for middle grade through middle school readers. Literally – I've told my mom to buy this series as a gift for different kids. I stand by that advice!

One improvement that I noticed with The Star Dunes is that photographs were included alongside illustrations. I liked seeing the actual locations the explorers visited. (I read an advance copy of The Double Helix, in which art was not included, but the photos in Dunes stood out more than any art in Nebula Secret.)

More:
#1 The Nebula Secret 
#2 The Falcon's Feather 
#3 The Double Helix

National Geographic's Explorer Academy Website

Note: A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.