Rat

by Jan Cheripko

Fifteen-year-old Jeremy Chandler loves to play basketball, but he knows he'll never be on the school team. Despite his quickness and knowledge, a birth defect that left him with an injured right arm prevents him from being able to compete. Still, he hangs out in the gym so much that his nick name is Rat--short for "gym rat." Jeremy's admiration for the guys on the basketball team receives a shock, however, when he testifies in court against the teams' coach whom he saw molesting a cheerleader. Now a championship season is threatened, his friendship with the players destroyed, and his life in school tormented by a player who seeks revenge against Jeremy for his testimony. Into Jeremy's bleak world enters a new coach, his expectant wife, and their daughter. Through them, Jeremy is forced to decide whether friends are more important than the truth and to come to terms with being born with a permanently injured right arm.

Genres: Young Adult

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Jan Cheripko is the author of several books for young adults and children. He currently teaches English at The Family Foundation School, a private residential school for at-risk teens.

As he does in his novels, Cheripko focuses his talks to students, teachers, and parents on the choices young people make, the need to identify the principles one stands for, and to place them ahead of personalities.

For more information, please see http://www.answers.com/topic/jan-cher...

Reviews

[Gayle Krause · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you a basketball fan? If not, you will be after you read RAT. If you are, you’ll be calling plays right alongside Coach and Jeremy Chandler, aka RAT, a nicknaname given to him by Simpson, the team bully. This nickname is two-fold— One, fifteen-year-old Jeremy loves basketball and spends most of his time in the gym, thus the “Gym Rat” connotation. And two, because Jeremy witnesses a coach molesting a cheerleader and testified to what he saw, the basketball players call him “Rat.”

Of course all bullies have a hidden reason in their backgrounds that makes them act mean to others, and by the time you reach the end of the book you will discover what makes Simpson tick, or explode, as the case may be. And your understanding of Jeremy grows exponentially, just as he does, as he learns that you can have friends and be true to yourself, while telling the truth.

Cheripko, the master of metaphors, entwines the stories of a cast of high school characters with the realistic life stories of adults with their own shortcomings. Family relationships between parents and their angst-ridden teen children are portrayed realistically.

The reader believes this is a book has boy appeal, especially for the reluctant reader. Jan Cheripko belongs to the KIDLIT, INK marketing group for published authors of Children’s Literature.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novels begins off with the protagonist, "rat" having to make a decision of telling the truth and be hated or lie. Then, he faces the hatred of his fellow basketball teammates. Rat, having been born with a defected right arm, he faces discrimination and hardship in high school. Meanwhile, bullied, he discovers that the bully actually had an even harder life. In the end, the bully changes after experiencing the death of the new basketball coach's wife when giving birth to her child. The exact reoccurring death of the bully's own mother, Rat and the bully discovers the cruelty of life: Rat, being disabled, but still has his family, the bully, being motherless, now making a new path, and the new-born baby about to experience the hardship of the next generation.

[Gajen Chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Rat is a story focused on the idea of bullying in school. The protagonist who's dedicated in basketball, is placed in a serious situation with his basketball team. The story all starts out with him in court as a witness against his gym teacher on a case of rape. With only saying what he saw, the coach has been announced guilty. And with that, the whole basketball team he manages turns against him and life gets rough for him. The Rat's plot and how Jan Cheripko writes the story to elaborate on the idea of bullying is a way to convince kids and teachers that witness bullying to take action on injustice.

[Timothy Linfield]

I enjoyed the book Rat by Jan Cheripko very much, i liked the plot of the story and thought that since the characters in the book are high school students made the book more enjoyable and connectable to me as i am a high school student aswell. The other reason i liked the book was because it had to do with basketball since the main character is on the basketball team means that there are alot of sport quotes or vocab or stats which excite me when i read a book.

[Michael Smarrelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rat by Jan Cheripko is a story about a kid named Jeremy Chandler who loves basketball. The only problem is, the team hates him. And he got the previous coach, coach Stennard fired. The main antagonist coach Stennard is caught sexually assaulting and attempting to rape a cheerleader. In court Jeremy then "rats" on Stennard therefore making the team hate him. Some other important characters include the new coach, coach O'connor who helps Jeremy understand that what he did is not wrong and tells the basketball team to lay off him. Also getting Jeremy his manager position back. But coach O'connor moves to New Brunswick at the end of the book because of his wife's death after her birth Another important character is Simpson the team bully. He hates on Rat and his disability the whole book and only makes Rat stronger throughout the story. Overall I loved this story, it is an amazing underdog story although it is very sad at times.

