גברת פריסבי ועכברושי מב”ן

Rats of NIMH #1

by Robert C. O'Brien

“כשלימדו אותנו לקרוא, הם לימדו אותנו לברוח.”

גברת פריסבי, עכברת-שדה אלמנה ואם לארבעה עכברונים, נקלעה לצרה צרורה. עליה להעביר את משפחתה לבית הקיץ שלהם בהקדם על מנת להציל אותם ממוות כמעט בטוח. אבל בנה הצעיר טימותי חלה בדלקת ריאות, ואסור לטלטל אותו. למרבה המזל היא מצליחה ליצור קשר עם עכברושי מב”ן, יצורים יוצאי דופן ואינטליגנטיים במיוחד, שרוקחים תוכנית גאונית לפתרון המצוקה שלה. אבל הדרך לפתרון רצופה סכנות, שמאיימות לא רק על גברת פריסבי, אלא על העכברושים כולם.

ספרו של רוברט אובריאן משנת 1972 נחשב לקלסיקה אמריקאית. הוא זכה בפרס ניוברי ב-1973, ועובד לסרט אנימציה שהופץ בארץ בשנות השמונים בשם “על קסמים ועכברים”. בימים אלה מצולם עיבוד קולנועי חדש לספר. מעשייה מרתקת על חיות שדה וקשריהם עם בני האדם, עם מרכיבים של מדע בדיוני. מומלץ לקריאה מגיל 8 ומעלה.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Childrens, Classics, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Animals

211 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Robert Leslie Conly (better known by his pen name, Robert C. O'Brien) was an American author and journalist for National Geographic Magazine. His daughter is author Jane Leslie Conly.

For more complete information on this author, please see:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_...

Reviews

[Tim Null · Rating 5 out of 5]

Between 1989 and 1990, I took some additional college courses in hopes of getting a teaching certificate. That all went for naught when we moved to California. I did take three courses at The College of William and Mary that I loved, and I'm grateful I had the opportunity to experience.

One was an introduction to linguistics class, which I'll probably mention when I review The Bird Way.

The second class was a modern history class where the professor announced, "Modern history is anything that has happened while I have been alive." He also said, "History is written by the winners, and it mostly ignores the losers."

The third was a children's literature class taught by a school librarian. Although her main job was in an elementary school, she was qualified to be a college professor.

In addition to a midterm and final exam, we had to do one oral and several written book reviews. In my oral review, I reviewed Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. In my review, I compared the book and the movie and concluded that although they were quite different, I loved them both.

I take great pride in the fact I aced that book report, and I also got an 'A' in the class.

Do you think a young woman would enjoy receiving a copy of this book on her 13th birthday?

[Wendy Darling · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am very fond of extraordinarily handsome rats. <3 Even better than I remembered, and now I have to read the sequel to find out what happened to everybody.

Reread for our monthly classics readalong--discussion on the blog this Friday!

[Julie G · Rating 5 out of 5]

We live just three houses down from a farm, so we frequently have the pleasure of hearing a goat bleat or having a curious horse reach their head over the fence for a quick nuzzle. We also have the occasional misfortune of horse-flies in the summertime and the rare autumn visit of a mouse who makes it past the notice of our savage (and somehow still fabulous) cat.

When this happens, when a mouse runs past my foot while out in the yard, or, Heaven forbid, comes anywhere near the structure of our house, my screams often sound like the sound effects from the famous shower scene from Psycho.

I understand that it is illogical and irrational that a creature so small should provoke such terror in me, but it's true.

(Don't even get me started on the topic of rats. I'd rather face a Tyrannosaurus rex than a rat, and I'm not kidding).

And now. . . here I am. . . because of another exceptional narrative and fabulous three-dimensional characters. . . loving a devoted mouse mother, Mrs. Frisby, and her pack of clever, genetically modified rat friends.

What's wrong with me? Am I misanthropic?

Why do I always prefer small colonies of animals in fiction and wish for them to take over the world?

