The Naked Molerat Letters

by Mary Amato

When her father begins a long-distance romance with a zookeeper from Washington, D.C., twelve-year-old Frankie sends fabricated e-mails to the zookeeper in an attempt to sabotage the relationship. But when the zookeeper responds, with wise and witty letters about protecting territory, shunning outsiders, and rebuilding a home, Frankie begins an honest and prickly correspondence that touches on family, friendship, and growing up.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Contemporary, Juvenile

266 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

I write fiction for young adults and children and enjoy connecting with my readers. Adults (ages 18 and up) who are interested in writing, please check out my Meditative Art/Writing Workouts, a donation-based twice monthly online group.
https://www.maryamato.com/meditative-...

Reviews

[Librariann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ages 9+

Seventh grader Frankie is having a rough time. Living with her younger brothers, Skip and Nutter, is like living in a zoo. She learns that she didn't get the part she wanted in the school play. Worst of all, she recently discovered that her dad's secretly been emailing Ayanna, a zookeeper he met on a trip to Washington D.C. A zookeeper who takes care of naked mole rats - ew! Frankie is determined to put a stop to their communication. She starts sending her own emails to Ayanna, full of lies about her family to frighten the woman off. Before long, Frankie’s lying starts to creep into her everyday life and threatens to get out of control. What will happen when her dad finds out?

Written entirely in Frankie's diary entries and her emails to and from Ayanna, this realistic and sometimes humorous story of growing up is for anyone who was ever afraid of change coming into their lives…and for anyone who later realized that those changes might not be so bad after all.

[Matthyas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book The Naked Mole Rat Letters by Mary Amato is about a girl and her family without a mom. However, once her dad leaves on a business trip he meets a particular woman who manages the lives of rats at the National Zoo in Washington DC. In order, for the "ratlady" and her dad to not move forward in their relationship she tries to lie however, what ends up as one lie becomes a whole entire new story that comes to bite back in the future.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m home sick and had this on my tbr list for a library challenge. It was an emotional rollercoaster! Not sure if it’s because I’m so foggy brained but I really enjoyed this even though it made me cry a lot.

[Arminzerella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frankie discovers that her father is secretly corresponding with a mysterious woman – Ayanna Bayo, a.k.a. Ratlady – whom he met while he was at a conference in Washington D.C., and she’s completely horrified. Afraid that her dad is trying to replace her mom, Frankie does everything in her power to put Ayanna off. She deletes Ratlady’s emails to her father, erases her phone messages, and lies at every opportunity. Ratlady, however, sees through Frankie’s attempts. She tries to assuage Frankie’s fears by drawing parallels between what Frankie is feeling and how naked mole-rats experience the world (as that’s the subject she knows best). Frankie isn’t reassured. She sees her life changing completely and she’s scared. Because Frankie is so stressed out about Ratady, she doesn’t have time to do her homework, or study, or look after her brothers, or be in the play she tried out for - keeping track of all the lies she’s told is becoming a full-time job. Just as Frankie begins to open up to Ayanna about her feelings, however, the situation explodes (almost literally) and Frankie winds up in big trouble.

I liked learning about the naked mole-rats (although, sometimes, it seems like Ayanna’s use of them to illustrate her points was just an excuse to demonstrate how much the author knows about naked mole-rats), and I really liked Ayanna and was hoping that Frankie’s father would bring her out and introduce her (properly) to the family. Frankie’s descent into deceit and petty crime was rather difficult to swallow – it started out being funny, because she was trying so hard to keep Ayanna at bay, but then it devolved into this huge mess that was so much bigger than it needed to be (plus, she was so unnecessarily mean to Ayanna). I guess things get out of hand when you don’t discuss your problems/feelings. There was also a sub-plot involving Johnny Nye, a boy in Frankie’s class at school, whom everyone sees as a trouble-maker. He’s really a sweet guy, talented, funny, kind, but very few people ever see that side of him. Unfortunately, Frankie’s friendship with Johnny gets thrown in right at the end of the book, and I wish it were something that had been developed right from the beginning, because the way it’s written there’s almost too much going on (for the space allotted). Despite being a little irritated with Frankie, I enjoyed reading this - especially the parts with Johnny Nye.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew nothing of this book going into it. I was reading it so I can fill in at our school-age mother/caregiver-daughter book club this month. It is comprised of emails and diary entries, which I think helped the book read fast. (And it definitely was a fast read!) For a while, I was ready to shake Frankie because she got on my nerves so much. Very much a dramatic 12-year old. (And I could NEVER relate to that.) I knew that somewhere in the book, Frankie was going to figure out that all of her lying and plain ol' mean-ness was going to turn around and smack her. I think that was one reason I was into the book and hooked on reading--I wanted to see her change. And she did. And I really liked how Amato decided to bring about that change, since I wasn't sure how that would take place.

