The Mapmakers' Race

Five children have 28 days to find a route through the wilderness in this exciting mountain-race adventure for middle readers.

Four children temporarily lose their parents just as they are about to begin the race that offers their last chance of escaping poverty. Their task is to map a rail route through an uncharted wilderness.

They overcome the many obstacles posed by nature—bears, bees, bats, river crossings, cliff falls, impossible weather—but can they survive the treachery of their competitors?

This is a fast-paced and charming novel. Its children are brave and competent but not always right. Its world is magical enough to be intriguing but close enough to our own to keep the reader on firm ground.

• Written by Eirlys Hunter 
• Illustrated by Kirsten Slade
• Published by Gecko Press
• Reader Age: 8-12 year

Eirlys Hunter is a London-born fiction writer who lives in Wellington, New Zealand. She has published seven books for children as well as a novel and short stories for adults. Hunter teaches writing for children at the IIML at Victoria University of Wellington Te Herenga Waka.

Available online and in-store at Capital E Wellington. Explore our collection of jewellery, taonga, souvenirs, science-themed gifts and more from across Aotearoa New Zealand.