I don’t know if I explained this last time I wrote about a 2k12 book, as each member of the Class of 2k12 gets an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of their book, we’ve been circulating the books throughout the twenty class members. It’s called an ARC Tour and as long as the author wants us to, we make notes inside the book as were reading and after the book has made the rounds, it will go back to the author as a kind of souvenir of our time together. *heart squish* I’m so looking forward to letting these wonderful new friends read TOUCHING THE SURFACE.
I just finished my second ARC Tour book, THE MAPMAKER AND THE GHOST by Sarvenaz Tash. This was also a middle grade novel and while very different than MAY B. by Caroline Starr Rose, it was just as wonderful. Let me tell you a little bit about the book. All the information I’m providing about Mapmaker and Sarvenaz, comes directly from her website.
Goldenrod Moram loves nothing better than a good quest. Intrepid, curious, and full of a well-honed sense of adventure, she decides to start her own exploring team fashioned after her idols, the explorers Lewis and Clark, and to map the forest right behind her home. This task is complicated, however, by a series of unique events—a chance encounter with a mysterious old lady has her searching for a legendary blue rose. Another encounter lands her in the middle of a ragtag gang of brilliant troublemakers. And when she stumbles upon none other than the ghost of Meriwether Lewis himself, Goldenrod knows this will be anything but an ordinary summer . . . or an ordinary quest.
Kimberly Sabatini’s Review of THE MAPMAKER AND THE GHOST
I can’t wait to get my own copy of The Mapmaker and the Ghost. This is one that I’m dying to re-read with my boys. They’re going to love this story. Mapmaker has all the components of a great middle grade book, starting with the fact that it’s funny. The cool part, is that that the humor is written with multiple layers. It’s “gross” and slap-stick, to amuse the MG reader and equally as intelligent and quirky for the adult reading out loud. The characters and the plot are grounded in truth, making them believable and relatable, but the magical realism makes everything unique and very interesting. To top it all off, the reader gets to learn a little bit about maps and history along the way. I know the minute my kids finish reading this book, they’ll be out in the woods, having adventures and making maps of their own. I can’t ask for more than that.
First I’ll give you a crash course in how to pronounce Sarvenaz’s name. This way you can rock her world when you catch her at a book signing.
– My name is pronounced Sar (like the first part of Sara) – ve (rhymes with meh) – naz (rhymes with ‘cuz).
Sarvenaz Tash was born in Tehran, Iran and grew up on Long Island, NY. She received her BFA in Film and Television from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. This means she got to spend most of college running around and making movies (it was a lot of fun). She has dabbled in all sorts of writing including screenwriting, copywriting, and professional tweeting. Sarvenaz currently lives in Brooklyn, NY where all the streets are laid out in a delightfully simple grid system. THE MAPMAKER AND THE GHOST is her debut novel.
You can find out more about Sarvenaz Tash and THE MAPMAKER AND THE GHOST here…
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Sounds like a great read for youngsters. Very cool cover, too. Best of luck, Sarvenaz! 🙂
Thanks, Linda! And thank you, Kim, for this lovely write-up. I love that you found the humor in multiple layers. 🙂