OFF THE MAP — Review

Thought for the Day:

“Any writer worth his salt writes to please himself. It’s a self-exploratory operation that is endless.”
~ Harper Lee ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Sometimes we just feel like throwing in the towel, but there are good reasons not to. HERE is a good kick-in-the-pants post on Writer Unboxed by Rachel Toalson about Why It’s Important to Finish What You Start.

Randy Ingermanson has good advice in his posts, and the post HERE on how to write Your One-Sentence Summary is great. I like the examples.

I love words and finding out where they come from. HERE is a great article on medievalists.net with 15 Modern Words With Unusual Medieval Origins. It’s fun. Enjoy.

I finally heard from my friend in Los Angeles, and I’m happy to report she is fine. It’s great that the winds have abated, and they seem to be getting things under control at last, but the work is just beginning. I signed up for Storystorm again this year, and I’m enjoying all the inspirational posts I’m reading. It’s a great way to start the year and shake off the holiday break from writing. Even if you don’t write picture books, reading the posts will inspire new ideas, and you will learn new writing tips. I already have one new manuscript I’m working on from a Storystorm idea, and I’m having fun with it. If you aren’t familiar with Storystorm, you can check it out HERE. It’s a gift that keeps on giving that Tara Lazar blesses us with every January. I have football on while I’m writing this. I’m watching the Eagles vs. Rams, and the snow is really coming down. The Eagles just had a great play, and the players celebrated by making snow angels in the end zone. Let your inner child shine!

I’m always on the lookout for good survivor stories. When I find them with other good themes woven in, such as friendship and abandonment, I have to read them. OFF THE MAP by Meika Hashimoto came up on the review list for the Manhattan Book Review, and after I read a synopsis, I requested it right away. It does not disappoint. Here is my review for MBR.

Marlo is really looking forward to a backcountry canoe trip with her mom. Marlo’s dad left them recently, and then her best friend, Amos, has frozen her out since a few weeks before school ended. Mom says she has a surprise for the trip, and when they get to their launch area, Amos and his dad are waiting to join them. Worse, on the second day, the parents decide to give Amos and Marlo time together in one of the canoes. But the kids lose sight of the parents’ canoe, and they take a wrong turn, getting completely separated. Can the kids put their differences aside and work together to survive in the wilderness?

Meika Hashimoto has written a real page-turner of a survivor story with a nice twist of having a very relatable friendship conflict at the center of it. The voice of Marlo telling the story is pitch-perfect. The two kids battle against the wilderness of Alaska keeps tension on every page. The friendship drama adds to that tension and even adds a little mystery. As survivor stories go, this one is top-notch. Young readers (and older ones too) will love this one.

Please don’t forget to check for other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at Greg Pattridge’s blog HERE.