MM is an incentive-based reading achievement program with more than 1,500 students participating at four Fort Worth ISD elementary schools. The program rewards students for reaching each of “Maven the Raven’s Milestones:” Ascent, Afterburner, Approach and Call Sign Maven. Each milestone represents a specific number of points that the students earn by reading books and passing online quizzes.

Fourth and fifth graders at Cesar Chavez, Washington Heights, Woodway and Van Zandt-Guinn elementary schools went along for the ride as Hernandez told stories and presented pictures of the various species of animals he encountered on his 24-day excursion to the Osa Peninsula, including scarlet macaws, crocodiles, tapirs, monkeys and snakes.

“It was really special to share my experiences with these students,” Hernandez said. “I hope it inspires them to keep reading and to keep pursuing their education so they, too, can have similar opportunities.”

The Osa Peninsula is located on Costa Rica's southern Pacific edge near the Panama border. Hernandez took the trip to complete his first fiction novel, entitled, “Maven the Raven: Tree of Life,” which features the main character for which the reading program was named. His field research included a 30-mile roundtrip hike and overnight stay inside Corcovado National Park, which the National Geographic once described as the “most biologically intense place on earth.”