I had an added experience with this book since I was reading with the mind-set that I would have to discuss it with the girls. Unfortunately, I don't know the girls at all. So I wasn't sure if there were any particular points that I should point out. Hopefully they (and all other readers) realize just how awful Frankie was being! I mean, she was horrid at times. My mouth was literally hanging open at some of the things she had the gall to do! Aside from the lying and invasion of privacy, I kept thinking that I just couldn't relate to this girl.

But then I had to stop and reflect. As an adult, no I didn't relate because she bothers me with how selfish and audacious she can be. But reading her diary would probably be very similar to reading some of my journal and diary entries when I was her age: full of myself in some areas, feeling totally alone and misunderstood at times, always being the victim, misuse of vocabulary, not sure of who to be friends with. OK. So that could be applied to me today, but I really hope not! I hope I've learned from those awful teen years that I would never re-live even if you offered to pay off all my debt and send me on a month-long trip to England or China!

Much food for my thoughts, which I'll be nibbling on as I prepare for the book club and what I'm going to say (or not say). I think initially I might have given this only 3 stars because of how much Frankie bothered me for 1/2 of the book. But as I think more on it and think of just how much I can share with these girls about to enter this part of life, I like it more.

[Andrea Olson · Rating 1 out of 5]

The writing was fine; I hated the protagonist. I understand feeling frustrated if your father was pursuing a new relationship with a woman you didn't know, but the way Frankie dealt with it was pathetic. Lying, blaming, lying more, calling people mentally ill, more lying, destroying relationships, and then when it all comes crashing down, all we get is a "Woe is me, everyone is out to get me." There is no sense of guilt or responsibility. And while it ends with her back in correspondence with the 'Ratlady', it never says whether the damage she caused to the relationship is ever repaired with her father. The plot of the book was self-inflicted stupidity. Granted, this is geared toward younger readers, so maybe they won't pick up on all of that it it reads a fluffy story of finding acceptance in the harsh junior high world.

[H · Rating 2 out of 5]

Frankie is in 7th grade, struggling with learning to be a middle schooler, and upset that her beloved dad (its another dead mother book!) just might have met someone special, a woman who is the naked mole rat keeper at the National Zoo. Her life starts spiraling out of control in a series of lies as she tries to sabotage her father's new friendship. Told in e-mails and diary entries, this is a fairly straightforward family story, and girls in 4th-5th grade who like family stories will like it. For me, Frankie is entirely unbelievable, from her idyllic new-agey small-town family life to her gratuitous self-corrected spelling. However, I am an adult and I don't know that kids will have the same reaction.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down!

Frankie is worried when her father comes home from a business trip and she discovers that on the trip he Met A Woman! Frankie's mother passed away a few years ago, and she worries that her father will remarry now, and everything will change. In her fear, she starts to lie, to cheat on her homework, ignore her younger brothers, and email the woman in an effort to destroy the budding romance. As Frankie's life starts to spiral out of control, her father has to take notice of her, something he hasn't really done in quite while.

This book was totally engaging. Even as I was disapproving of the things Frankie was doing, I understood her completely. Wonderful!