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my all-time favorite books when I was a kid; I must've read it eight times. So I was pleased to find that it holds up well, and I still found it very entertaining (although it seemed a shorter). I did notice some things that I don't think really registered when I was younger. For one, I was thinking as I read that Mrs. Frisby is a pretty unusual character for a children's book. She's an adult, which is not common to children's novels; usually the protagonist is the same age or a couple years older than the intended audience. And she definitely thinks like an adult; she notices things like how young Justin seems, worries about taking care of her family, misses her husband. It's kind of cool.

The other thing I noticed was just how few female characters there are in the book. There's Mrs. Frisby and her daughters, Auntie Shrew, Isabella (a young rat Mrs. Frisby meets in the library), and that's really about it. Justin and Nicodemus make reference to "the wives," who are certainly shown as capable and industrious, but don't really have a part to play in the book. This lack is somewhat counterbalanced by what a brave and strong character Mrs. Frisby is -- but it DID annoy me that she didn't even get a first name. "Mrs. Jonathan Frisby," indeed. It's not enough to make me give the book a lower score, but I found it a little irksome. I don't think it really mattered to me too much as a kid, though; mostly I think I had a huge crush on Justin. :)

[emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

the very idea of a rodent: disgusting, debilitating, makes me want to perish

the concept of a colony of rats working together with a little old lady mouse to go on summer vacation: fantastic, whimsical, a childhood-defining masterpiece

this book was one of my mom's favorites when she was growing up, and i read her same copy when i was growing up, and that is a lovely adorable experience even to a cynical nightmarish grump like me.

part of a series in which i review books i read a long time ago with a veil of nostalgia and very little useful information

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rats are the better humans maybe.

When I read this story aloud to students a few years ago, I remember thinking it is one of these crossover novels that speak to children and adults on different, but equally satisfying levels.

There is the human intrusion into the natural state of biology.

There is the inevitable fallout.

There is the fable.

There is the fantasy about community building.

There is the hardship and the there is the perseverance to deal with it.

There is good old adventure and storytelling.

What else can one ask of a children's book?

It also has RATS!

[☾❀Apple✩ Blossom⋆｡˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“When you’ve lived in a cage, you can’t bear not to run, even if what you’re running towards is an illusion.”



I grew up watching Don Bluth's animation movie The Secret of NIMH, and I had no idea this was a book. Then I found this little second-hand book on Amazon and I knew I had to read it! This story is just so much fun. I love those children's books told from the perspective of animals, because it really forces you to change your point of view when approaching a story (those poor mice really live every single day of their life avoiding to get killed! No wonder they get heart failure poor little creatures).



As I said, this book was a lot of fun bur honestly, I like the movie more. It might be because of Don Bluth's genius; but I also didn't like the illustrations in the book (all mice and rats look exactly the same) and I didn't think the author did such a great job imagining how a rat would think and act in this particular situation. I don't think I will go on with the series, but I still love this story because of childhood memories, so I can't help but rating this book so high. I have a soft heart ahah!

[Cherisa B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly thoughtful book about education, ethics, community and obligations to ourselves, our family, our tribe, and the larger world. Even prejudice. Led to good conversations with my twin 10yo granddaughters, with whom I read it on a beach vacation. We all loved it.
Newbery winner, and rightly so.

[Zoë]

[Book #38 for my grad school Children's Lit class]

[Scott Rhee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genetically altered super-rats are taking over the countryside, and government agents in biohazard suits are after them. While it certainly sounds like James Herbert’s classic horror novel “The Rats”, it’s actually the plot of a beloved children’s classic.

Robert C. O’Brien’s “Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH”, published in 1971, introduced the world to super-intelligent lab rats and mice that escaped the lab and found shelter on the Fitzgibbon farm, building an underground city beneath a rosebush, with rat-size chairs and tables and refrigerators and lamps and books.

It’s almost planting season, and Mrs. Frisby—-an industrious single mother mouse—-is in a pickle: her youngest son, Timothy, is sick and can’t be moved, but their cinderblock house is sure to be found by Mr. Fitzgibbon, so they must find alternative housing. An elderly mouse, Mr. Ages, tells her to recruit the help of the rats in the rosebush.

