MRS. FRISBY AND THE RATS OF NIMH

MRS. FRISBY AND THE RATS OF NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien

I am holding my breath as I begin to write this post. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh is probably my all time favorite read. Are you surprised? I can remember reading this book in my elementary years and being so satisfied with the story. I just completed it as a read aloud for my son. Somehow I had missed sharing it with him before this point, so it was time to fix that!

There is something so different about reading a book that you loved in your childhood and reading it in your adult years. You have such a completely different point of view. If you have had children that forever changes you and how you look at the world. I will address that in relation to Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh in a moment.

The story begins with a sick child. A little mouse named Timothy, son of Mrs. Frisby, is very sick. After consulting with the area "doctor," it is determined that he has pneumonia and needs complete rest for several weeks. The problem is that spring is in the air, and the Frisbys are living in the garden of Mr. Fitzgibbon who will begin plowing soon. Their home is directly in the path of the plow. Fraught with worry about how to solve this dilemma, Mrs. Frisby stops to help a crow who is tangled up and about to be eaten by the Fitzgibbons' cat, Dragon. After freeing him, the crow tells Mrs. Frisby to jump on his back and they fly away to safety. This simple act of kindness is the first step on a journey that requires immense bravery that eventually leads to a special group of rats that live under the rosebush in the Fitzgibbons' yard. These are not ordinary rats. Once upon a time they were caught by NIMH and experimented on. Their capabilities are almost human. If anyone can help Mrs. Frisby, it's them. They tend to be very elusive and secretive, so the question is will they?

Initially, when I read this book as a child, I was caught up in the adventure. The book is well crafted, and you really get an understanding of the characters and the storyline. Now, it is still the adventure that speaks to me, but it is one step past that. It's what a mother is willing to do for her child. The book absolutely resonates with the message of a mother's love. It truly is beautiful even though it's told through the eyes of a mouse and rats. How ironic is that for most of us women?

ALONGSIDE ACTIVITIES- I finished the book and turned to my son and said, "I already know your next read. It's Tuck Everlasting." Just a hint, but Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH deals with slowing down the aging process. After he closes Tuck Everlasting we're going to discuss Ponce de Leon and the search for the Fountain of Youth. What would it mean to be able to live longer or even forever?