Wandermonster and the rats of NIMH

Being a parent means being inundated with kids’ media. And it’s absolutely necessary to become an expert analyst of kids’ stuff or you will drown. You’ve got to be able to know after a few seconds of a movie trailer if you’ll be buying tickets… or if you’ll say “Mom’ll take you to that one.”

I feel fortunate to have a kid who shares my tastes in so many things. As my students will attest, I have an aversion to cutesiness, which is a common disease in children’s media. When a book features talking animals, with the main character a mouse worrying about her sick child, it would be easy for it to be saccharin. Instead, Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH is all kinds of wonderful. A strong female central character, a solid premise that is more hard-science sci-fi than fantasy, and nimble, emotional storytelling. I remembered it so clearly from my own childhood that I bought it too soon to read to him, and we never got around to it. Now that he is an agile reader, I re-introduced it and he’s been devouring it. I’m thrilled he loves Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH as much as I do.