So, she goes off on an adventure to ask for help from the strange, reclusive rats, not realizing that she will be a part of a much bigger adventure.

I had never read this as a child, but I vaguely recall the ‘80s animated film “The Secret of NIMH” that was based on it. I may have to revisit that sometime. The book was wonderful, and I loved it.

This was a nightly bedtime book that I read with my daughter. While it didn’t have the excitement of the Harry Potter books (which she recently discovered; her favorite so far being the third book, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”), she enjoyed it. It’s got talking mice and rats: what’s not to love?

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very scary animated movie, when I was about 10, so I read it with trepidation that it wouldn't live up to those memories. It was as scary in print as it was on film.

Highly recommended, but maybe not for very small children.

[Pakinam Mahmoud · Rating 3 out of 5]

رواية تعتبر ميكس بين الفانتازيا و الخيال العلمي بتحكي عن الفأرة الأرملة فريسبي و هي أم ل٤ أطفال صغار و تواجه مشكلة فتلجأ لجذران المعهد الوطني وهي فئران شديدة الذكاء و قادرة علي القراءة والكتابة لكي يجدوا حلاً لمشكلتها...

الرواية طبعاً أنا شوفتاها للأطفال و محسيتش فيها بأي عمق بس هي مكتوبة حلو و ترجمة صديقتي العزيزة رضوي أحمد عيد كانت الصراحة أحلي حاجة في الكتاب...
ينصح بها لمحبي هذه النوعية من الكتب أو ممكن تكون صالحة للقراءة للأطفال قبل النوم..

[The Captain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahoy there me mateys!  Here I take a second look at a previously enjoyed novel and give me crew me second reflections, as it were, upon visitin' it again . . .

In the last couple of days, I had to take a road journey and decided to listen to an audiobook on the way.  I wanted something I had previously read before and saw this one was available from the library.  The First Mate had never heard of it and I was appalled.  I adored the 1982 movie and the book when I was little but hadn't read or watched it in over a decade or more.  I got excited to revisit it.

Absolutely no disappointment here!  For those who don't know the story, Mrs. Frisby is a field mouse with four children.  Her son Timothy gets pneumonia and cannot be moved from their winter home.  The problem is that the farmer is about to plow the fields.  If Mrs. Frisby doesn't find a solution about what to do for Timothy then he will die.

When I was little I was mostly fascinated by the rats of NIMH and how they came to be.  While I still enjoyed that section, this time I was much more focused in Mrs. Frisby's journey and her kindness and determination.  She is just a regular mouse but her love is her strength and I was surprisingly very moved by her adventures.  It was also nice to revisit old friends like Justin and Jeremy.  I did think it was interesting that even in the world of rodents that the males held all the power and made all the decisions.  I didn't notice that as a child.  So it be even more extraordinary that a older widowed mother mouse is the hero.  I was more inclined to think the rats saved the day when I was little.  Now I know where the true strength lies.

I very much enjoyed the audiobook and thought Barbara Caruso did an excellent job with this one.  After listening to this I very much want to rewatch the movie.  I will wait until the First Mate and I are back together and order him to watch it with me.  Arrrr!

Side note: Goodreads listed this as a series and I was confused.  Turns out the author's daughter wrote two additional books in the series.  No offense but I like this book as a standalone!

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it was my second-grade teacher who read this to us in class, like a chapter a day, or something.
I was so into this book, I made my mom take me to the library where I checked it out so I could read ahead to find out what was coming. But I didn't want the entire thing spoiled, so I only read a chapter ahead.
In fifth grade, this was available through RIF and I remember seeing the copy on the folding table among all the many other free books. I snatched it up so fast, grabbing up from under my taller classmates, swiping like Swiper has never swiped. It was the movie edition which means it was the same story but with pictures from the Don Bluth film adaptation in middle. I adored that movie ("A sparkly!"), my family and I had seen it at the Drive-In and have been quoting it ever since.
I loved this book as it was read and as I read ahead. I loved it when I got it from the RIF table. I loved it every time I read it. It's deeper and more nuanced than the animated film, of course. Scarier, too. It's a wonderful story with some science, some mystery, and a lot of bravery.

