The Last Mapmaker

Last updated
The Last Mapmaker
The Last Mapmaker.jpeg
Author Christina Soontornvat
LanguageEnglish
Genre
Publisher Candlewick Press
Publication date
April 12, 2022
Publication placeUnited States
Pages368
Award Newbery Honor (2023)
ISBN 978-1-5362-0495-7

The Last Mapmaker is a 2021 children's fantasy novel written by American author and educator Christina Soontornvat. [1] [2]

The novel is set in the Kingdom of Mangkon, where 12-year-old Sai works as an assistant for Paiyoon Wongyai, the Master Mapmaker. After Paiyoon is tasked with mapping an unknown region to the south of the kingdom, Sai accompanies him and begins an adventure that will change her life. [3] [4]

The Last Mapmaker includes themes related to "anti-imperialism and environmental preservation", [5] as well as "classism, animal cruelty, exploitation of natural resources, and colonialism". [6]

The novel was well-received by critics, including starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, [4] Publishers Weekly, [7] and School Library Journal. [8] The Chicago Public Library, Kirkus Reviews, andThe New York Times named it one of the best children's books of 2022. [9] [4] [10] The following year, it won the Newbery Honor, Soontornvat's third. [11] [12] It was also an honor book for the Walter Dean Myers Award for Young Readers. [13] The Young Adult Library Services Association included it on their 2023 list of Best Fiction for Young Adults, [14] and the Association for Library Service to Children named it one of the year's Notable Children's Books. [15]

References

  1. ↑ "The Last Mapmaker". Booklist . February 15, 2022. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  2. ↑ Chainani, Soman (April 8, 2022). "Dragon Tales From the Authors of 'The Girl Who Drank the Moon' and 'A Wish in the Dark'". The New York Times . Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  3. ↑ Baker, D. F. (April 2, 2022). "The Last Mapmaker". The Horn Book Magazine . 98 (2): 81.
  4. 1 2 3 "The Last Mapmaker". Kirkus Reviews . 90 (3). January 10, 2022.
  5. ↑ "The Last Mapmaker". Shelf Awareness . April 29, 2022. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  6. ↑ Engelfried, Steven (January 19, 2023). "Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Finalist: THE LAST MAPMAKER by Christina Soontornvat". School Library Journal . Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  7. ↑ "The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat". Publishers Weekly . February 10, 2022. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  8. ↑ Cruz, Jose (May 1, 2022). "The Last Mapmaker". School Library Journal . Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  9. ↑ Krauss, Jennifer (December 8, 2022). "The Best Children's Books of 2022". The New York Times . Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Best Fiction for Older Readers of 2022 — a staff-created list from Chicago Public Library". Chicago Public Library . Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Association for Library Service to Children - Newbery Medal Winners & Honor Books, 1922 – Present" (PDF). American Library Association . Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  12. ↑ Engelfried, Steven; Mroczek-Bayci, Emily (March 8, 2023). "Newbery Surprise: A Look at 2023 Winner". School Library Journal. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Awards: Walter Dean Myers Winners". Shelf Awareness . January 11, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Best Fiction for Young Adults: 2023". Booklist . March 15, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Notable Children's Books: 2023". Booklist . March 15, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.