Founder of the 'Choose Your Own Adventure' books has died

R.A. Montgomery, the author and editor who founded the popular "Choose Your Own Adventure" series of children's books, has died at age 78. Montgomery passed away this past Sunday at his home in Vermont, and his death was announced Thursday night by the books' current publishing company, Chooseco.

Montgomery first launched the series when another writer came to him in 1977 with a title called Sugarcane Island. With previous experience promoting role-playing games as educational tools, Montgomery then decided to write the next book, Journey Under the Sea, as part of a series he called "The Adventures of You." He would later sell the line to Bantam Books, who gave it the name "Choose Your Own Adventure," which people know today.

Montgomery continued to write for the series, Chooseco notes, with his most recent book released just this past September.

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"Montgomery, who was passionate about education all his life, felt that interactive fiction was critical to reluctant readers in achieving reading fluency, which is the final stage of achieving true literacy," the company said.