How did I ever miss reading this as a child?

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	• Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh (Aladdin Fantasy) Robert C. O'Brien Aladdin, 1986 - 240 pages average customer review:based on 317 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

highly recommended

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
By Robert C. O'Brien

In Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimy, Robert O'Brien, winner of the Newbery Medal, spins a tale about Mrs. Frisby's, a mouse, is concerned about her sick son. She gets him medicine; however, the weather is getting warmer on the farm and her family needs to move before their home is discovered by the farmer and they are killed. She is at a loss of what they should do. She risks danger and goes to see a wise old owl. This owl respected deceased husband and recommends she asks the rats for help.

When she goes to see the rats, she is surprised because they are so advanced. She finds out that they have been part of experiments to increase their intelligence. They agree to help her out of respect for her husband; however, the undertaking will be dangerous for her and the rats.

The rest of the story tells more about the experiments done on the rats and the adventure they go through to save the Frisby family.

The character development is strong. There are many interwoven themes. The reader has to contemplate the implications of what it would be like if rats were intelligent both for the rats and for humans. There are lots of strong relationships in the story.

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How did I ever miss reading this as a child?

You might wonder why a forty year old man is reading and writing a rave review for a children's story..., well..., great books are great books.

Back in the 70's when I was growing up I somehow missed Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, I also missed seeing the movie until a few weeks ago. What a wonderful find it has been!

O'Brien is a master storyteller, leaving just enough information for you to draw your own conclusions, but not quite enough to know if your conclusions are correct.

Although there are several "sequels" to this book, I wonder what O'Brien had in mind?

To summarize (no spoilers) what does one do when you discover that all you though you knew in life was really somewhat of an illusion?

This is one of the key questions faced by Mrs. Frisby as she learns of her deceased husband Johnathan's relationship with the Rats of NIMH. It is also the question that the Rats find themselves facing as they realize that they are unique in the world and decide to formulate their "plan".

Perhaps that is why like life O'Brien left so many open issues. One never knows how things will end up, and in truth it is no so much the destination but the journey on takes to get there.

Cheers!

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Rats are better than you think!

This is such a wonderful book! We read it to our children when they were little, and they loved it. Now that we are retired and reading to each other at night, we decided that was one book we needed to revisit. Needless to say, we're glad we did. We loved it just as much the second time around and highly recommend it to children and parents!

tale (or tail) wi/a tale

I bought this bk based on summaries & reviews on Amazon when I searched for bks for my 9 yr old 3rd grade daughter to read in the fantasy genre for school; she has not read it yet (she chose to start w/other options I purchased - Mrs Piggle-Wiggle's Birthday, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, & Sideways Stories from Wayside School), but I went ahead; the basic tale is about a widowed mother field mouse who faces the dilemma of needing to move her family from its winter home to its summer home, only one child is ill & not up to the move; this alone is not enough to rope you in, but the story catches you off guard when it goes much deeper; the mouse forms unlikely liaisons w/a crow, an owl, & rats; she takes risks to save her family & becomes a heroine; not only do the lives of animal kingdom characters parallel those of humans in many ways, but the complexities of intelligence & spiritual contemplation are portrayed; as the story evolved, I could not put it down; I was hungry for more & disappointed because of unanswered questions at the end; there is clearly room for a sequel; the research rats' experience reminded me of Daniel Keyes' "Flowers for Algernon" & Dr Oliver Sacks story/"Awakening" movie in that broadening horizons has pros & cons (advances in this story not temporary like in "Flowers" & "Awakenings"); the bk is said to target ages 9-12 or "young adult", but is a sophistocated work; it would only appeal to the most deep thinking 9-12 yr olds who want more than a quick read purely for entertainment

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Childhood memories I should have made

I'm not sure why I got it, but Mom got me a comic book trade paperback of "The Secret of NIMH" when I was a kid. Later, my aunt got me "Mrs. Frisby and the rats of NIMH, but I didn't really get started into it. I saw "The Secret of NIMH" for sale at my store a while ago, and decide to read the book instead. What a joy!

First, I love rats. I used to have eight of them. Why I didn't give them a NIMH name, I don't know, didn't think of it. The rats of NIMH are a small stretch. Rats are smart, charming, social animals, each with their own personality traits and a lot of fun to watch.

And the story is charming and fun, appealing to the child and the adult in me. It has a real sense of discovery, achievement, adventure, and worldview.

Mrs. Frisby is a widowed field mouse with a big problem. Her youngest son is very ill, but Farmer Fitzgibbons is getting ready to plow his fields soon, and she must leave her home. Contemplating her problem, she meets a crow who advises her to consult an owl, who in turn sends her to the rats under the rosebush. When the rats realize they have a common bond, they agree to help her.

The mysterious rats, years ago, escaped from a lab that injected them with drugs that greatly extended their lives and dramatically increased their intelligence. The rats resettled into the rosebush, and are preparing to move again. A schism has arisen in their ranks. Meanwhile, Mrs. Frisby still needs help.

After reading, I may give the movie another go. I haven't seen it in almost 15 years.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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.

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