The Tale of Despereaux Trade Book

By Kate DiCamillo,

Book cover of The Tale of Despereaux Trade Book

Book description

A heartwarming young adventure story, winner of the prestigious Newbery Medal.

A deftly crafted fairy tale adventure story from a New York Times bestselling author, twice winner of the prestigious Newbery Medal. Here, reader, is the tale of a tiny, sickly mouse with unusually large ears; a mouse who takes…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

4 authors picked The Tale of Despereaux Trade Book as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I read this back in grade school! There’s a mouse, a princess, and a quest (the rest you can discover for yourself).

Despereaux is an unlikely hero but, armed with his sewing needle, the gang of rats he’s up against don’t stand a chance.

The story is completely immersive, to this day it makes me crave soup.

From Liz's list on Magical worlds for young readers.

The Tale of Despereaux is the story of an unlikely hero. It reveals what happens when an overly tiny mouse with big ears dares to be different. He is fascinated by light, music, and a book left open in the library, but his peers do not approve. When Despereaux falls in love with the princess, the other mice condemn him to the dungeon. This usually means death, but Roscuro the rat intends to harm the princess, and Despereaux is determined to stop him. I enjoyed how the motivations of the key characters were subtly revealed, then brought together in clever…

Stories are light. Light is precious in a world so dark.” DiCamillo’s Tale of Desperaux follows Desperaux, a little mouse in love with a Princess. And while this description may sound overly saccharine and suitable primarily for younger children, this story’s exquisite prose and rumination on dark and light, and the damage that grief can cause is a must-read for everyone—even the most cynical adult. This is a book I have read countless times and the one I reach for when times are dark, and I need a little light. 

Terracolina: A Place to Belong

By Carla Kessler, Richard Kessler (illustrator),

Book cover of Terracolina: A Place to Belong

Carla Kessler Author Of Terracolina: A Place to Belong

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

As a child, one of my favorite places was in the top branches of a tree. From up there I could watch the world pass by, remaining invisible. I could make up stories about the world below and no one would challenge me. The second best place for me was inside the story of a book, the kind that took you to magical places where children always found a way to win the day. I knew when I “grew up” I would write one of those empowering books. I became a middle school teacher and have since read many wonderful books for this age. Enjoy my list of favorites.  

Carla's book list on where kids who believe in nature make a difference

What is my book about?

Where do you turn when the only adult who gets you, your grandpa, is gone, and the world seems to be in self-destruct mode?

On his 12th birthday, Thomas runs away to the forest he used to visit with Grandpa. It is dying. Will saving it from a deadly parasite bring him closer to Grandpa or make his world safer? Before he can find out, he is enticed into a magical world under an attack of a different kind.

Welcomed by a garden of talking plants, mind-reading creatures, tree-climbing, nature-loving beings, Thomas conquers the stinging, prickly hedge that guards the portal to this alternate world. At last, a place where he fits in. A place that needs him. But what about his and Grandpa’s forest?

“…a magical book...” John Perkins, New York Times best-selling author

The Tale of Despereaux is one of my favorite books because it has such a classic, timeless feel to it. This isn’t a retelling, but rather a brand new fairy tale, with Princess Pea, a heroic mouse on a quest, a servant girl whose father sold her for a handful of cigarettes and a table cloth, and a kingdom that has banned the eating of soup. Kate DiCamillo manages to weave these interconnected stories together in a way that not only creates a modern-day fairy tale that will leave you on the edge of your seat, but also comments on…

Want books like The Tale of Despereaux Trade Book?

Our community of 10,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Tale of Despereaux Trade Book.

Browse books like The Tale of Despereaux Trade Book

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in fairy tales, princesses, and mice?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about fairy tales, princesses, and mice.

Fairy Tales Explore 289 books about fairy tales
Princesses Explore 59 books about princesses
Mice Explore 24 books about mice