Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advance digital copy of this book.

A solid fantasy. Perfect for readers looking for books about escaping into a magical world, and hidden magical abilities. Some inconsistencies but in general a good read for middle grades.

“‘The dig, the creek, the bridge over the creek. None of that was here before today. I made it appear in real life by drawing it. Because I’m a…mapmaker.’”

When twelve-year-old Walt and his twin sister Van move to Blackbird Bay, Walt isn’t expecting anything magical. He misses his home and friends in Los Angeles and really, really doesn’t want to attend the fast-approaching football camp his dad is insisting on. He’d much rather work on his map of Djaruba, a world he created when he was younger and has been adding to for years. But soon after his family’s arrival in Blackbird Bay, Walt makes an extraordinary discovery: what he draws on maps comes to life. What at first seems amazing soon becomes anything but when Walt, Van, and their new friend Dylan end up trapped in Djaruba. With a malevolent mapmaker searching for Walt and destroying worlds, the threesome must figure out a way to stop him—and fast. Because if worlds can so easily be erased on paper, could Earth be next?

Lisa Moore Ramée’s middle grade novel MAPMAKER is a delightful and imaginative adventure perfect for readers who see a bit of magic wherever they look. Walt is a sympathetic and relatable character, especially for those who also have moved to a new city. I greatly enjoyed reading how Walt, Van, and Dylan interacted, and once they got to Djaruba, everything is taken up a notch. The action and adventure are sensational, and there are some fabulous underlying themes present as well. If you enjoy magical middle grades and heartwarming heroes, MAPMAKER is the book for you!

Content Warnings: Sexism, toxic masculinity, some action sequences and peril, fire, death, mentioned death of an animal

MAPMAKER by Lisa Moore Ramée is out now from Balzer & Bray.

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

MapMaker is an imaginative middle grade fantasy with a cool premise. I love the concept of someone with a passion for maps, who discovers he can bring them to life. It allows for some picturesque setting descriptions of the town Blackbird Bay, which comes to vivid life alongside the magical world Walt creates.

Walt is incredibly relatable and has real kid struggles. He’s dealing with the expectations his father has for him that he can’t fulfill, and trying to adjust to a new place, and is using his passion for mapmaking and problem-solving as an outlet. Soon, he comes to a realization of the truth of his powers, and it sends him on a journey of self-discovery.

While it’s not a huge facet of the book, I love that the narrative is imbued with elements that explore what it’s like to be a Black child growing up in the United States, such as the reality of police violence.

The story is engaging and fast-paced, particularly once the central conflict with the magical threat comes into play.

I really liked this book, and I wouldn’t mind reading more from this author in the future. If you’re a fan of middle grade portal fantasy, I recommend giving this a try.

This exciting adventure story is about Walt, who's family has just moved to a new town and he really misses his old town (LA). His twin sister, Van, who is into sports and has lots of friends is no help. Walt likes to draw and has created elaborate maps of invented worlds, but his dad really wants him to play football, which is hard since he's small and not super motivated. He meets a new friend, Dylan, who he has a lot in common with. They decide to go get a Slurpee and everything gets a little weird-Walt is accosted by a security guard and rescued by the clerk at the 7-11 and both of the adults start talking about Walt as a Mapmaker and how he's going to need to help them get rid of Statica, an evil Mapmaker. The kids end up getting pulled into Walt's made up world, Djaruba, and then the big action starts. There are themes of finding your own place, the consequences of trying to make things go away without really dealing with them, friendship and family, as well as some small pieces about living as a person of color in modern America. I thought it was a great story and I think the kids are going to like the characters in this one.

I was swept away into this wonderful middle grade fantasy. I have long been a fan of Lisa Moore Ramée’s realistic grade—there is no one who creates characters, friendships, and family relationships quite like she does. MAPMAKER has strong, relatable characters, an exciting, fast-paced story, and a richly imagined world. Unlike his skateboard-loving twin, Van, Walt loves creating maps. After they move to the “boring” town of Blackbird Bay he discovers something unusual—when he draws on his map, those elements suddenly exist! I would recommend this to readers of Kwame Mbalia’s TRISTAN STRONG and Arnée Flores’s THE FIREBIRD SONG,

This is an exciting, own-voices novel about the power of creativity and the detriment of prejudices.

Great character development that validates an underdog as the hero of the story. Shy, small Walt discovers that even though he might never be a football star, he has other attributes that he hadn't previously given himself credit for. His problem-solving skills celebrate imagination and thinking outside the box – fantastic skills to nurture in children of any age.

This is a great coming of age story with interesting characters, lots of action, friendship, sibling bonds, and dragons!!!

A special thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.