The Mapmaker Chronicles series is pure fiction, but some of the techniques described in the books are based on fact. Dead Reckoning, for example, is an ancient navigational technique that involves measuring the distance and speed travelled from a fixed point (usually the port from which you’d sailed), while a Plumb Line – a piece of string with a weight fixed to the end – was used to measure the depth of water.
You can find more information about maps at these websites:
If you’d like to do more reading about maps, exploration, navigation and history, you might be interested in some of the books on A.L. Tait’s bookshelf:
- Great Race: The Race Between The English And The French To Complete The Map Of Australia National Library of Australia
- Into the Unknown: How great explorers found their way by land, sea and air Stewart Ross
- A Street Through Time Steven Noon
- Lonely Planet Not For Parents: How to be a world explorer
- Horrible Histories: Vicious Vikings Terry Deary, Martin Brown
- The Renaissance Explorers Alicia Z Klepeis
And here are more books for kids about mapmaking:
- Me On The Map Joan Sweeney (Illustrator: Annette Cole) (4+)
- Mapping Penny’s World Loreen Leedy (4+)
- There’s A Map On My Lap Tish Rabe (Illustrator: Aristides Ruiz) (4+)
- Henry’s Map David Elliott (4+)
- Map My Neighborhood Jennifer Boothroyd (6+)
- Follow That Map: A First Book Of Mapping Skills Scot Ritchie (7+)
- Maps Activity Book Aleksandra Mizielinska, Daniel Misielinska (7+)
- Atlas Of Adventures Rachel Williams (Illustrator: Lucy Letherland) (7+)
- Map Art Lab Jill K. Berry, Linden McNeilly (7+)
- Discover Science: Maps and Mapping Deborah Chancellor (7+)
ACTIVITIES
- Create your own map – a cool craft activity with free printable.
- How to make a homemade compass
WANT MORE?
Discover the mapmaker chronicles
THE MAPMAKER CHRONICLES is a four-book epic adventure series for kids 9+ about a race to map the world – and a boy who really doesn’t want to go. It’s about facing the unknown, finding your feet and figuring out who you are. The series is available in Australia, New Zealand, the USA, the UK, Lithuania and Turkey. You can find more details here.
