"Fun and lighthearted." —Publishers Weekly
A resilient and quirky colony of church mice fears another Great X more than they fear cats. Under the Mouse Mistress Hildegarde’s leadership, a resilient group of church mice save themselves from one danger after another—sometimes by the skin of their tails! Can one ultimate act of bravery during the feast day of St. Francis get Father Murphy to bless these mice and keep them safe forever?
Rife with humor and personality, this young middle-grade novel has an old-fashioned feel with the makings of a modern classic.
From the Publisher
“An impeccably constructed, good-humored adventure filled with master plans, near disasters, and brave rescues, all gently frightening for readers even younger than the target audience. Lowry creates a cozy church environment of lenient sextons, disheveled organists, and skittish Altar Guild ladies, from a mouse’s point-of-view. Fun and lighthearted.”—Publishers Weekly
“This gently Christian piece with Rohmann’s earnest pencil illustrations will please talking-animal fans.”—Kirkus Reviews
"Likely to be enjoyed by future readers of Avi’s ‘Poppy’ sequence (HarperCollins).”—School Library Journal
“Lowry gilds her story with quaint details, extended in Rohmann’s charming spot and full-page illustrations, which reinforce the comedy and action and further develop the memorable characters. With touches of surprise and a satisfyingly predictable resolution, this is a strong choice for both classroom sharing and independent reading.”—Booklist
"A fine short novel for independent readers and a wonderful readaloud story for younger children. Lois Lowry again proves herself the go-to gal in children’s lit.”—Books for Kids blog
“Author Lois Lowry has been writing a variety of children’s and teen books for decades and with this title continues to entertain with a thoughtful story about cooperation, kindness, and faith.”—BSCKids.com
Publishers Weekly
An endangered community of church mice stars in Lowry's old-fashioned animal fantasy. When the mice of St. Bartholomew's—already fearing the annual Blessing of the Animals that brings an onslaught of cats into their home—learn that too many mouse sightings have prompted kind Father Murphy to call in the dreaded "Great X" (exterminator), their Mouse Mistress, the commanding Hildegarde, plots an exodus to the unknown territory of Outdoors. "Hildegarde had an EX of her own now to plan... a special kind of EX she had learned about from listening to readings from the Bible." "Peopled" with characters no less endearing for being stereotypical—a loudmouthed adolescent, a learned elder, a loyal and somewhat foolish cohort, and a disagreeable contender for Hildegarde's position—the book is an impeccably constructed, good-humored adventure filled with master plans, near disasters, and brave rescues, all gently frightening for readers even younger than the target audience. Lowry (The Birthday Ball) creates a cozy church environment of lenient sextons, disheveled organists, and skittish Altar Guild ladies, from a mouse's point-of-view. Fun and lighthearted. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 9–12. (Mar.)
Children's Literature - Beverley Fahey
Hildegarde, the Mistress of Mice, and her colony of church mice have been living at Saint Bartholomew's as long as they can remember. They cleverly keep out of sight managing only to be seen one at a time so as not to excite the Altar Guild ladies or Father Murphy. One day, just before the annual Blessing of the Animals, three mice are spotted by the ladies, resulting in lots of screaming and the priest calling for the exterminator. With the coming of the feared Great X, the mice must come up with a plan. Thanks to Ignatius, who once lived in a university and is quite learned, an ingenious plan is devised to outsmart the Great X. Of course it means that the mice will relocate, temporarily, to the outside. That move brings with it all sorts of new dangers. To add to the excitement the mice are hoping to be back inside and well hidden before the day of the blessing, for it will bring another complication. Cats! This story moves along briskly with well-drawn out drama, touches of humor, and endearing mice each with a unique personality. Rohmann's sketches of these clever mice and the excitable church ladies add plenty of heart to this heartwarming story. Pair it with Dick King-Smith's The School Mouse (Disney-Hyperion, 2009) about another mouse family in crisis. This would make a great read aloud. Libraries should buy multiples... it will be popular. Reviewer: Beverley Fahey
School Library Journal
Gr 2–4—The colony of mice living in the recesses of St. Bartholomew's Church is facing two threats: the Great X, periodically called upon when humans suspect rodents; and the ubiquitous presence of cats when rain brings the annual Blessing of the Animals on the Feast of St. Francis indoors. Failed attempts to foil Father Murphy's plan to summon the exterminator force Mouse Mistress Hildegarde to lead all 219 church mice on a dangerous excursion Outdoors and into the nearby cemetery. From there, with the help of mouse colleagues Roderick and Ignatious, she dispatches a team that successfully disengages the sticky traps set by the Great X. With this challenge behind them, the mice must now steer clear of the cats during the Blessing ceremony. But Hildegarde cannot resist participating to receive a blessing on behalf of all of the mice, and, in a triumphant conclusion to the story, she marches in the procession, astonishing Father Murphy and inexplicably setting all the cats to purring as organ music swells. While some of the ecclesiastical references are a bit oblique and sure to be enigmatic to the intended audience, this transitional novel is likely to be enjoyed by future readers of Avi's "Poppy" sequence (HarperCollins). Pen-and-ink illustrations, many full-page, enhance the story, and an overhead diagram of the church elucidates some of the terminology in the text.—Marie Orlando, formerly at Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY
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