My sixth-grade daughter is periodically asked by PR professionals to review books for children and teens. I can personally attest to the fact her nose was glued to this one! I hope you enjoy Darla’s review.

The Secret of Wellington’s Map is an outstanding book, one of my new favorites actually.

If you were looking at your friend, covered in red splotches, struggling to breathe surrounded by furry animals with wide dog-like noses and long tails, what would you do?

The Secret of Wellington’s Map is an exciting mystery of two teenage girls named Jamie and Nicole who find a magical map. With one touch, they can walk into any time, anywhere, as long as they have a picture in their minds.

When their friend Charlie — an antique-pawn shop owner — is kidnapped, they leave on a mission to find their lost friend. They end up enjoying an amazing journey testing their friendship, revealing family secrets of the past, and having an experience like no other.

I love the mystery in the story, with the magical map. It really makes you think as you read it. The “time-keeper” part was confusing at the beginning, as were the strange names, but when as you go deeper into the story, it all comes together.

You want to be Jamie, bouncing around time in places you can only imagine in this book. It is exhilarating when she discovers the map, and scary every time Nicole almost dies. You have to guess friends and enemies, so almost every one in the book is what I would call a “frienemy,” including the cat.

With so many amazing things going on in the story, in my everyday real life, I couldn’t stop thinking about everything that was happening to these two (almost) normal teenage girls. I asked myself, if I were Jamie, would I have enough courage and curiosity to keep jumping through an old piece of paper to another time, and not be sure if I would still be able to get out?

If you’re like me, when your parents physically take away the book so I will talk to them, you’ll still be sitting there (or hiding from your book-stealing parents,) wondering what will happen next, and wondering what you would feel and do if you were Jamie.

This is an awesome story that I would definitely recommend if you want some adventure. Mollie Kehl Penrod was very successful at writing a great book.

Other torch-passers:
A Man Named Ted

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