Book Review: The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents

By Deyna

Some people say that all that is gold does not glitter. This is true. As you look at the cartoonish-looking cover for "The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents", you probably will pass right over it and dismiss it as a "kid’s book". Well, if you were to do that, you would miss out on what is now one of my favorite books.

Right away, the book introduces us to a talking cat, Maurice, who we learn acquired his talking talents not too long ago, along with a group of rats. The rats and Maurice, along with a pipe-playing, stupid-looking kid, have been going to many cities. They've been robbing them of their money by tricking them into thinking the kid is a professional rat piper and the rats have been there all along, so the town pays the kid to get them out. But now, the rats want to go out of the business and retire. Maurice eventually gives in and plans to make the last town his biggest caper yet.

Bad Blintz, however, is different from other towns. They have rat catchers galore, and there are tons of rats there already. The kid, named Keith, hears that the town is planning to hire a professional rat piper to come and get all the rats. Keith and Maurice stumble upon a girl named Malicia Grim, who is the daughter of the mayor. She thinks everything works like a story, which kind of makes her the "comic relief" character, even though Pratchett's narration is hilarious as well.

The rats are equally colorful characters. Dangerous Beans is a small, blind rat, but has the biggest heart of all. Peaches is impatient, logical, and sidekick to Dangerous Beans. Hamnpork is the rat leader who is not used to thinking. Darktan is the real leader, though he hasn't dethroned Hamnpork...yet.

Malicia eventually finds out about the scheme, and she decides to become part of it. But, I'm not giving away any more of the plot, so you'll have to see if the "good" or "bad" side wins. There is an interesting mystery involving unseen voices and shoelaces, but you'll have to read the book to find out about that.

Overall, the book was excellent. Pratchett never fails to induce laughter or gasps, and the colorful characters and settings are marvelously written. The description is also fantastic. A+, Mr. Pratchett. Great work.

Deyna's Grade: **** out of ****

Deyna's Age Rating: 11 and up, for some hard words, language, and brief violence