Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
I’ve wanted to read this book for a long time, but only mildly. Just to find the stuff they didn’t include in the movie. So I never got around to it until my daughter somehow received it, I don’t know how, and I couldn’t avoid the opportunity any more.
It’s the story of a little creature in a big world that’s not in her control. A little like Stuart Little or Watership Down plot and Beatrix Potter sensibilities. The central conflict is the same–they have to move their house before the farm plows come.
What surprised me is that there is no magic in this world. I was hoping for some explanations–why Mrs. Frisby went Super-Saiyan, what the amulet was, the history of Justin and Jonathan and Jenner and so on. But no magic means no answers (and don’t look to the straight-to-video sequel).
There is a LARGE part of the text dedicated to the flashback/origin story of the rats. Maybe almost half the book. So much that you wonder why this isn’t the rats’ story. It’s like the author had the idea for two novels, but not enough story for one full novel.
It’s a nice little book, but I’ve got to say, the movie was better. I don’t think that’s any surprise. People remember The Godfather and Jaws and Die Hard as movies, not books. The movie ups all the drama, all the tension, up to eleven. While the book is a British “down-on-the-farm” story with cute little mice. Which is fine if you like that sort of thing. Just manage your expectations.
It’s the story of a little creature in a big world that’s not in her control. A little like Stuart Little or Watership Down plot and Beatrix Potter sensibilities. The central conflict is the same–they have to move their house before the farm plows come.
What surprised me is that there is no magic in this world. I was hoping for some explanations–why Mrs. Frisby went Super-Saiyan, what the amulet was, the history of Justin and Jonathan and Jenner and so on. But no magic means no answers (and don’t look to the straight-to-video sequel).
There is a LARGE part of the text dedicated to the flashback/origin story of the rats. Maybe almost half the book. So much that you wonder why this isn’t the rats’ story. It’s like the author had the idea for two novels, but not enough story for one full novel.
It’s a nice little book, but I’ve got to say, the movie was better. I don’t think that’s any surprise. People remember The Godfather and Jaws and Die Hard as movies, not books. The movie ups all the drama, all the tension, up to eleven. While the book is a British “down-on-the-farm” story with cute little mice. Which is fine if you like that sort of thing. Just manage your expectations.
I returned to my childhood and listened to this wonderful story. Mrs. Frisby meets the rats of NIMH when she needs help moving her house. Turns out that the rats were part of an experiment, they escaped but are much smarter and bigger than other rats - and they don't age. Recommend to any kid!
Summary: Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse, lives with her family in a cinderblock. When her youngest son develops pneumonia, she asks an old friend, Mr. Agnes, to help her. While the medicine does help, her son cannot go out in the cold for at least 3 months after. Unfortunately, the mice need to relocate to their spring home before the farmer begins plowing and plows right over their home. After flying on the back on a crow to the wise owl and getting advice, Mrs. Frisby consults the Rats of Nimh. They're carrying a secret that they're reluctant to share with Mrs. Frisby, until they realize who her husband was. Many meetings and plans later, Mrs. Frisby's house is relocated with the help of the rats and her son survives the winter.
Evaluation: I thought this book was very intriguing! It was unlike any book I've ever read before and kept my attention throughout. I thought it was creatively written and definitely a book that would be suitable for a 3-5 class read aloud.
Teaching: To teach this book, I would most likely use it as a read aloud. We would make predictions and inferences at different points of the story and evaluate how they change and evolve throughout the story. Students could evaluate the different parts of the story, draw what they visualized the inside of the rats' home to look like, or even create a plan for moving the cinderblock before they knew what actually happened. I think it would really be neat to incorporate some engineering and science into it for the upper grades and see what inventions or creations they could make to move a cinderblock using materials from around the house.
Evaluation: I thought this book was very intriguing! It was unlike any book I've ever read before and kept my attention throughout. I thought it was creatively written and definitely a book that would be suitable for a 3-5 class read aloud.
Teaching: To teach this book, I would most likely use it as a read aloud. We would make predictions and inferences at different points of the story and evaluate how they change and evolve throughout the story. Students could evaluate the different parts of the story, draw what they visualized the inside of the rats' home to look like, or even create a plan for moving the cinderblock before they knew what actually happened. I think it would really be neat to incorporate some engineering and science into it for the upper grades and see what inventions or creations they could make to move a cinderblock using materials from around the house.
5 stars across the board. This is an incredible must read with elementary aged kids!
I was terrified by the movie of the same title as a child, but wow, this is such a great read. 4th graders in my class are reading it right now and having incredible conversations about bravery and sacrifice. I got halfway through the book, then couldn't put it down!
Perfectly delightful. Mrs. Frisby is such an endearing character and we’re with her the whole way—her motivations are absolutely clear and believable and she is brave and active and even though her ultimate problem is mostly solved by the knowledge and abilities of others (Jeremy, the owl, the rats), it is only through her perserverance and action that she gets to where the others can/will help her. (And of course she’s the one who drugs Dragon, and discovers the important information that gives the rats enough warning to make their escape from the farm.) The only thing I wondered about at the end (other than what we are intended to wonder about, like which rats died) was why Jonathan Frisby had a last name when apparently no one else did (an admittedly very small point in the larger scheme of things!).
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No