Ethan and Maya have 45 minutes to save a town that’s glitching out of existence. Along the way, they (and your readers) discover what it takes to build a place where people want to live, work, and stay…and how they can be part of the solution.
- By Mark C. Perna
- Illustrated by Greg Scheetz
- Paperback · October 2026
A walk down Main Street turns into a mission
It starts with a simple question. Why are half the stores in town sitting empty? Before Ethan and Maya can figure it out, a strange orb in the community center pulls them into a digital version of their hometown. The screen gives them one instruction: use ec-dev to save the community. Nobody is around to explain what that means, and the countdown has already started.
Every move teaches them something:
- Drop in a factory with no one trained to work there and it flickers out
- Skip fixing the roads and the trucks can’t get through
- Download a giant corporation without a plan and watch the small shops go dark
Each mistake is a lesson in how real communities grow, and by the final page, Ethan and Maya figure out the piece that was missing all along.
Hint: it’s them.
So people don't just go where the jobs are... They go where they can build a great life.
Ethan and Maya, The Community Quest
Two unlikely heroes. One town that needs them.
Ethan
Quick with a joke and slower to admit when he’s wrong. Ethan leaps first and asks questions later, but when the pressure’s on, he keeps things moving.
Maya
The one who stops to ask why before anyone starts pressing buttons. Sharp, steady, and quietly stubborn, Maya doesn’t panic when things go sideways.
Economic development, explained through adventure
No kid wants to hear a lecture on economic development. Every lesson in the book comes from something Ethan and Maya try, break, and fix on their own.
Jobs need skilled people
A new factory means nothing if no one can do the work. Training and jobs have to grow together.
Infrastructure keeps a town moving
Roads don’t just appear. Without them, goods can’t get where they’re going and businesses stall.
Livability is why people stay
Parks, housing, schools, and the arts make a place worth staying to build a life.
Big and small businesses need each other
One giant company can’t carry a town alone. A healthy economy connects employers of every size.
Leaders have to come together
When decision-makers sit at the same table, community investments can serve everyone.
Young people matter here
Their ideas, talents, and involvement make a difference. Strong communities need the next generation to show up.
Your work, finally in a language every kid understands
Ask a room full of middle and high schoolers what economic development is and you’ll probably get blank stares. Ask their parents and you might get the same. The Community Quest changes that conversation. It gives you a fun, memorable way to show young people (and the adults around them) how communities grow and why your work matters.
Put it in their hands, and you plant the idea that they can build a life and a career right where they are. Economic development is a team effort!
School and classroom visits
Read it with students, then talk about what’s happening in your own community.
Career days and youth programs
A natural starting point for conversations about local careers and pathways.
Library and school donations
Stock shelves across your district or region with a book that tells a positive story about economic development.
Community events
A giveaway that families actually take home and read, perfect for groundbreakings, open houses, and festivals.
Partner and board outreach
An easy leave-behind that helps stakeholders explain economic development to the families they serve.
The Community Quest Discussion Guide
Take the story further with this brief companion guide! Educators, parents, and economic developers can use these conversation starters to connect Ethan and Maya’s adventure to the real community right outside the classroom window.
Mark C. Perna
Mark C. Perna is a speaker, best-selling author, CEO, and believer in the untapped greatness of today’s young people. He works to connect the pipelines between education, employment, and economic development so every community can thrive. He keynotes extensively across North America and frequently appears on podcasts, radio, and television with a message about building your personal competitive advantage.
With contributions from: Dennis Fraise, economic developer and host of Develop This!; Brian Namey, Chief Public Affairs Officer at the International Economic Development Council (IEDC); and Julie Curtin, President of the Economic Development practice at Development Counsellors International (DCI).
Enlist the next generation in your mission to build stronger communities.
Bring The Community Quest to the schools, libraries, events and families in your community.
The Community Quest: An Adventure in Building a Better Tomorrow · Paperback · ISBN 979-8-9977179-0-2 · Perna Group, LLC