In the Jungle / Under the Sea: Explorers Wanted!    by Simon Chapman Order:  USA  Can Little, Brown & Co., 2005 (2005) Paperback      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson This cross between a chapter book and an interactive graphic novel includes two episodes of the Explorers Wanted! series: In the Jungle and Under the Sea. Its author, who teaches high school physics in England and is a 'jungle addict', has created a very engaging format, including essential information, tales of real explorers, and many challenging choices for the reader to make (e.g. paths to take, and equipment to choose from). In the Jungle takes readers into the Amazon rain forest, on a mission to find a lost city. The scene is set with fascinating facts about the rainforest, including the dim light under the canopy of trees, where you see lines of 'leaf-cutter ants' and large blue morpho butterflies, get bitten by mosquitos, and try to avoid meeting a jaguar, giant anaconda or vampire bat! Learn what you need to take, how to make a canoe or a raft, how to deal with BOT flies, where to set up camp, how to shoot fish with arrows (watch refraction), how to call monkeys, to mark a trail, and even how to shrink a head! Under the Sea invites the reader to lead 'a diving expedition - in search of sunken treasure' near the South Seas Island of Motorua (Chapman tells us that 'Coral reefs are the tropical rainforests of the sea.') Learn about different types of diving (snorkeling and scuba diving), about dangerous denizens of the ocean, how a coral reef forms, avoiding the bends, how to safely explore a wreck, how to use sonar to scan the ocean floor, about hydro-thermal vents, and the history of the development of submersibles and remotely operated underwater vehicles. In the Explorers Wanted! series, Simon Chapman challenges young readers to think about, and make decisions based on, the information presented, while exploring (on paper and in their imaginations) far regions of the world. Future adventures will include: In the Wilderness, On the South Sea Islands, In the Himalayas, In the Desert, and At the North Pole. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews