Andrew Zimmern has eaten a smorgasbord of local specialties-from coral worms in Samoa to horse-rib-and-rectum sausage in Kazakhstan-over his 12 seasons as host of Bizarre Foods on the Travel Channel. Entertaining? Always! Stomach-churning? Sometimes. But above all, the 4-time James Beard Award-winning television personality, chef, entrepreneur, teacher, author...and dad...is on a mission to promote cultural acceptance, tolerance and understanding through food. In AZ AND THE LOST CITY OF OPHIR: Alliance of World Explorers, Volume One (Beaver's Pond Press; February 5, 2019; 978-1-64343-986-0; $15.95 Hardcover), written by Andrew Zimmern and H. E. McElhatton, with full-color illustrations by Lisa Troutman, Zimmern draws young readers into a whirlwind adventure, packed with intrigue, danger, magic, and culinary curiosities. In his first work of fiction, Zimmern introduces a 12-year-old hero who shares his taste for intrepid eating. Proud of his "iron stomach," young AZ will eat anything-sautéed grasshoppers, squashed worms, even cafeteria meatloaf lurking in the school dumpster-no matter how strange, stinky, slimy, gritty, grimy, or gross. When the novel opens, AZ is excited to spend the summer with his archeologist parents on a dig in the Siberian tundra. Sadly, his dreams are dashed by a bad report card. Instead of exploring, he'll be stuck in summer school and grounded at the home of his odd Uncle Arthur. Resigned to two months of math drills and bland food, AZ is thrilled when Uncle Arthur reveals his covert mission with the Alliance of World Explorers (AWE) and whisks him along. At the introductory reception, AZ meets two kids his age, Edward (an egghead) and Lux(a staunch vegetarian). After a time-traveling mishap, AZ and his new friends wind up in Ophir, the Lost City of Secrets, fabled for its endless supply of gold. Filled with wonder, this ancient Egyptian city also has a dark side. Relying on his friends and his gut, AZ sets out to unravel Ophir's mysteries-and find a way back home. But first, he must brave cursed tombs, blood-thirsty crocodiles, one repulsive villain, and a feast-fried tarantulas, chocolate-coated caterpillars, and more-to challenge even his stomach.