Ebook Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH Robert C O'Brien Zena Bernstein 9780689710681 Books

Product details Age Range 8 - 12 years Grade Level 5 and up Lexile Measure 790L (What's this?) Paperback 240 pages Publisher Aladdin (November 3, 1997) Language English ISBN-10 9780689710681 ISBN-13 978-0689710681 ASIN 0689710682

Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH Robert C O'Brien Zena Bernstein 9780689710681 Books Reviews

• I'll skip the details of the story and its writing, as other reviewers can attest to the quality of the book. Instead, I want to comment on how this book has the power to change a child's behavior and make him love books.
  
  I was first introduced to this book almost 35 years ago. As a recently immigrated child having difficulties adjusting to the school, I got into a great deal of trouble for acting out in the classroom.
  
  A kind teacher who saw my potential assigned the book to me during a parent-teacher conference. It made a huge impact on me -- it might seem like hyperbole, but this book may well have shaped my life. It instilled a great hunger for reading, and a love of learning.
  
  Over the years, I had forgotten the details of the story, but not its broad outlines. Two of the (to me) central themes engineering and self-sufficiency, sticks with me to this day.
  
  I now have my own kids. I have been increasingly concerned that the older one had not yet developed a sufficient interest in reading. I tried to get them started on this book, but was initially met with indifference when I tried to read the opening chapter to them. My wife did not back me up on this at first, either.
  
  But I persisted, and after a couple more tries, reading little by little at first before bedtime, I got the boys interested in the story. The real breakthrough came a few chapters in, when the boys begged to keep going. By the time we finished the book, they were fully absorbed into the book - there were nights when I (or my wife, who had also gotten into the book) were reading for nearly an hour! Some nights, we simply read it out to them. Other nights, the boys stayed up to read the words along with us.
  
  They have now asked to have other long-form stories. I think the boys have now graduated from short 10-page picture books.
  
  One of the best part of all this came this morning, about two weeks after we had finished the book. The boys aunt and cousins came over to visit, and the older one excitedly shared this book, reading it out to his aunt!
• I grew up with the animated film from the early 80’s and picked up the book in grade school, but declined due to “not being like the movie”...years later as an adult, I appreciate the Book way more than the movie. The book is a more in depth story that Don Bluth changed quite a bit in the film. (Still enjoy the film, but not as much as the book!) This Book is a treasured gem for all ages whether young or old or for the young at heart!!)
• I had heard of Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, but somehow got through my childhood without ever having read it. My 11 –year and 9-year old sons were reading it for their youth book club this last month. I read it with 9-year old Daniel in the evenings using the flip-flop technique. I would read a page and then he would read one.
  Mrs. Frisby is a widowed mouse with four young children living in a field. Her youngest son, Timothy is very ill and unfortunately it is time to move to summer quarters before Farmer Fitzgibbon starts to plow his fields. Mrs. Frisby seeks help amongst her neighbors and is told by a wise owl to get help from the Rats. When Mrs. Frisby meets the rats, she discovers far more about them and her late husband than she had ever imagined. Will they be able to save Timothy before the plow comes?
  Daniel and I both greatly enjoyed the story as did Kile as well. We had to have a discussion about it after we all finished. I fell asleep one night and couldn’t read further so Daniel took the book and finished it himself that night, I had to catch up the next day to see how it ended! It was a great heroic tale of Mrs. Frisby and her love for her children, but the entire rats sequence was very intriguing. Daniel loved finding out where they came from, but was a bit stressed out about the more suspenseful parts of the novel. We still want to know who the mysterious two rats were in the end! I really liked the ambiguous ending and the questions of ethics and morality that permeated the story.
  
  Overall, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH is a wonderful fantasy novel that will delight readers of all ages.
  
  Book Source The Kewaunee Pubic Library
• I read this book for the first time in third grade (several decades ago), and it remains one of my favorite books of all time. I bought it as a gift for my nephew recently, but ended up re-reading it myself. I enjoyed it just as much as the first time I read it. In fact, I didn't want it to end, and wanted to hear a lot more of the story of the rats. A great story, highly recommended for kids (and adults).
• 2.15.17//1153hrsMT
  My daughter saw the film before reading the book and found the text as intriguing as the film, within obvious limits, or
  vice versa. She remarked that the plotline mirrors so many real-life human plights so often exploited by the media. I
  compare it to "Animal Farm" and "Charlotte's Web" without the politico pathos. And, that the suppressed nobility of
  creatures in any context often must be encouraged (aka - even reverting to subterfuge) to overcome adversity and
  work toward a greater good and the collective benefit. Worth the time for child and adult. Indy
• I have such wonderful memories of this story! I read it in elementary school and it really stuck with me. My daughter loves to read (she's 8 but a bit advanced for her age) so I got this book for her. We decided to read it together-actually she read it to me. It was lovely to re-experience the story and to share it with her. I recommend it for advanced 3rd grade to normal 5th grade readers. Compelling but easy to follow story.