Bren Owen, child of a mapmaker, wants adventure. His tiny, dirty town of Map holds no interest, not like the maps of fantastical places his father makes. He wants to see sea monsters and meet pirates, like the ones on evil Rand McNally's parchments. After yet another failed attempt at stowing away on a ship in the harbor, Bren is given an official punishment eaning the vomitorium d his hopes for excitement are well and truly dashed. Magic crashes into his boring and disgusting life when an admiral from the Dutch Bicycle & Tulip company hires him to find a missing and mystical object, believed to grant safe passage to anyone who wears it. It's here Bren finds what he wants most desperately, and then some, among friend and foe alike. This is a fun romp in the line of currently popular steampunk historical-adventure stories. Using the familiar name McNally as a villain gives middle readers a point of entry to this beginning of the series, which is chock-full of thrilling heroics.

Gr 4-8 Twelve-year-old Bren longs with all his boyish heart to go to sea and have adventures like those he has read about. Despite his father's wishes that he become a mapmaker, Bren tries once again to run away to sea. But after a near disaster, Bren is consigned to helping clean the vomitorium at Rand McNally's Map Emporium. A run in with a dying sailor and a strange coin set Bren on a journey he could never have imagined, involving secret treasure, an island not found on any map, and a strange new friend named Mouse. And while Bren doesn't believe in the supernatural, flashes of it start to appear during the journey until Bren must admit that it's all too real. Bren starts to realize that adventure isn't as romantic as he always thought, but the only way to get home again is to continue the journey he started. This engaging historical narrative will draw readers in who love stories of adventure and exploration with a strong dose of fantasy. The alternate history angle includes both the grossly realistic details of sailing and living in the Age of Discovery (1599 AD) with the dark supernatural creepiness of ancient magic and folk tales. The cliff-hanger ending guarantees that Bren's journey doesn't end with this first book. VERDICT Worth purchasing for libraries where historical fantasies are popular. Heidi Grange, Summit Elementary School, Smithfield, UT