Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh

Another Newberry Medal winner, this book is unlike the rest because the terror doesn’t come from the supernatural. It’s from the cruelty of mankind and scientific testing on animals.

What I love about this book, and the movie made in the “nineteen hundreds”, is it respected the readers. It told us a frightening story and trusted us to be able to process it. Like all the books on this list, the authors didn’t treat us like kids. They treated us like readers, and that’s the best thing a writer can do for their fans.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH tells the story of a widowed field mouse. She needs to move her family to the summer home before the farmer plows the ground, but her son Timothy is too ill to make the trip. Mrs. Frisby must force herself to step well beyond her usual abilities if she is to save his life. Her experience leaves one with a fresh perspective on the industrious lives of field mice and rats. This tale will hold the interest of any age and make a compelling read-aloud choice for families to enjoy together. As an… show more.

Like many members of my generation, I came across this story through its film adaptation. It wasn’t until I began writing a middle grade novel that I finally gave the book a try. The simplicity of the story pulls you in: humble field mouse Mrs. Frisby needs help, and her only hope lies in a nearby rat colony. As she descends into their eerily civilized community, we learn that this is not another cute novel for children about anthropomorphic animals. The rats are the product of an experiment designed to enhance their intelligence. Their newfound ingenuity has gifted them with… show more.