95th out of 252 books
—
925 voters
The Mapmaker and the Ghost
by
Sarvenaz Tash (Goodreads Author)
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 la
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
April 24th 2012
by Walker Childrens
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I was lucky to receive an ARC of this book and blazed through it in one day. Not only was it a great quest-driven book, but it was hilarious and had me snorting and laughing throughout. Goldenrod is one of those plucky, take-charge characters who you naturally root for and her little brother proves to be a very worthy (and sweet) sidekick. I'm sure this book will be enjoyed by all kids, because who doesn't love an adventure? Wonderful debut and I'm sure we'll see much more from this author!
I sup...more
I sup...more
THREE WORDS: Fabulous, Fantastical Fun
MY REVIEW: A plucky heroine, a daring quest, a ragtag group of outrageously named misfits, an elegant ghost, and thrilling adventure? Yep, Sarvenaz Tash’s MG book The Mapmaker and the Ghost has all of this and then some!
Eleven year old Goldenrod Moram loves maps, a good quest and her idols, the explorers Lewis and Clark. What starts out to be an ordinary, boring summer turns into a something so much more as Goldenrod sets out to make the most accurate and de...more
MY REVIEW: A plucky heroine, a daring quest, a ragtag group of outrageously named misfits, an elegant ghost, and thrilling adventure? Yep, Sarvenaz Tash’s MG book The Mapmaker and the Ghost has all of this and then some!
Eleven year old Goldenrod Moram loves maps, a good quest and her idols, the explorers Lewis and Clark. What starts out to be an ordinary, boring summer turns into a something so much more as Goldenrod sets out to make the most accurate and de...more
Review Written by my 10 year old sister
Goldenrod Moram is an adventurous girl who likes maps. She looks up to her idols, the famous explorers Lewis and Clark. As a grounded no-fun week of summer goes by Goldenrod wants to draw a map of her town, Pimilton. First she decides to do the west, then thinking better of it she decides to do the dense forest.
While at the edge of the forest she meets an old woman named Cassandra. Cassandra sets Goldenrod on an adventurous quest. The next day she sets o...more
Goldenrod Moram is an adventurous girl who likes maps. She looks up to her idols, the famous explorers Lewis and Clark. As a grounded no-fun week of summer goes by Goldenrod wants to draw a map of her town, Pimilton. First she decides to do the west, then thinking better of it she decides to do the dense forest.
While at the edge of the forest she meets an old woman named Cassandra. Cassandra sets Goldenrod on an adventurous quest. The next day she sets o...more
I loved this book! Let me preface this by saying I don't read a ton of MG--most of it doesn't appeal to me, but I've been super interested in this book since I saw the wicked cute cover. I managed to sneak a peek at an ARC, and I wasn't disappointed by this wonderful story.
Goldenrod is looking for a summer of adventure in her suburban mid-west town; her best friend has moved away and she's on her own, which isn't so bad for an intrepid explorer. Following in the footsteps of her hero, Meriwethe...more
Goldenrod is looking for a summer of adventure in her suburban mid-west town; her best friend has moved away and she's on her own, which isn't so bad for an intrepid explorer. Following in the footsteps of her hero, Meriwethe...more
I had the opportunity to read an ARC of THE MAPMAKER AND THE GHOST by Sarvenaz Tash and I highly recommend this clever adventure! Middle-grade boys and girls, parents, teachers and librarians will love the colorful mix of characters, especially our heroine, Goldenrod, whose love of exploring leads her into all sorts of danger. Readers will be inspired to grab a compass and set off on their own quest after finishing this wonderful debut.
In an effort to tame my tbr list, I have tried to become increasingly picky and I confess that while interested in this, I originally skipped over it on Netgalley in order to focus on YA titles. But then I saw that Small Review had gotten it (she's a bad influence ;) and I decided that I must read it too. So requested, read, and loved it!
The main character intrepid sixth-grader Goldenrod, so named by her garden-mad mother, has a deep love of maps as well as admiration for explorers Lewis and Cla...more
The main character intrepid sixth-grader Goldenrod, so named by her garden-mad mother, has a deep love of maps as well as admiration for explorers Lewis and Cla...more
My husband who has taught 1st graders for 18 years used to whisper in my ear when our daughter was a hell-on-wheels three-year-old, "Barb get sad, not mad." Which of course made me so mad I wanted to rip his eyeballs out. But he was right. And I knew it. I did learn to be sad, not mad (only had one relapse when she turned 13, but that is another story).
