Adding human children into the mix with the rats of NIMH really starts to stretch the bounds of my suspension of disbelief. The levels of plausibility really start to break down, I think, and it's harder to sink into the story. Another difficulty may be due to the portrayed technology levels, which were perfectly fine at the time the book was written, but which date the book for readers today. ( )

Old Children's Book. Liked it as a kid, but haven't read it in years. ( )

In this last installment of the Rats of NIHM series, our old familiar rats are joined by two lost children. R-T (Artie) and Margaret are taken care of by the rats and in return they help the rats with harvest etc. It is a beneficial arrangement, but one that cannot last. Winter is coming and there is no way the rats can shelter the children from the elements.

Each of these books is its own story. While the characters are the same and we see the progress, they each have their own plot and problem that must be solved. Another thing I liked is they are not all rosy everything ends happy. There is sadness and loss that the children must deal with. In doing so I feel these books could help a child deal with loss. As in showing everyone deals with it and there are other things good in life.

The children discover strengths they didn’t know they had. They also discover their actions have consequences. A nice story with a little bit of a lesson. This is a very enjoyable series of books and suitable for children. ( )

Lexile: 640
Reading Recovery: 22
DRA: 34
Fountas Pinnel Guided Reading: O