FINALIST - 2026 Literary Global Children's Book Awards (Adventure Category)
From the So You Want To Be A... Series - 2026 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, Grand Prize Winner
Somewhere beyond the edge of every map are places no human has ever seen, and the next explorer to find them might be a kid reading this book right now.
So You Want To Be An Explorer is a guide for young adventurers ages 10 to 14 who feel the pull of the unknown. This isn't a fairy tale about treasure maps and pirate ships. It's an illustrated look at what explorers do: the years of scientific training, the physical preparation, the survival skills, and the mental toughness required to venture into environments never designed for human beings. From deep ocean trenches to polar ice fields, from uncharted jungles to the edges of our solar system, this book takes kids inside the full range of modern exploration and the careers it offers.
What does an explorer's daily life look like? How do expedition teams of scientists, navigators, survival specialists, and local guides prepare for months of fieldwork in remote places? How do explorers document their findings so that what they see becomes part of the permanent human record? And what does it feel like to stand somewhere no person has ever stood? These are the questions kids are asking, and this book answers them.
Inside, readers will learn how explorers master geography, navigation, and survival science before a single expedition departs. They'll see the physical and psychological demands of operating in extreme environments, and how explorers prepare body and mind to meet them. They'll meet remarkable figures from the history of exploration whose daring expanded the boundaries of what humanity knows about its own planet.
This is a book that doesn't simplify the hard parts. It weighs the fun of discovery against the responsibility that comes with it, and the deep reward of contributing something new to human knowledge. Every page is illustrated with care, making the science, the geography, and the adventure stick.
There are still questions no one has answered and places no one has reached. The next explorer to change what we know about this world is growing up right now.
Soules, Linda: - "Linda Soules is the author and creator of the So You Want To Be A... series, a growing collection of career-exploration books for readers ages 8-14. The series covers everything from astronauts and marine biologists to magicians, stunt performers, and roller coaster designers. Her philosophy is straightforward: never talk down to kids. Young readers are smarter, more curious, and more capable than the publishing world often gives them credit for, and they deserve books that respect their intelligence while genuinely sparking their enthusiasm. Each title is written to pull back the curtain on a real career - its joys, its challenges, the path to get there - and to leave readers with the sense that the world is wider, more interesting, and more reachable than they imagined. Before turning to children's publishing, Linda spent twenty-five years in law and finance, advising hedge funds and sophisticated financial institutions on complex regulatory matters - a career that taught her precision, discipline, and how to translate intricate subjects into language anyone can use. She brings that same clarity and care to every book she writes, paired with a deep belief that curiosity is the engine of a meaningful life. Linda lives in Seattle with her husband and two children, where the steady rhythm of family life, the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, and the questions her own kids ask every day continue to fuel her work. Additional information can be found on her website at http: //lindasoules.com."
