Parents' Guide to

The Map to Everywhere

By Mary Eisenhart, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Thrilling fantasy series opener makes a great read-aloud.

The Map to Everywhere Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 8+

Based on 2 parent reviews

age 9+
age 7+

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (4):

There are plenty of positive messages in this tale, made all the more appealing by springing from epic adventures and believable internal conflict. Kids too young to read the story for themselves will love the exuberant sound of the language when the story's read aloud, and more sophisticated readers will enjoy the big, oddball words (such as the ship's name: Enterprising Kraken) and creative treatments of themes that date back to ancient times (such as rumor-whispering plants). Illustrator Todd Harris adds to the fun with dramatic, funny black-and-white scenes.

But, although The Map to Everywhere is a great adventure tale, what sets it apart is a profound but delicately conveyed sense of kindness and heart. Here is a description of Marrill's conversation with neighbor kids who've dug up a cow bone and are sure it's from a dinosaur: "Marrill felt a twinge of guilt. They'd been imagining a great discovery, and she'd messed it up by bringing in boring reality. It was a feeling she knew all too well. But thanks to her parents' jobs, she normally got to have lots of cool adventures, and she'd be leaving for more any day now. The only adventures the Hatch boys would have were the ones they made up. And now she'd ruined even that."

Book Details

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