Parents' Guide to

A Map of Days: Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, Book 4

By Andrea Beach, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Creepy series installment adds lots of teen angst.

Book Ransom Riggs Fantasy 2018
A Map of Days: Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, Book 4 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

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age 8+

Based on 1 parent review

M5756
M5756 Adult
January 19, 2020
age 8+

Absolutely Brilliant

There is nothing inappropriate at all in this book. There are some very scary situations which the characters face, and for this reason it is probably best for fifth graders and up. But there is no content exactly--no sex, no drugs, no graphic violence--that would give parents pause. And the themes--friendship, cooperation, peace, acceptance of others--are all excellent. This 4th book in the series is an exciting urban fantasy that people of all ages enjoy. I do think immature readers or people who are less educated might not be able to follow it. It has a high lexile level, and it certainly employs a wide range of vocabulary. Ransom Riggs is a gifted writer, and my guess is that any negative reviews you read her are by people less capable of understanding the storyline.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

A MAP OF DAYS: MISS PEREGRINE'S PECULIAR CHILDREN, BOOK 4 picks up about six weeks after the events in Book 3. The peculiars are now staying with Jacob at his home in Florida while Miss Peregrine and the other ymbrynes (a female peculiar who can take the form of a bird and manipulate time) concentrate on rebuilding their devastated world. As Jacob is trying to teach the peculiars about his "normal" world, they come across hints that Jacob's grandfather, Abe, was involved in mysterious activities in the peculiar world. Sure that they've done enough growing up to handle whatever comes their way and tired of being treated like children, Jacob, Emma, and a few other peculiar friends set out on an epic road trip from Florida to New York, trying to piece together the truth about Abe. Without telling Miss Peregrine, of course. But by the time they get to New York, things are way out of their control. Will they learn the truth about Abe, and will they be able to put some sort of life together for themselves?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (2 ):

This fourth installment brings back much of what fans loved about the first three Miss Peregrine books, but a lot of it's diluted by large splashes of teen angst. Sure, A Map of Days has lots of deliciously creepy, vintage photographs (many now in color); sure, it's got hollowgasts, time loops, wights, and even more peculiars, good and bad; and sure, danger and mystery lurk around every corner. But those corners often come after long passages of discussion, argument, endless driving, and fretting about conflicting emotions and deciding futures. At times readers may feel as restless as the teens crammed into the back seat after four or five hours on the road.

That being said, it's still a must-read for fans of the series. Jacob's and Emma's lives are at important turning points, and the answers they're looking for echo back to the past, and will no doubt reverberate far into the future. Answers to questions only raise more questions, and readers will eagerly await the next installment because, make no mistake, this story is far from over.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the violence in A Map of Days. How much is too much? Is it different in books than in movies or TV? Why?

  • Have you read the other books in the series, or seen the movie of the first book? Which did you like best? Why do we like scary books, movies, games, etc.?

  • Have you ever been frustrated by an adult who doesn't seem to understand how grown up you are? What happened? How do you know when you're ready to tackle something on your own?

Book Details

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