Goldenrod's teacher, Mrs. Barbroff also gets mad not sad. When she witnesses Goldenrod stabbing a pencil through a bully's backpack and spearing...more
Goldenrod's teacher, Mrs. Barbroff also gets mad not sad. When she witnesses Goldenrod stabbing a pencil through a bully's backpack and spearing...more
This was a fun book targeted for the 8 - 13 yr old crowd. Goldenrod is a fun and smart heroine with an enigmatic family. The "bad guys" are also interesting but a bit disgusting for my tastes (though I think most young boys will love their lint hoarding, snot shooting, etc. characteristics.) Goldenrod's adventure is good, clean fun with a fun ghost thrown into the mix.
The main problem I had with the book was that it was a bit slow going for me and predictable. Maybe I am too used to the action p...more
The main problem I had with the book was that it was a bit slow going for me and predictable. Maybe I am too used to the action p...more
May 13, 2012
Christina (A Reader of Fictions)
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
favorites-childrens-lit
Originally posted on my blog.
First Sentence: "Goldenrod Moram had a first name that sounded like it belonged in the middle of a fairy tale, where she would be the dazzling princess in need of rescuing."
Review:
See that first sentence up there? Well, Tash totally hooked me with that and the remainder of the first paragraph in which we learn how Goldenrod is not much like her name sounds, and just what she thinks about princesses. From that amusing beginning, The Mapmaker and the Ghost amused and i...more
First Sentence: "Goldenrod Moram had a first name that sounded like it belonged in the middle of a fairy tale, where she would be the dazzling princess in need of rescuing."
Review:
See that first sentence up there? Well, Tash totally hooked me with that and the remainder of the first paragraph in which we learn how Goldenrod is not much like her name sounds, and just what she thinks about princesses. From that amusing beginning, The Mapmaker and the Ghost amused and i...more
When your name is Goldenrod, how can you not be destined for amazing adventures? Saddle up to join a courageous young adventurer on a quest unlike anything you've ever seen before!
Eleven year old Goldenrod Moram (named for her mother's favorite hobby) is an adventurer at heart. She shines off the page! Her thirst for adventure is infectious, and I loved that her hobby was so different from most other young people When her best friend moves away, Goldenrod sets off to make the most detailed map...more
Eleven year old Goldenrod Moram (named for her mother's favorite hobby) is an adventurer at heart. She shines off the page! Her thirst for adventure is infectious, and I loved that her hobby was so different from most other young people When her best friend moves away, Goldenrod sets off to make the most detailed map...more
I knew I had to read this book the moment I saw the word mapmaker in the title. Being a lover of geography including maps, I was immediately intrigued. And the book did not disappoint, though I was surprised at the actual storyline. There wasn't as much fantasy as I was expecting, but it does play a strong role in leading Goldenrod into the woods where she not only receives her quest but runs into The Gross-Out Gang. The name of the gang is a big clue that there is a good amount of gross humor...more
Dec 29, 2011
Corrine Jackson
added it
I don't read a lot of middle grade books, so I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up THE MAPMAKER AND THE GHOST. This is kind of an area of books that I skipped over almost entirely since by middle grade I was reading romance novels and Sweet Valley High books. With that said, I find Sarv to be very funny, and I couldn't wait to see if they came across in her book.
I'm so happy to say it did. I was reading a copy that has exchanged hands between several Class of 2k12ers. We write comments t...more
I'm so happy to say it did. I was reading a copy that has exchanged hands between several Class of 2k12ers. We write comments t...more
Review originally posted here http://bookalicious.org/2012/04/revie...
The Mapmaker and the Ghost by Sarvenaz Tash is filled with fantastical adventures and map talk galore! It’s entertaining and imaginative and sure to suck the reader in right away.
Goldenrod Moram is a wonderfully done protagonist – she’s full self-conscious feelings that come with the start of middle school, yet still maintains that fun innocence and imagination that is so appealing to the reader. Goldenrod, and all of the char...more
The Mapmaker and the Ghost by Sarvenaz Tash is filled with fantastical adventures and map talk galore! It’s entertaining and imaginative and sure to suck the reader in right away.
Goldenrod Moram is a wonderfully done protagonist – she’s full self-conscious feelings that come with the start of middle school, yet still maintains that fun innocence and imagination that is so appealing to the reader. Goldenrod, and all of the char...more
Sarvenaz Tash's debut, THE MAPMAKER AND THE GHOST, is a delightful adventure that made me smile all the way through. Goldenrod is a wonderful protagonist--smart, strong, caring, and just a little rebellious--such a refreshing change from some of the "wilting flowers" of recent fiction. After her little brother, Birch, becomes her unwitting accomplice in a mapmaking exercise, the pair finds themselves on a ghost-given quest, solving mysteries, escaping caves, and eluding the members of the Gross...more
I won this on First Reads.
