What do you think?
Rate this book
The Slippery Map
If you've ever whiled away an afternoon dreaming of another world, then you know that place is real.Oyster R. Motel has dreamed of another world for almost his whole life. (But that's only understandable--he's been raised in a nunnery. Do you think nuns approve of swinging from the belfry? Of raising tadpoles in the holy water? Of playing the organ at all hours? They do not.)Oyster didn't even know that imaginations could be mapped; he barely knew he had an imagination. But then a gust of wind and a distant voice send him on a dizzying ride in a silver bucket, and Oyster finds himself, his own map in hand, in "someone else"'s imaginary world--a place where rivers breathe and sugar snows down from the sky. Whose world is it? And what does it have to do with Oyster's map? You'll have to read the book to find out.Imagine "that."
288 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2007
2 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
About the author
N.E. Bode
8 books58 followersJulianna Baggott
aka
Bridget Asher & N.E. Bode
Borned on 30 September 1969, she teaches at Florida State University. She's married to David G.W. Scott and has four kids. Along with her husband, she is a co-founder of the nonprofit organization Kids in Need - Books in Deed., getting free books to underprivileged kids in Florida.
Today, she is a critically acclaimed and bestselling author, who wrote novels and poetry, and who has over fifty overseas editions of her books. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Best American Poetry, Best Creative Nonfiction, NPR’s Talk of the Nation, All Things Considered, and Here & Now. For two years, her alter-ego, N. E. Bode was a recurring personality on XM Radio. Her work has been a People Magazine pick alongside David Sedaris and Bill Clinton, a Washington Post Book of the Week, a Girl's Life Top Ten, a Booksense selection, and a Starbucks Bookish Reading Club pick.
aka
Bridget Asher & N.E. Bode
Borned on 30 September 1969, she teaches at Florida State University. She's married to David G.W. Scott and has four kids. Along with her husband, she is a co-founder of the nonprofit organization Kids in Need - Books in Deed., getting free books to underprivileged kids in Florida.
Today, she is a critically acclaimed and bestselling author, who wrote novels and poetry, and who has over fifty overseas editions of her books. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Best American Poetry, Best Creative Nonfiction, NPR’s Talk of the Nation, All Things Considered, and Here & Now. For two years, her alter-ego, N. E. Bode was a recurring personality on XM Radio. Her work has been a People Magazine pick alongside David Sedaris and Bill Clinton, a Washington Post Book of the Week, a Girl's Life Top Ten, a Booksense selection, and a Starbucks Bookish Reading Club pick.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
May 25, 2018
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.
June 28, 2015
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
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
March 11, 2011
Book Review (The Slippery Map)
In the book, The Slippery Map, by N.E. Bode, a boy named Oyster got left by his parents in a royal towel and a pickle box at a nunnery gate. Well at least that’s what they told him. Imagine living 10 years in a silent place with no voice but his. He goes through his everyday life with the irritating difficulties with selfish Ms. Fishback, the decision of the nuns abandoning him, the silent treatment, and a lazy fat dog, Leatherbelly. Will he live through it another 10 years? Or will he be abandoned and once again be a filthy poor orphan?
Oyster gets abandoned by his parents, or was he? He was left at the nunnery gate. As he was small the nuns loved him and fed him milk. All they wanted was the best for him. But as Oyster grew up, he caused trouble, the kind of trouble that was despicable. What do you expect? It’s not every day you meet a boy that lives with nuns. They thought throwing tadpoles in holy water and letting a newly healed bird fly around was disgraceful, but they didn’t have any idea that he was just trying to save the animals. One day he goes in a shop, a little shop that seemed to be closing down. The old lady told him about imagination maps, maps of children’s imagination land. There was a map missing and he wondered who was the owner of it, but had never guessed the truth behind it. There was a whole roomful of maps, some scratchy and some well drawn, and he found his. She told him that some highly detailed and well drawn maps could be slippery, and when they were, you had to be careful, because you might just slip into your imaginary world! It was fascinating. But his map was scrawny. The lady continued talking,” The missing maps took two children, a risky secret, and an adventure laid down only for Oyster.” He decided since it was his own map, he stole it. At that time, there recently had been cases of children disappearing and reappearing through strange things. Is Oyster the next to slip through the slippery map of his parents?
My favorite part should be everyone’s favorite part! The best part is when the nuns also slip through the map and find a way to save Sister Mary Many Pockets and their beloved Oyster. They use teamwork and battle with the toads. Can their teamwork and courage be strong enough to defeat Dark Mouth and save the day? Can Oyster meet his true parents?
Oyster learned that he had more talents than he had ever imagined. The before Oyster had no idea how to imagine; later he let loose of his tightened imagination world, and created a heavy map of glorious dreams. He learned a lesson for confidence. Everyone should have the ability to let loose their imagination. He just needed some confidence, and after the adventure, he was filled with the knowledge of his parents, and the secret world.
