The Last Mapmaker

I find that any Newbery Honor winning book is a great read, and Christina Soontornvat’s latest novel does not disappoint.

Although it is a fast-paced fantasy adventure, there is enough realism in it to engage readers who prefer a real-life story.

In a world where what your ancestors were and did determine one’s social status, Sai, a young girl of twelve, is determined to create her own path. Her mother is dead and her father is a conman, ruling out any chance of an education, a career or a ‘lineal’, a chain of gold denoting social status.

A theme running through the book is: ‘The tail is the teeth’, in essence meaning one can’t escape the past. However, using deception, Sai manages to secure an apprenticeship with a mapmaker and after he accidentally discovers her copying (read forgery) skills, they both embark on a sea voyage to map the sea ice in the southern seas. However, Sai learns the ship may be heading for the fabled Sunderlands - a land of danger and dragons.

The narrative is full of suspense, danger and action with a few plot twists thrown in. Readers will find it hard to put down. The author explores themes of colonialism, whale-hunting, identity and integrity. The characters all have faults as well as redeeming factors. One example is when Sai snitches on Bo, a would-be pickpocket but then regrets it and harbours him as a stowaway on the ship at great risk to her own future.

Mistakes may have been made in one’s past, but this book encourages the acknowledgement of the past, learning from it and making changes for the better.

I would recommend this novel as a read aloud for upper primary students, as it is exciting and raises lots of ideas for robust discussion.