Ulysses Moore #2: The Long-Lost Map [Hardcover]

Ulysses Moore (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: Ulysses Moore

An action-packed series full of mysteries, puzzles, and codes that will keep kids turning the pages. The books' striking cover art and unique packaging is sure to appeal to boys and girls alike.

Jason, Julia, and Rick have discovered one of the secrets of Argo Manor -- the Door to Time. Now the door has transported them to Ancient Egypt, a mysterious land of labyrinths, riddles, and secrets. But when they are accidentally separated, Julia ends up at Argo Manor again -- and she can't get back to Egypt, or the boys.

Now Jason and Rick have to find the long-lost map of Kilmore Cove, hidden somewhere in the past. But where? And with the wicked Oblivia Newton and her servant, Manfred, on their trail, the stakes are higher than ever. . . .

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7–Eleven-year-old twins Jason and Julia and their friend Rick are caught up in an adventure in space and time in this second volume in the series. Back home at Argo Manor, Julia and the aged butler, Nestor, confront a thug in the employ of the nefarious Oblivia Newton while the boys, stuck in ancient Egypt, try to follow the clues to a long-lost map in order to return home. With the help of Maruk, the daughter of Egypt's high priest, and Mammon (also known as Lucifer), who runs the Shop of Long-Lost Maps, the boys race against time to find the Room That Isn't There, unaware that Ms. Newton is also on the hunt. The story seesaws between past and present, weaving together the adventures of Julia, the boys, and Ms. Newton. Baccalario's pages are so full of action and his pace is so breathless that readers may not realize, until the boys themselves do at book's end, that the map's importance is still unexplained. Clever street urchins, a pet crocodile, an ancient ballad, and the allegedly dead Ulysses Moore, the manor's previous occupant, all figure into the excitement. Paced like a Hollywood thriller–Indiana Jones from a kid's-eye view–The Long-Lost Map sacrifices character development and literary verve for nonstop excitement, which it provides in spades. Recommend this one to those students who have worn out their copies of Lemony Snicket's books and Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black's Spiderwick Chronicles (S & S).–Coop Renner, Hillside Elementary, El Paso, TX
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-6. The follow-up to the time-travel story Door to Time (2005), in the Ulysses Moore series, starts out with a bang: Jason and Rick find themselves in ancient Egypt, while Julia, magically locked out of their adventure, is back home at Argo Manor in Cornwall. Soon allied with an Egyptian girl, Jason and Rick follow clues and try to elude the nefarious Oblivia Newton. Meanwhile, back at the manor, Julia and Argo Manor's caretaker, Nestor, fend off Oblivia's loathsome henchman. The story ping-pongs between settings until the characters are reunited near the book's end. The last chapter points toward the next volume in the series. The characters are clearly delineated, but adventure is prime here. The illustrations (including handsome pencil drawings) at the beginnings of chapters have a three-dimensional quality in keeping with the book's pretense that readers are looking at the recovered manuscripts of the mysterious Ulysses Moore. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc. (July 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 043977439X
• ISBN-13: 978-0439774390
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #558,773 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Walk like an Egyptian, July 12, 2006

By 

Amanda Richards (Georgetown, Guyana) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ulysses Moore #2: The Long-Lost Map (Hardcover)

This is book two of the Ulysses Moore series, and the story picks up the adventure immediately after the first book (The Door to Time) closed off. In the previous episode, twins Jason and Julia and their friend Rick find that there's a lot more to Kilmore Cove than meets the eye. After solving many brain-teasing riddles and surviving lots of physical challenges, they discover an ancient ship, the "Metis", hidden in an underground grotto. The next thing they know they find themselves in ancient Egypt, courtesy of the magical ship, and there's somebody or something knocking on the other side of the wall.

As we pick up the action, the wall caves in under the onslaught from the other side, and during the mad scramble to escape, Julia finds herself not only separated from the boys, but back where she started, and back in the present. Jason and Rick have only one chance to get back home, and that is to locate the long-lost map (hence the title) which is hidden somewhere in the Land of Punt in ancient Egypt.

Assisted by a new friend, the boys face yet another set of mental and physical challenges, as they learn the complicated filing system of the time (the early Dewey Decimal Classification perhaps), improve their knowledge of Egyptian mythology, and outwit the bad guys (or should I say bad girl) from the present time who's also after the map for her own nefarious purposes. Meanwhile, back in the present, Julia also has her hands full, assisting the caretaker Nestor to stave off an attack by an evil henchman with a plan of his own.

Patterned off the Lemony Snicket books to a large extent, the dialogue and writing style is for slightly younger readers than the ones who devour each new Rowling, Colfer, Funke, Nix, or Riordan book, but would be suitable for the 8 - 10 age group. This is a great book to spark a young reader's interest in Egyptian mythology, as well as puzzle solving and logic.


Amanda Richards, July 12, 2006

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This Book Belongs in Your Library, March 5, 2007

By 

CCS Middle School (Fairless Hills, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ulysses Moore #2: The Long-Lost Map (Hardcover)

The book: Ulysses Moore: The Lost Map was an excellent read and belongs on your book case. Its educational, exciting, and all about Egypt!
The story takes place in the land of punt: a forgotten Egyptian city lost in time. Ulysses Moore (the man who found this land before the children) is dead now and its up to recover the map of Kilmore Cove. It all starts when the kids walk into the chest and make a mess. Julia, and Rick are twins, and Jason is a young boy with a "devil tongue".

When they walk threw the door they find them selves in a humongous storage room. They hear tapping and all of the sudden the walls start crashing down and the boys are trapped in Punt, with there sister outside of the door! In the book before the children are trying to find a map and discover the secrets left behind by Ulysses. That book continued into this book. Now that the boys are in Punt they meet a young girl named Maruk. She will be there guide threw the Land of Punt. With only Mr. Moore's journal, they will find the map and hopefully return home safely.

I loved this book. If you like adventure, comedy, and even action this book is for you. The best thing about this book is that the author knows how to make the characters sound realistic and alive. Especially in the beginning they give us an "e-mail" from Michael Merryweather explaining that he found the second manuscript to the Ulysses Moore mystery. I find this amusing even though it isn't real, it makes you feel as if your becoming a detective yourself; solving the mystery, and watching as the children make there way through the Land of Punt.

I did not like this book because at the very end they continued to a different book. Honestly I would like to know the end of the story and if the bad guy gets away with it right now! I don't want to go out and buy the book and them read the whole thing just to see what happened!!!

I would recommend this book to anyone who is an aspiring Egyptologist, like me. I also would recommend this book to children over 10, because it has something that you might have to figure out in your head, or really think about it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Next Great Series, July 29, 2006

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Mr. Chad J. Mitchell - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ulysses Moore #2: The Long-Lost Map (Hardcover)

I work for a children's book publishing company as a sales rep. I try to always read either the books I sell or what the competition is selling. You can imagine. I read a lot of books. In fact, I would rather read these books now than the more adult oriented ones.

With that said, this is a really good series. I would describe it as a chapter book for the next level of readers. This is a great series for those who have graduated from Magic Tree House, Secrets of Droon, etc.

The stories are long enough to give more substance but short enough to just have to spend an afternoon on. There is continuous action and real nice character developement. In fact, it replaces Fowl as my favorite series in this age group. I look forward to the end of this year. Book three: The House of Mirrors is due then.