Soontornvat, Christina. Last Mapmaker, The. Candlewick, 04/2022. 355pp. Fiction. GRADES 4 – 6. $17.99. 978-1-5362-0495-7. OUTSTANDING.
This book transports readers to another world and is a complex story that shows us what impact
a power-hungry country can have on other people’s lives, including the effects of war and greed. Sai, the strong female main character, comes from the lowest class in her society but has managed to disguise herself as a well-bred young lady who is able to be an assistant to Mangkon’s most celebrated
mapmaker, Paiyoon Wongyai. Sai is a genius at disguise and observant to all that is going on around her. It is easy for Sai to choose to leave her father and the life she knows in order to go on an expedition to chart the southern seas. Much of the story transports the reader to life on the high seas and is reminiscent of Avi’s The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (Hearst, 1990). Secrets, mutiny, revenge, and survival are all at play. A must read story of high adventure, fantasy, trust, loyalty, and friendship.
Jennie Waskey—San Anselmo Public Library