- Chapter Books
- Ages 8–12
- Adventure
The Explorer
A gripping, gorgeously written survival adventure in which four children stranded in the Amazon jungle must fend for themselves and uncover a secret lost city. Winner of the Costa Children's Book Award.
- Best for8–12
- FormatChapter
- Length408 pp
- Read aloud~5 hr45 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Literary
- Conversational
Tone
- Exciting
- Adventurous
- Suspenseful
- Heartwarming
- Thought provoking
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
When their small plane crashes deep in the Amazon rainforest, Fred, Con and siblings Lila and Max find themselves alone in the jungle with no map, no adults and no idea how to survive. Hungry, frightened and thousands of miles from home, they must learn fast: how to find food and clean water, how to build a raft, how to trust one another. Following the river towards the distant city of Manaus, they stumble instead upon the ruins of a hidden city and a mysterious man, the Explorer, who may be the key to getting home, if they can work out whether to trust him. Katherine Rundell writes the jungle with breathtaking vividness, from tarantulas and piranhas to the thrill of finding you can do more than you ever believed. Winner of the Costa Children's Book Award, this is a rich, exciting, big-hearted survival story about courage, curiosity and the wild places of the world, perfect for reading alone or aloud.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
Aimed at 8-12s reading independently, and a superb read-aloud from about 8. The jungle peril and a scary moment or two make it best for children who enjoy real adventure; sensitive readers may prefer to share it with an adult.
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- Best fit · 8–12
- Read aloud · 8–11
- Independent · 9–12
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
Low
Reluctant-reader friendly
Workable
Read-aloud quality
Excellent
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Gift-buying
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: scary imagery.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
3 / 5 · Mostly fine
Graphic intensity
2 / 5 · Mild
Best for
- Survival adventure
- Jungle stories
- Read aloud
- Nature lovers
Avoid if
- Wants gentle bedtime
- Frightened by peril
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
Four kids, no grown-ups, and a whole jungle to survive, the danger and problem-solving are thrilling, and the discovery of a hidden ruined city sends the adventure somewhere unexpected. Fred's determination and the vivid, hair-raising wildlife keep the pages flying.
- Surviving danger
- Adventure and freedom
- Going on a quest
- Having a wise mentor
Why parents love it
Katherine Rundell's Costa-winning survival story is beautifully written and genuinely exciting, with the Amazon rendered so vividly you can almost feel the heat. It reads aloud superbly and quietly celebrates courage, curiosity and the wild world.
- Great writing
- Beautiful illustrations
- Conversation starter
About the creators
About the creators.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
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Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
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