Meet the Secret Explorers! Children will be inspired to discover the world with these character-driven adventure stories for children aged 7 to 9 years old. Learn all about polar expeditions and the Arctic in this climate-related installment of DK Books' new educational fiction series for children. Meet the Secret Explorers - a band of brainiac kids from all around the world. Everyone in this diverse group of young experts has a speciality, from outer space to dinosaurs, and each story follows a character who gets chosen for a "secret exploration". In this fun, fact-filled children's book, engineering expert Kiki and Connor the marine biologist are sent on a mission to the Arctic. There they discover a research vessel studying the effects of climate change that has become trapped in the sea ice. To make matters worse, one of the ship's scientists who went to find help at a nearby research station hasn't returned. It's up to the Secret Explorers to find the scientist, free the ship, and save the day! Kids will love turning the pages to find out if the Secret Explorers manage to succeed in their mission! Enter the frozen world... With a thrilling narrative that keeps kids engaged,  The Secret Explorers and the Missing Scientist  book by SJ King is the perfect gift for children who are into all things arctic. It's written for children aged 7-9 years, with lots of information on the arctic world and the effects of melting sea ice. At the end of the book, you'll find "Kiki's Mission Notes" which is a summary of all the scientific facts and discoveries made throughout the story. With fun illustrations, quizzes, and a vocabulary list, the educational value of this book is outstanding and great for a classroom read! Get Ready to join the Secret Explorers Club The Secret Explorers series is a reminder to kids that they are limited only by their imagination and teaches them that learning is fun! But most of all, these educational books encourage children to believe that they can become experts in something they love. This edge-of-your-seat adventure book is packed with: • Fun facts and illustrations about polar bears • Simple and engaging explanations on how to survive in arctic conditions • Quizzes, mission notes, and a glossary of words with definitions Complete the series Each book in the series combines exciting adventures with real-life facts related to the Secret Explorers' latest fictional mission. Don't miss out on more secret explorations! Take on an out-of-this-world mission in  The Secret Explorers and the Comet Collision . Travel back in time to save a dinosaur egg from destruction in  The Secret Explorers and the Jurassic Rescue . Set out on a journey to stop the Cairo Museum from closing down in  The Secret Explorers and the Tomb Robbers . Then take a trip up an erupting volcano in  The Secret Explorers and the Smoking Volcano. Gr 2-4-The Secret Explorers are back in a new action-packed adventure, heading up to the Arctic to rescue a missing scientist and save a trapped research ship. After Kiki, the group's Engineer Explorer and Connor, the Marine Explorer, jump into Beagle, their go-kart/transporter, they arrive in the Arctic. Trusty Beagle morphs into a snowmobile, so when the kids notice a huge ship stuck in the ice, he whisks them over to help. On board, they find out that the ship is in danger of sinking and that the scientist who went for help hasn't returned. Kiki and Connor know their mission! Beagle whirls them across the icy tundra in search of the scientist, but instead of finding her, they find some menacing looking footprints in the snow. Quickly discovering that they belong to a polar bear, Kiki and Connor realize that danger is about to get lot more real, and it's time to call the Secret Explorers for help. Thanks to some awesome science and great teammates, Kiki and Connor locate the scientist. But the polar bear is on their tail and the ship is running out of time. How can the Secret Explorers save the day when there is still so much to learn? Packed with almost as much STEM as action, this title keeps readers turning pages. Scientific concepts, like snowmobile engineering and polar bear biology, are illustrated through the easy-to-understand narrative, making science fun and memorable. The prose, pacing, and characterization are spot-on for readers moving on from books like the "Magic Treehouse" series. Racial diversity and gender equality take this book from fantastic to exceptional-a back cover illustration of the crew shows children of various skin tones. Kiki has dark brown hair and skin, while Connor has lighter brown hair and skin. Includes Mission Notes, a quiz, and a glossary. VERDICT Readers won't be able to put this Arctic adventure down; a must-buy for public and school libraries.-Kate Davis, Fort Lupton Pub. & Sch. Lib., COα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. SJ King lo