The Slippery Map by N.E. Bode

The Slippery Map Reviews

• 
  Heather

  I had previously read the Anybodies series by N.E. Bode at the recommendation of a friend who treasured the first book as a child. I immediately fell in love with Fern and all the wonderful word about her and her adventures. This book isn't about Fern, however, but a young boy named Oyster R. Motel that knows relatively nothing about his past. He lives within a nunnery of silent nuns, that have hilarious names. This was entertaining and fun. I found myself having a hard time getting away wanting to know more about Oyster and discovering a whole new world.
• 
  carrietracy

  It took me far too long to read this, a sure sign that it dragged. There were parts that I loved, but for the most part, I found it a bit overwhelming. There were a ton of characters, most of whom lacked development. Oyster (the main character) whizzed through locations with great speed, something that didn't really allow readers to get their bearings before charging on to the next thing. I guess ultimately, I didn't buy into the world-building as well as I should have. Oh well.
  
  Gah. Unlike the charming letter Suzanne Selfors used to begin Smells Like Treasure, N.E. Bode’s letter feels adult and dry. Evidently our author is dealing with a crisis of confidence and manages to pull out of it due to a magnificent story told by a nun. These are inherently adult things, being at a conference and feeling like a fraud, having a vast knowledge of nuns. I am not quite as anxious to delve into this one.
  
  The story begins in a nunnery where a ten year old boy, Oyster, is increasingly difficult. He’s been raised by nuns after being abandoned as a baby, but as an older child he is continually up to mischief, much to their dismay. Think Maria in the Sound of Music, but with more tadpoles. These nuns have fantastic names such as Sister Mary Many Pockets and Sister Alice Self-Defense, thus dubbed by Oscar, it seems, based on their main characteristics (a trick that allows the author to avoid any characterization of these women). Like many children who have been abandoned or given up for adoption Oscar thinks of his parents and sometimes wonders if he’s where he belongs. A truly awful woman who works with the nuns adds to his fears by continually harassing him and calling him a reject.
  
  But when Oscar finally makes it outside the protective walls of the convent, he soon learns there is more to the world than his tiny safe haven. There’s even more to the world than his own city of Baltimore. A chance encounter with a Mapkeeper of Imagined Other Worlds sets Oscar wondering, but before he’s truly dreamt of what may come, he finds himself inside a map, specifically, another world imagined by his parents. He is viewed as a salvation, the one who will save this world which is in peril.
  
  From there an adventure ensues. Sadly, it drags in places and rushes through others. Characterization is weak and the world building is a bit lacking. Children who are into imaginary creatures and worlds might take to it more than others, but it’s unlikely to draw in children who aren’t used to the genre. I felt like there was too much going on and also, not quite enough going on.
  
  It should be noted that I have some concerns with the handling of adoption in this book, from the abandonment on the church steps to his parents being a married, happy couple. While Oscar does explore some of the emotions that might be typical of a child in his situation, in other parts, it seems like his fantasy of a normal home life with his biological parents will come true. I think my one true relief in the end was that he did end up mostly staying with the nuns and visiting his parents.
  
  An additional note of annoyance: Oscar had long wished to be friends with a boy who lived across the street from the convent. A boy who happened to wear leg braces. And of course, was miraculously cured by the end of the book. I just can’t. You lose any possible credit for diverse characters if you’re going to use magic to heal them in the end.
  
  For full review including any potentially objectionable content see my blog:
  http://bit.ly/1Kn7qGC
• 
  Kim

  Gr 4-7-Throughout Baltimore, children are falling victim to the Awful MTDs-Mysterious Temporary Disappearances. One minute there, then, poof! Gone. And with another poof, returned. Adults find it quite disconcerting, but Oyster R. Motel, a 10-year-old orphan who lives in a nunnery, longs for the adventure of an MTD. One day, he enters a dusty old shop full of scrolls and discovers the ancient Mapkeeper, charged with recording the Imagined Other Worlds of children. Oyster is pulled into one of them and learns that the disappearances of other children have been bungled attempts to get him into Boneland, the imaginary world that his parents created many years ago. It has taken on a life of its own, and as a result of the Foul Revolution, his parents are now prisoners of the evil Dark Mouth. Along with his companion Leatherbelly, a timid dachshund, he sets out to find the parents he has never met and to prevent Dark Mouth from using the Slippery Map to slide into the real world. Through his adventures, he comes to understand the power of unleashed imagination and discovers the true meaning of family. This story does not have the effortless humor and whimsy that made The Anybodies (HarperCollins, 2004) shine. The cast of characters is confusing, as are all the locations that Oyster must traverse to reach the final destination, and parts of the story drag. Dorman's pencil drawings of the various characters add a light touch; it's unfortunate that there's no detailed image of the Slippery Map, with the various locations laid out. Purchase where Bode has a loyal following.-Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
• 
  jennifer

  This is such a cute story. Has a really nice dose of endearing humor, especially the descriptions used for the characters. It presents as a story about the imagination and the "other" world's one can create when young. But, at heart, it is really a story about being who you are, and realizing where, and by whom, you are truly loved. And within that it's about finding home, and through the journey of the imagination, figuring out where that is. In this case - right back in the very place the main character started.
  