I personally think this book is great and many imaginative readers would enjoy this book. Some parts are sad and some parts are funny. The fantasy creatures come to life and pop in your mind. You won’t dare take your eyes off it.
I recommend this fantasy adventure book to adventure lovers and daydreamers. Don’t you wish to have your very own dreamy world? You don’t have to daydream to be in your world and get detention in class all the time. You can live in your world! I bet you will love the hilarious fantasy story.
In the book, The Slippery Map, by N.E. Bode, a boy named Oyster got left by his parents in a royal towel and a pickle box at a nunnery gate. Well at least that’s what they told him. Imagine living 10 years in a silent place with no voice but his. He goes through his everyday life with the irritating difficulties with selfish Ms. Fishback, the decision of the nuns abandoning him, the silent treatment, and a lazy fat dog, Leatherbelly. Will he live through it another 10 years? Or will he be abandoned and once again be a filthy poor orphan?
Oyster gets abandoned by his parents, or was he? He was left at the nunnery gate. As he was small the nuns loved him and fed him milk. All they wanted was the best for him. But as Oyster grew up, he caused trouble, the kind of trouble that was despicable. What do you expect? It’s not every day you meet a boy that lives with nuns. They thought throwing tadpoles in holy water and letting a newly healed bird fly around was disgraceful, but they didn’t have any idea that he was just trying to save the animals. One day he goes in a shop, a little shop that seemed to be closing down. The old lady told him about imagination maps, maps of children’s imagination land. There was a map missing and he wondered who was the owner of it, but had never guessed the truth behind it. There was a whole roomful of maps, some scratchy and some well drawn, and he found his. She told him that some highly detailed and well drawn maps could be slippery, and when they were, you had to be careful, because you might just slip into your imaginary world! It was fascinating. But his map was scrawny. The lady continued talking,” The missing maps took two children, a risky secret, and an adventure laid down only for Oyster.” He decided since it was his own map, he stole it. At that time, there recently had been cases of children disappearing and reappearing through strange things. Is Oyster the next to slip through the slippery map of his parents?
My favorite part should be everyone’s favorite part! The best part is when the nuns also slip through the map and find a way to save Sister Mary Many Pockets and their beloved Oyster. They use teamwork and battle with the toads. Can their teamwork and courage be strong enough to defeat Dark Mouth and save the day? Can Oyster meet his true parents?
Oyster learned that he had more talents than he had ever imagined. The before Oyster had no idea how to imagine; later he let loose of his tightened imagination world, and created a heavy map of glorious dreams. He learned a lesson for confidence. Everyone should have the ability to let loose their imagination. He just needed some confidence, and after the adventure, he was filled with the knowledge of his parents, and the secret world.
I personally think this book is great and many imaginative readers would enjoy this book. Some parts are sad and some parts are funny. The fantasy creatures come to life and pop in your mind. You won’t dare take your eyes off it.
I recommend this fantasy adventure book to adventure lovers and daydreamers. Don’t you wish to have your very own dreamy world? You don’t have to daydream to be in your world and get detention in class all the time. You can live in your world! I bet you will love the hilarious fantasy story.
August 18, 2009
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.
May 6, 2011
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. :-)
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. :-)
August 5, 2016
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.
December 20, 2014
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.
April 24, 2012
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.
July 5, 2013
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.
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.
August 20, 2012
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! =)
May 5, 2008
Oyster R. Motel has been raised in a nunnery and dreams of a life outside. He travels to an imaginary world through his slippery map and sets off on an adventure to save his parents. The names of the nuns are quite humorous!
July 2, 2008
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.
March 8, 2011
Definitely not as good as The Anybodies, but still a good, unusual, interesting book. The ideas in this book are really imaginative, and the premise of this book is a great idea, too. Still, it took a long time to get through this book. The characters are a lot of fun, too.
January 18, 2008
Very original!
July 12, 2008
A really good and exciting book, though a little bit slow at first.
August 7, 2008
N.E. Bode is a very good writer. I love her books.
August 21, 2008
ick. it's like peeking inside the head of someone with ADHD. SIMPLIFY already.
November 5, 2008
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.
November 29, 2008
it is kind of wierd
December 9, 2008
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.
April 20, 2009
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.
Want to read
September 5, 2009Oh I just got to read this! I love this author!
Read
January 6, 2013Great
February 18, 2013
This is an interesting book. We especially enjoyed the first and last few chapters. It's worth the not-so-interesting middle bits.
October 4, 2013
Delightful children's romp, imaginative and engaging.
June 17, 2014
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.
October 4, 2014
I liked that there were a ton of names that weren't real like Ippy and Hobbs.
August 26, 2007
it was...interesting
August 12, 2010
I just couldn't get into it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews