The Last Mapmaker
 | Author:
Rachael Elliott-Brug, Reading Leaves
Rachael Brug: MT43 News Vice President and Copy Editor |
The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat is an exciting Thai-inspired fantasy written for Middle-School aged readers but is also a fun and engaging story for all ages. Sai is a twelve-year-old girl pretending to fit in with her wealthier peers. She has gained employment as an assistant to the most revered mapmaker in all of Mangkon. Her biggest secret is that her family really lives in the fens and earns their way by thievery. While reluctantly participating in her father's latest scheme, Sai is caught red-handed. To her astonishment, instead of turning her in, her employer offers her a way out of the fens with a chance to create the life she's always dreamed of. Jumping at the chance to seek her fortunes on the royally backed expedition, Sai sets sail for the fabled Sunderlands. With the old mapmaker as her mentor, she discovers friendship and treachery in the most unusual places.
Author of two 2021 Newbery Honor Books, Christina Soontornvat, has built a magical world on the high seas and beyond, full of friendship, adventure and dragons. I completely understand why she has been honored with these awards. As an adult reader, I would have no qualms at all about giving this book to anyone old enough to read the words or read out loud as a family read. This is a beautiful, thought-provoking story about identity and integrity.
Other titles by Soontornvat include A Wish in the Dark and All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team.
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PhotoCredit: Rachael Elliott-Brug
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