Book Info:
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien, illustrated by Zena Bernstein. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 1999.
Summary:
A widowed mouse, Mrs. Frisby, encounters some dire problems when moving day comes too early and her youngest son, Timothy, is sick with pneumonia. After helping a crow escape before the farmer's cat can catch them both, the crow offers to take her to the wise old owl in the woods who may be able to give her some good advice. Though the owl does not typically consort with mice (other than in the natural way), because of the bravery of Mrs. Frisby's husband, Jonathon, he advises her to seek the help of the Rats of NIMH who live on the farm. After learning who Mrs. Frisby is and relating the story of their escape from NIMH, the Rats agree to help her, though she will have to go on some adventures of her own to bring about her family's salvation.
My Take:
I remember watching this movie a lot when I was younger but I had never read the book. After reading it, I actually found that I liked the book a lot more than the movie, despite all the times I had watched it as a child. I think what I enjoyed most about the book was how realistic (other than the talking animals) and down-to-earth (hardee-har-har) the book was as compared to the movie (which used all of these magic and supernatural elements to explain why the Rats were special rather than them being experimented on to increase their intelligence and longevity). I also found this to be a welcome change from The Runaway Bunny as it depicted a mother's love in a more healthy way: while Mrs. Frisby loves her children enough to do something dangerous and crazy, she doesn't seek to stifle them with her love. She is simply content to protect them and love them until they're able to better take care of themselves.
Reviews:
From the Publisher
Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse with four small children, is faced with a terrible problem. She must move her family to their summer quarters immediately, or face almost certain death. But her youngest son, Timothy, lies ill with pneumonia and must not be moved. Fortunately, she encounters the rats of NIMH, an extraordinary breed of highly intelligent creatures, who come up with a brilliant solution to her dilemma. And Mrs. Frisby in turn renders them a great service. (Barnes & Noble.com)
Suggestions:
This book would be fun to use for a book talk with younger kids, either late elementary or early junior high. It's a fun story with a great adventure, and it would be fun to show them the video as well so they could compare the two (and maybe even show them the sequel which features Timmy as the hero).
Book Info:
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (audio book). HarperCollins Publishers, 2008.
Summary:
Nobody Owens, also known as Bod, is an orphan who has been raised by ghosts in a graveyard even since he was a toddler. Outside of the protection of the graveyard, there is a man named Jack who is out to get Bod, aching to finish his mission in wiping out Bod's entire family. His only non-ghostly guardian is a man named Silas, who lives in the graveyard but is neither living nor dead. Eventually Bod finds another friend (this time one who's alive) named Scarlett with whom he has many adventures as a child. However happy Bod's life is in the graveyard, he longs to go outside of it but cannot as Jack would surely find and kill him.
My Take:
This was a very interesting and fun book to read (or listen to). A boy raised by ghosts is an interesting enough concept, but add in all the intrigue and the mystery and it's even more fun. The thing I liked best, though, was listening to Gaiman narrate the book with such flair and panache, making it seem like some old-fashioned radio performance. Bod is a fun character, as is Scarlett, and it's especially interesting how Gaiman weaves in the supernatural (like vampires and werewolves) in a seamless way as if there was nothing strange about them, or about a boy being raised by ghosts in a graveyard.
Reviews:
School Library Journal ( March 01, 2009 ; 1-4361-5884-2 )
Gr 5-8-"There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife." So begins the tale of Nobody Owens, a child raised in a graveyard by ghosts. The man Jack, a member of an elite and despicable organization, is sent to slit the throats of an entire family. As he prepares to finish off the last and most important family member, he is enraged to discover that the baby boy has eluded him by climbing from his crib and going out the door. The youngster toddles to a nearby graveyard, where the ghostly inhabitants take him in. Little Nobody (Bod) flourishes in the graveyard, a place alive with adventure and mystery. But he longs to enter the world of the living, a place where danger, and the man Jack, await. What a wicked delight to hear this inventive, sinister story (HarperCollins, 2008) read by multi-talented author Neil Gaiman. His voice ranges from silky to gravelly and gruff to sharp-edged. Those who enjoyed Gaiman's Coraline (HarperCollins, 2002) will be eager to hear his inspired reading of this novel. Winner of the 2009 Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Produciton, This captivating production makes the story accessible to younger students as well as reluctant readers.-Lisa Hubler, Memorial Junior High School, South Euclid, OH Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.
Suggestions:
This book would be very fun in a book talk setting, especially if both the regular book and the audio book were utilized to give readers more options as to how they wish to approach the story, whether with text and illustrations or with a dramatic reading. It would also be interesting, in a school setting, to compare this story to The Jungle Book (which was one of Gaiman's inspirations for the book) and to talk about how he uses devices from The Jungle Book but also creates his own fable that is more relatable to modern children.
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