Book excerpt: Hop aboard Wind Rider, a magical sailboat, with Max and Sofia, two kids trying to save the environment one problem at a time. Their second mission? Protecting majestic scarlet macaw chicks in the most biodiverse place on Earth, the Amazon rain forest. Max and Sofia are ordinary kids whose lives are changed when they discover an abandoned sailboat. They’re given the chance to make a real impact when the boat magically transports them to a different corner of the world to help other kids save their environment. Wind Riders: Search for the Scarlet Macaws is the second book in an illustrated chapter book series about Max and Sofia’s adventures tackling real world problems. Each story visits a new location and introduces a human-made problem endangering animals and the environment. With nature’s highest stakes and environmental activism baked into each book, as well as fun scientific facts included at the end, Wind Riders promises to be the chapter book series for newly independent readers who love nature documentaries and are hungry to learn about the world around them. There is beautiful two-color art throughout and an emphasis on collaborative problem-solving, compassion for the Earth and all its inhabitants, and friendship. Wind Riders is the perfect STEM chapter book series for fans of Magic Tree House, The Magic School Bus, and Zoey and Sassafras.