The Falcon's Feather is the second book in the Explorer Academy series from National Geographic, infusing the brand's print expertise and connections to the world of geographical storytelling with problem-solving, globe-trotting plotlines, slick maps and illustrations, and a hefty dose of science for younger readers. The plot of this installment is a mile-a-minute mashup of what it would be like if James Bond were a globe-trotting, puzzle-loving tween in an upgrade of the Magic Treehouse series, and I wanted to love it. However, this particular treatment dehumanizes issues of safety, trauma, and mental health while surfacing the costs of what we consider as entertainment.

Once I was a nerdy, science-fiction-loving kid, delighting in the sort of middle-grades books that left me satisfied by a good story but also wanting to know more about planetary dynamics, deep-ocean ecology, or solvents. Now I am a science teacher, as well as a parent...

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