We love books of all types and ages. We have a lot of family so there is always a book that someone wants to read. I hoped we would win this one as it seemed like a cute little read. When I won it and received it, I started to read it right away. I would have been through it quickly had I continued to just read it to myself. About 20 pages in, I told my 3 teens I would be reading it outloud as I knew they would enjoy it too. Sarvenaz Tash had us all laughing and enjoyi...more
We love books of all types and ages. We have a lot of family so there is always a book that someone wants to read. I hoped we would win this one as it seemed like a cute little read. When I won it and received it, I started to read it right away. I would have been through it quickly had I continued to just read it to myself. About 20 pages in, I told my 3 teens I would be reading it outloud as I knew they would enjoy it too. Sarvenaz Tash had us all laughing and enjoyi...more
I read this in the original hardback. The Mapmaker and the Ghost is an intriguing mystery-adventure story that keeps unfolding, with an assortment of interesting characters and plot developments. While it is aimed at younger readers, it is well-written and proved to be a fun read for me as an adult. As such, I think it's a book that parents and teachers would actually LIKE to read along with their children / students.
More like 2.5 stars. Another one I got for Xander but I didn't think it was appropriate for his age. There were some kids in the story that came from some rough backgrounds and they were really quite mean. I wasn't big on these tough kids kidnapping a young boy and holdig him and his sister prisoner in some caves. Might be a little too scary for younger kids. Once again, more for the older kids, 10 and up.
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, makin...more
THE MAPMAMAKER AND THE GHOST is funny, exciting, quirky, and supremely clever. I loved the fairy-tale quality (enchanted flowers! quests! caves!) and the classic storytelling voice, mixed with contemporary dialogue and situations that kids will find relatable (getting along with siblings, dealing with the pain of having a friend who's moved away). I especially love how our heroine, Goldenrod Moram, sets out to map her entire neighborhood and gets drawn into a mysterious forest near her house; I...more
I won this in a goodreads giveaway. This is a great adventure story and i love that a female is the main character because way too often its only boys that get to have adventures. there is a lot of gross humor that I didn't really care for but I'm sure kids will love. Overall it was a fun and charming story for kids.
May 30, 2012
Lore
is currently reading it
I am looking forward to reading this book. As an elementary school librarian, I look forward to finding good reads for my students.
I have been very fortunate to have been in on this book since the very beginning. Being close friends with Sarvenaz Tash has many perks. One of which is being fortunate enough to read her works in progress. I have always loved Goldenrod and the adventures she has in Mapmaker and the Ghost. Each edit was better than the last and this final edit (in gorgeous Hardcover with beautiful design and illustrations) is my favorite yet. I have literally read this book over a dozen times in its different ed...more
Very cute book that introduces history topics. I am glad I won it in the goodreads sweepstakes! My son and I enjoyed the read. It opened up new ideas for him, such as exploring even if it is just his neighborhood. The only thing that I didn't like about the book (which knocked it to 4 stars vs. 5) is that the characters had dual names (one was their real name, while the other was a nickname). Many times my son would get confused on which character was which. But regardless, it was still enjoyabl...more
Goldenrod Moram is on a quest to map her town. Along the way she makes several discoveries: a ragtag bunch of hoodlums who’ve kidnapped her brother, an old woman who might be a witch, and the ghost of famous explorer Meriwether Lewis. Lewis urges her to find a magical blue rose in the forest. This will be hard to do when she’s also rescuing her brother, Birch, from the machinations of the hoodlums. This is a fun, adventure-filled MG read. The imaginative, curious spirit of childhood can be found...more
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| Book Giveaways: Book Giveaway - 1 hard back copy of "The Mapmaker and the Ghost" by Tash | 1 | 13 | Aug 20, 2012 06:39am | |
| Free Book Giveaway: Book Giveaway - 1 hard back copy of "The Mapmaker and the Ghost" by Tash | 1 | 2 | Aug 20, 2012 06:38am | |
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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. THE MAPMAKER AND THE GHOST...more
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“Unfortunately, it has come to my attention that the modern world is sorely lacking in imagination. And grown-ups are the biggest culprits of all.”
—
2 people liked it
“Goldenrod Moram had a first name that sounded like it belonged in the middle of a fairy tale, where she would be the dazzling princess in need of rescuing.”
—
1 person liked it
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