  It's also a good story for kids whose explorations and curiosities sometimes cause them struggles or conflicts with their cargeviers, as it shows even though a caregiver may get angry, frustrated, or display a sense of being at wits end, the love and acceptance of who the child truly is, is still there. Sometimes it takes a journey to get back to it, but the love doesn't go away even admist all ones growing pains.
  
  And finally, I really liked the end. It's not as one might expect. The story did a good job of not negating itself and validateding all the love that the main character started with. He gets what he always wanted and realizes he already had it. :-)
• 
  Shelly Jebe

  This novel is full of really intriguing ideas: every ones' imagined world are recorded down on actual maps, you can jump yourself into these maps, you can also get stuck inside the world of this map. The story itself features Oyster Motel, a young orphan who has been raised in a nunnery and is tired of being an unwanted menace. He journey's into his parent's map to discover a world rife with turmoil and political uprising where he learns to depend upon himself and sees that he is capable of great things. I think that this idea for a story has the potential to be huge among all audiences, and that Baggott (Bode) chose to downsize the huge story into a fun children's story. She does this well and creates a world that all young readers would love to be lost in. I enjoyed the quirky characters and unexpected plot twists.
• 
  James Webster

  It took me awhile to get into this one, since it takes awhile for Oyster (the main character) to actually escape from his timidity and use the map to go into the fantasy world. Once there, it gets more interesting...until the sheer number of whimsical creatures, places, and humans of various stripes makes it a bit hard to follow. Again, things pick up when Oyster meets the laughably pathetic Vince Vance and takes on evil Dark Mouth. This is domestic comedy fantasy, not high fantasy, and it's fun when the humor works, not so much fun when it falls flat. Middle grade readers will probably like it more than adults. See my complete review at
  J.S. Webster Mind Voyages.
• 
  Phoebe

  An original fantasy featuring a boy (Oyster) raised by nuns who have taken a vow of silence. When Oyster turns 10, he begins to feel unwanted, too loud, too rambunctious, too full of life. So maybe it's for the better when he stumbles upon a strange shop full of maps, presided over by the Mapkeeper. Maybe it's fate that the slippery map falls into his hands and he decides to steal it--since it has a peculiar connection to his missing parents. And as he tumbles into another world, he finds his mettle tested against creepy creatures and the frightening Dark Mouth. Quirky and compelling. 4th-6th grade.
• 
  Camille Stanford

  I really like the idea of a person who draws out maps of imaginary worlds, and how people can slip inside these maps to visit their imaginary world. I thought it was very interesting and kind of makes me wish it actually existed, though I think the space that would hold my maps - yes plural - would be bursting with them. I think when you read and daydream a lot you come up with many worlds, and I am certainly no exception.
  
  I like the nuns, and how eventually they chase down the boy who has been living with them to the imaginary world to protect him. It is a cute story with its own quirks.
• 
  Liz Fambrough

  The first half of the book was wonderful! I loved getting to know the characters and the fantastical world within the slippery map. But then the story became a little congested with too many creatures and they were introduced so quickly there really wasn't time for character development. However, the story itself was a fun read and for young people who enjoy this type of fantasy/crazy world literature I give it 3 stars! =)
• 
  Cat

  A story about a boy who lives in a nunnery. He begins his magical quest to save his parents in a world that they have imagined in to being. This story is a bit Wizard of Oz like. The ending climax is a bit disappointing but not a bad read.
• 
  LibraryLaur

  Very original!
• 
  Nava Cullen

  A really good and exciting book, though a little bit slow at first.
• 
  Caitlin

  N.E. Bode is a very good writer. I love her books.
• 
  Nora

  ick. it's like peeking inside the head of someone with ADHD. SIMPLIFY already.
• 
  Erica Handley

  I really enjoyed the authors writing style. It was a quirky read. Who wouldn't love a book with nuns, a crazy dentist, a map to another world, and a young boy who goes on an adventure.
• 
  Christine

  I like to read books that my daughter (11) can read and enjoy as well. We liked this one and thought it was entertaining, but it wasn't fantastic.
• 
  Sandra Stiles

  I thought this was a great book. Another winner by the author. I wanted to be a character in that world I thought it was so interesting.
• 
  Augustina

  Oh I just got to read this! I love this author!
• 
  Lisa L'isle

  The epilogue in this book is one of the loveliest things i've ever read. I can't wait to see Ms. Bag...er Mr. Bode at the Southern Festival of Books.
• 
  Misty

  This is an interesting book. We especially enjoyed the first and last few chapters. It's worth the not-so-interesting middle bits.
• 
  Victoria

  This was one of Abby's library picks for me--I always give them a go and usually get a delightful experience reading something I'd never read otherwise. This reminded me a bit of Wee Free Men.
• 
  Owen

  I liked that there were a ton of names that weren't real like Ippy and Hobbs.
• 
  Terri

  it was...interesting
• 
  Lynn

  I just couldn't get into it.