[Wee Lassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I approached this with the usual trepidation you get when going back to a childhood favourite after nearly four decades away... deep breath... but I needn’t have worried. This book is every bit as charming, moving and, let’s be honest, a teeny bit scary as I remembered. If you like an intelligently written children’s book that provides some food for thought, you could do a lot worse.

I can’t help but wonder if James Herbert read this before he wrote ‘The Rats’, though... brrr...

[Andrew Gillsmith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, how I love this story! The animated movie is one of my clearest memories of childhood.

It helps that I am a devoted rat-dad, but I'd recommend it even for those who still harbor prejudices against these noble creatures.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much as a young teen, I read it over and over and over. This is probably the book that started me off on my lifelong love of fantasy, together with Watership Down.

I re-read this as part of my MacHalo Reading Challenge 2016, 4. Re-reading a childhood favourite.

The beginning was a little boring and the very traditional gender roles of the mice annoyed me a bit at first. But once Mrs. Frisby met the rats and they told her their story, the book picked up a lot. I had forgotten a lot of the storyline. Some parts were pretty exciting, others emotional. There was drama, angst, a good plot, suspense... A nice rollercoaster.

In the end I liked the story so much that I wouldn't mind reading a sequel, to find out how the story continues for our heroes.

[Donna Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great children’s literature, of the sort that is rarely seen today. Mr. O’Brien teaches the concepts of true heroism, of doing brave things when you are terrified, of sacrificing oneself for others. He includes the concepts of self-betterment through learning, and of the comfort of being loved. How friendships are forged. How communities are built.
Actually, it’s just the story of a mouse who is trying to care for her sickly son. But that’s the beauty and mystery of great storytelling. Mr. O’Brien teaches all of those concepts while telling a simple child’s story about a mouse. I wish great concepts were taught in this way more frequently. What a beautiful tale to read.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this several times as a kid. I was most fascinated by the experiments at NIMH (a real government organization!) and would read just those chapters over and over. It’s an intelligent book and expects young readers to understand it. It is not condescending to the young audience.

At fifty years old, the book shows traditional gender roles that some may find offensive. Yet Mrs. Frisby, a housewife mouse with no special enhancements from NIMH of her own, shows amazing courage, strength, and composure. She is a truly strong female and doesn’t have to act like a male to be so.

Language: None
Sexual Content: None
Violence: Mild
Harm to Animals: Some mice are blown away in an air duct and presumed dead. The cat gets drugged periodically. Some rats die of accidental electrocution. A couple rats die of poison gas. Rats and mice are experimented on.
Harm to Children: None
Other (Triggers): Mild sexism

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book captivated me from start to finish when I read it - for the first time - as an adult. It's such a beautiful story of courage and morality and heroism. It's hard to imagine anyone not being moved by "The Rats of Nimh" and its characters are well-developed and not easily forgotten. I thought about this book for days afterward, and I was sad when it ended.

There are really two stories going on at once; O'Brien cleverly brings the two together slowly by revealing their connection detail by detail through an absorbing flashback. The entire book's tone is one of being invited into a secret that only you, the reader, are accepted into. The science aspect is interesting and makes the animal characters even more realistic and memorable. I've read reviews about what the author's intention was, pointing to the various themes - from science playing with nature to self-determination to morality - present in the story. This ambiguity make "The Rats of Nimh" all the more interesting.

[Brittany McCann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was delightful. The age difference between myself and the target audience was not at all an issue for enjoyment. It felt like the Secret of Nimh movie I loved in my childhood, followed along with the main story.

Mrs. Frisby made me realize how many strong single mother figures I had in stories and entertainment as a child. I guess it helped shape my high view of them in my life now as a single mother.

I loved getting more details about the time Jonathan and the rats spent at NIMH, and I will continue to read the other accounts in the series. This is such an interesting take on animal testing and turning it into a sci-fi/fantasy account.

4 stars.

[Sanjay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Way better than expected.

