The Last Explorer

“The Last Explorer,” made for kids ages 8 to 12, puts the reader in the shoes of the last in a long line of explorers, who inherits a grandmother’s notebook and the one blank page left on the map of the world. On every page, a decision changes the course of the story: take off in the little airship moored to the cliff or climb down the ladder that drops into a glowing canyon, ride the river by canoe or follow it on foot, open the box left by an old traveling companion or put it back where it was. No two readings are alike: the book offers more than twenty branches and several possible endings, from the blank page finally drawn to a meeting with a people no one had ever seen. This is not a novel to read in one sitting but a real adventure to steer, where every choice counts and going back to try another path is part of the fun. The book already includes the complete story with all of its branches, a world map to fill in as you read, and a very simple rules page that shows how to jump from one numbered passage to the next. A blank logbook is included to note the places discovered and the paths already tried. It can be read alone, aloud, or in pairs.