Explorer Academy is a very good start to a series. It’s about Cruz Coronado, a 12-year old from Hawaii who is accepted into Explorer Academy. It is a prestigious and selective school where the most talented children study to become explorers. When he arrives, Cruz meets kids with various talents, from futuristic scientists to acrobatic athletes. While studying to be an elite explorer and making allies, he encounters strange things that seem to threaten his life. He tries to excel in his various classes while trying to understand the mystery surrounding him. This book is very interesting, and it gives a refreshing and realistic take on talented kids.

Dactyl Hill Squad was a nice book. It's about an orphan named Magdalys who lives in New York during the Civil War in a time when dinosaurs are still alive. She and her friends go to the local theater, only to be attacked by powerful who want free people of color to be sent back to the South into slavery. They successfully escape and are brought to Brooklyn, where the Vigilance Committee resides. It is there that Magdalys learns about her rare and exceptional ability to mentally communicate with dinosaurs. Using this gift, she teams up with her old and new friends to attempt to take down the evil people who illegally support slavery. This book has an unusual concept, and certain people just won't find it interesting and appealing. Being that the main character is 12 years old, the book is best seen as engaging by tweens.