[Compton Persaud · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rat by Jan Cheripko is about basketball but it not another story about a nobody being an MVP. It actually about Jeremy Chandler aka RAT. RAT is a snitch but he a good guy. he testifying against his school basketball coach, whom he saw assaulting a cheerleader. But he faces a dilemma tell the truth about the assault or the approval of his friend. I'm giving this book a 3 star only because of him having a second thought about telling the truth. my reason is that of my moral. if I had witnessed the assault, I would have told the truth an get it over with but then again. he was getting hassled by everyone especially by the basketball team with violence. but overall it a good story.

[Devlynn Gatsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book. The author knows when to get into more deep topics. It kept me hooked throughout the book, and it portrayed a teenage mindset clearly, in my opinion. I would recommend this book.

[I Trump · Rating 5 out of 5]

What struck me right away is the unique voice. Rat/Jeremy has a distinct way of talking, and he also has a different way of pulling into thoughts in the middle of a scene--like he's talking to the reader. Might take some getting used to for some. It's basketball heavy. I'm a big fan of basketball, but I think even people who aren't as into sports will appreciate the culture the coach is trying to foster from his team. It's not too heavy into plays and games.

Jeremy is an interesting character. I like that his nickname has two meanings. It's an interesting point of view to see his perspective on an attempted rape. He gets that it's wrong, but he doesn't go into depth, which seems appropriate for his age. He starts off doing the right thing, but he's conflicted about it because of the reaction he from his team.

Rat's character growth is about more than the inciting incident. He's got some issues with how his family perceives him, and he's also figuring out where he fits in school. I think the part about his withered arm was handled well too.

The ending surprised me. I liked that there were loose strings left but enough hope was left moving forward.

[Ever B.]

I thought that this was a good book because it tells the story about a kid who had to do the right thing in order to save someone. He had to tell on his basketball coach to a jury how he tried to hurt him and sexually harass a cheerleader. In this book Jeremy Chandler was hated in his school by the basketball team because they no longer had a coach and they couldn’t practice without one. So the basketball team treated him poorly and there was one certain kid that wanted to hurt him. Jeremy was born with a withered arm and had no chance of defending himself. Jeremy loved to play the sport too, but being hated he was scared to go to the basketball court, because he knew that the team would be there and would start conflics. Then he has to figure out how to set there conflics aside.

[Tyler Lingle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book I read was called Rat, it was about a boy that has always dreamed to be on the basketball team. But he cant because his right arm is criple. The book not a book i would recomend this book unless you like sport books. I admire him because never stoped trying and never gave up. The book did not meet my standards because i like thrill books, this book just like one thnig after another. My favorit part of the book was when the science teacher beat the three kids in a basketball game and had two girls on his team. I decided to read this book because i love to play basketball and its my favorit sport.

[Cody Asmus · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a story about a fifteen year old kid that loves to play basketball. But he thinks that he will never make the basketball team. He had problems when he was born so he has a defected arm and that is what is making him not play basketball. But he still goes to the gym about ever day and because he goes to the gym so much people started to call him a rat. After he witnesses the basketball teams coach molesting a cheerleader and testifies against the coach in court, then after that the basketball players on the team started to not like him. And then he didn't know which means more the truth or his friends. If you like basketball you should read this book because it is awesome.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly accurate portrayal of what bullying would be like in a school setting. I'd say its better set for jr high kids than elementary. Warning: the first chapter sets up a scene that sets the stage for the entire book. "Rat" witnesses a coach trying to accost a cheerleader in the locker room. The book opens in a court where he is describing what he witnessed. It is not filthy or graphic, but just disturbing to think of what could have happened. This incident is the basis for the book, as the entire basketball team now shuns Rat for getting the coach fired. Just thought you should know ;)

[Fatma · Rating 3 out of 5]

the plot and story were kinda good .. the conversation lines were poor ,though in the last few chapters I was stolen from planet earth to another level of emotion (y) not my favorite and if I saw another paperback of the same writer I wouldn't run to get it, but in general the book was really nice

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good YA book about a scandal on a high school basketball team.