[Yigal Zur · Rating 4 out of 5]

brilliant saga of educated rats

[Karina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was the best book about rats and mice I have ever read!!! It was fun and the story line was great. I kind of feel bad for them now.... (not that bad where I want to save them or have one as a pet) Great characters and a mommy mouse that loves her family so much she will put her life in jeopardy to save them. Feel good book full of imagination.

[Diamond Cowboy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book. I read it in the forth grade and it has stuck with me ever since.
It is about a group of rats which have been biologicly altared to be highly intelegent. They form there own cyvalization and such. There is a family of mice involved as well wherein there is a love story of sorts. I highly recommend this book to all ages.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I forgot about the lab testing element of the plot, and even though it's done well and makes sense and is interesting and all that, it's still kind of depressing and takes up too much of the narrative's time. But I do live for little woodland animal communities, so.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cleanliness

Children's Bad Words
Name Calling - 2 Incidents: Birdbrain, idiots

Religious & Supernatural - None

Romance Related - 1 Incident: A young girl rat has a crush on an older/teenager rat. She mentions he's not married and blushes at his name (all brief).

Attitudes/Disobedience - None
Violence - None

Conversation Topics - 6 Incidents: Mentions a little girl mouse was fond of dancing. [Spoiler Alert]: Several rats in the story were once lab rats, used for experimental research for mental enhancement. As a result of these experiments and the injections they received, they learned how to read and reason and eventually escaped. Because of their intelligence, they knew they could never live among other rats, so wished to develop their own colony, their own civilization. Some wondered, if given time, if they would be as brilliant as humans and might coexist, even dominate the world. Also, they wished to change human's opinions of rats by no longer stealing but producing everything for themselves. Mentions briefly how rats acted "millions of years ago" and how their descendants are prairie dogs. A man trespasses onto property and camps there. Discussions such as living a simple life, avoiding the "rat race of life" are topics in the book. Rats have a discussion on stealing: "Is it stealing when farmers take milk from cows or eggs from chickens? They're just smarter than the cows and chickens, that's all. Well, people are our cows. If we're smart enough, why shouldn't we get food from them?" "It's not the same. Farmers feed the cows and chickens and take care of them. We don't do anything for what we take."

Parent Takeaway
A great page-turner to read aloud with the family. References to character, right and wrong and some good ethical questions are raised. Story could be a little intense for very young children.

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[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name · Rating 3 out of 5]

How is it these rats can illuminate their entire underground nest with Christmas lights, but every year thousands of Americans cannot decorate their trees???

[C. (Comment, don't blank click reviews). · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw “The Secret Of Nimh” at a birthday sleepover party. If it was in grade 6, I was 11 years-old; sensitive enough to have compassion for sad elements and still a baby to be spooked by dark moments. It is this August that I finally read Robert C. O’Brien’s original book 38 years later. I afterwards watched my videotape with my spouse. We were touched but not blown away. It changed in fundamental ways from the storybook, which is unforgettable. We happen to be in the birthday party week-end of my 49th year, this November 2021!

Oh my, you cannot know how profound, enlightening, and intellectual the discourse is, until you read it for yourself! Do not dismiss this formidable 1971 treatise about misunderstood animals by imagining a cute “Disney” tale. If I ignore my knowledge of “animal communication”, that all species, minds, and languages are equal via telepathy; the concept of chemically enhancing brains was interesting. These artificially augmented rats and mice had clothing and books but burrowed into nature’s houses. A farmer was going to level the field where Mrs. Brisby lived, during an illness when her toddler could not go out in cool weather. She was urged to consult an owl, who.... (you see what I did there) directed her to rosebush rats.

I have always revered mysteries and poignant emotions. Meeting the owl riveted me in the book and 1982 film but nothing awed me more than a widow making discoveries about her husband, Jonathan. The message is staggering! Rats do not gather food and are sustained by stealing. Their new intellect affords the occasion to change that. Domestic felines in reality love the wilderness but these educated fictional rats can no longer abide sewers. Robert’s philosophical depth in a so-called children’s story amazed me!