Timeless Thursday: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert O’Brien

photo by asplosh www.flickr.com

Do you L. O. V. E. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh? I do! And it was published the year I was born, so that makes it almost 40 years old. (That makes me almost 40 years old, too. Egads!) Anyway, I remember teaching this book as part of my reading curriculum as a fourth grade teacher back in 1993-1995, and the kids always loved it! I always loved it, too, and who would have thought it would be around today with the characters being a bunch of rodents?

We love Mrs. Frisby because she is a single mother, just trying to take care of her babies. Since she’s a mouse, Robert O’Brien could write about these issues for kids in the early 1970s without everyone freaking out and trying to ban his books. A single parent household? No way! Mrs. Frisby has to move her ill son to get away from the farmer’s plough, and she doesn’t know what to do until an owl (of course–those owls are so smart) advises her to talk with the rats. But how can she even THINK about asking the rats for help? Well, she’d do anything for her kids. It’s a parent’s love.

And we also love SECRETS, which this book has, as well as loyalty, friendship, overcoming adversity, and heroes. Yes, this book has all that, which is probably why Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh is one of those Newberry Award winning books! Those Newberry people know what they’re doing.

In my opinion, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh is one of those books that you need to share with your children or students either as a read-aloud, part of a literature study, as a bedtime book, as a parent-child book club selection, or as part of a home school curriculum. This book can help children deal with an illness in the family, death of a parent, trusting/accepting people different than yourself, and what friendship really means. Plus, it’s just a good adventure book with lovable characters!

Find a copy and start reading!