The world is a big place, filled with endless possibilities. Travel provides an opportunity to not only view many of those possibilities firsthand but also, have invaluable experiences that broaden the perspective. Far too many Black children, however, don’t get to see very much of this great big world and that’s a problem. In an increasingly global age, Black children who aren’t exposed to travel miss out on awesome experiences and educational opportunities. Three Black siblings are living an unconventional childhood, traveling the world and sharing their experiences through the Fennell Adventures series of books.
What’s it like for a Black child to travel to Cuba or Hawaii? What does New Orleans look like, through their eyes? All of these questions and more are answered by the Fennell kids, three siblings who are passionate about traveling and inspiring other children to read, through their original published works. The Fennell Adventure books not only educate children on subjects like math and language, they also take children through magical travel journeys that they control, through a “choose your own Fennell journey” format. Each page in these exciting books take children on different paths and at the end, there is a travel itinerary that recaps the entire journey. Children are empowered as travelers on exciting journeys and even from their bedroom, have the opportunity to see new places, through the lenses of kids who are just like them.
Jiyah, Jace and Merl are 16, 12 and 11, respectively; the trio has already logged some serious flight miles. Jace was always enthusiastic about reading but he noticed that many of his peers didn’t share his enthusiasm. He wished they did and when he expressed that to his mother, Jennaye Fennell, she said to him, “What are you gonna do about it?” Since he knew many kids hadn’t been to Hawaii, as he’d done at age seven, he decided to write about his travels there. That book inspired Jace’s little brother, Merl, to do some writing of his own. After a trip to Texas, Merl wrote his first book, which teaches the alphabet through rhyming schemes. Jace followed that up with a book about his trip to Cuba. Jiyah has since added a book about her time in Atlanta and Merl wrote a book about his trip to New Orleans, which helps children learn counting and Spanish.
The Fennell adventures extend well beyond their books and travels. The trio has launched their own podcast, “Live Life to the Fullest,” which features guests who are making major moves. In addition, they have launched their own YouTube channel, which features a new show, “Inspire.” The show will feature interviews with celebrities, the first being President Barack Obama. The Fennells are taking children everywhere on adventures and in doing so, creating a greater passion for reading and learning. Your children can benefit greatly from the adventures of this family, check them out today and please subscribe to their website, www.fennelladventures.com.
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