Readers Guide Plots in “Choose Your Own Adventure” Series

Choose Your Own Adventure, a successful book series first published in the 1980s and then re-released with updated elements, captures the attention and imagination of even the most reluctant young reader. Incredibly popular, the secret to the series’ success lies in letting the reader play the leading role as the main character in each story, choosing from many possible outcomes at different points along the way.

Making choices empowers readers to become involved and encourages ownership of the tales, through decision-making fun. Choices are sometimes surprising and always compelling, encouraging young readers to become deeply involved in the story and making them want to keep reading. Praised by parents, teachers and librarians, CYOA books are a great example of “everything old is new again.” Interactive titles are available to suit different reading levels, from beginner through advanced. The series is designed for readers aged 7 to 12 so that younger readers, less-skilled readers and even voracious readers can enjoy the reading experience.

Punishment: Earth by R. A. Montgomery, # 36 in the Choose Your Own Adventure series, takes place on the mythical planet Orca. The narrative is in the second person so each reader identifies and sees him or herself as the main character. In Punishment: Earth, the reader and a friend, Og, live under the watch of generations of Elders who don’t remember ever being young or adventuresome.

One day the reader and Og wander into the forbidden area of Orca and discover a secret history no one has ever mentioned. Then they are captured and “punished” by the tribunal of elders by being sent to visit Earth, a young planet full of adventurous beings like themselves. What happens going forward is up to the individual reader. Punishment Earth has fifteen different possible endings, thirty-eight black-and-white illustrations and one-hundred-forty-four pages — long enough to provide a meaty story line with plenty of options to encourage multiple reads.

Author R. A. Montgomery is an avid outdoorsman who has hiked in the Himalayas, climbed mountains in Europe, scuba-dived in Central America, and sailed in Francophone Africa. He has lived in France, travels frequently to Asia, and calls Vermont home. His wide-ranging interests include macroeconomics, geo-politics, mythology, history, mystery novels, and music.

This publisher has a 30-year history of publishing children’s interactive books. Add these best sellers to your retail library. Start choosing at www.cyoa.com