[Andy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Frankie finds out that her widowed father is developing a long-distance relationship with a zookeeper. The story, told through diary entries and email messages, focuses on Frankie's attempts to thwart the budding romance. Frankie's efforts are tiresome to read about (she starts lying, getting into trouble at school, neglecting her responsibilities at home, bottling her feelings, and alienating her friends), but they ultimately create a realistic intimacy and empathy for her character. Frankie and her father eventually learn to be more honest, to better communicate, and to trust each other in this heart-felt novel. Ages 10+.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites! See what trouble this girl, whose dad is starting to date, can get in.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't stop reading. I love Frankie's whole family and love how absolutely imperfect she is.

So glad I finally read this. Seven-hour layovers tend to give you some time to read. :-)

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I think it captured quite well what it's like to be Frankie's age, and the story was very enjoyable to go through. It's another one I read during work, so it took me a while, but it was good enough that I had to remind myself to keep working pretty often.

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Naked Mole-Rat Letters is an easy, compelling read from Mary Amato. (Her book PLease Don’t Write in This Book is a 2011-12 Lovelace Nominee.) The narrator is twelve-year-old Frankie. She tells the story through a combination of diary entries and email correspondence.

As the story begins Frankie has accidentally discovered an email sent to her father from a woman in Washington D. C.–where her father has just been on a business trip. The reference to a dinner and what Frankie realizes are romantic overtones cause her to launch a campaign to make sure this woman stays away from her father. Frankie’s mother has died before the start of the book and she does NOT want her father dating another woman. Ever.

Frankie emails Ayanna–the woman whose email to her father she inadvertently intercepted. She discovers that Ayanna is the Keeper for the Naked Mole-Rat exhibit at the Zoo. She tries various tactics to dissuade Ayanna from further communication with her father: her father is allergic to small mammals, her younger brothers have debilitating diseases that include constant diarrhea and require around-the-clock care, her father is taking medication that confuses him so he doesn’t know what he is doing or saying, etc.

Throughout their correspondence Ayanna is genuine with Frankie, encouraging her to talk to her father about how she is feeling, as well as contributing her own insights about some of Frankie’s own dilemmas, which have crept into their emails. Frankie feels alone in her confusion and mishmash of uncomfortable feelings. Her best friend, Beth, doesn’t seem to understand what it feels like for Frankie to even think about her dad with another woman, so she stops talking to her. Frankie, always a lead role in elementary school productions, is cast in a small role when she auditions for the middle school play. She is devastated by what she feels is a slap in the face and turns down the role, making excuses that she cannot participate because her father is having a nervous breakdown.

Her crisis with the play, her father’s new romance, homework (she has been a straight-A student), losing her friends through her own withdrawal and two annoying little brothers all feel like more than Frankie can handle. Her life seems to have turned on its head with the loss of her mother, starting middle school and her father’s possible new romance. Although for the sake of the story some events are mildly contrived or exaggerated, they all work together to create a cohesive, well-plotted middle school read. Frankie’s emotions are raw and palpable through the pages as you read it.

I was pleased to find that the ending was NOT the typically trite: boy gets girl, boy loses girl due to kids’ hijinks, kids apologize and boy gets girl back. Without giving away the ending, I will say that it does successfully tie up all the plot points and still leave room for the positive and the challenging turns that life will bring for all the characters in the future.

I was charmed and completely drawn into this book. I had a hard time putting it down once I started it. I highly recommend it as my favorite of the works I have read by Mary Amato.

[Sadie Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you like reading funny books, well then you should consider reading the naked mole rat letters . This is a funny book told through diary entries and e-mails that will keep you reading. The genre of this book is realistic fiction . I really enjoyed reading this book because i thought it was fast paced and interesting .I give this book 5 stars.

This book is about a girl named Frankie who is e-mailing the rat lady the person her dad is having a long distance relationship with . Frankie doesn't want her dad to see the rat lady anymore so she tries to make her family look bad when e-mailing her. Frankie spends so much time lying to the rat lady her lies start to get out of hand in her everyday life.Frankie spends so much time e-mailing the rat lady that she starts warming up to her and starts talking to her about her feelings.As soon as she does start liking the rat lady every thing starts coming out like most of lies frankie's told and that shes been talking to Ayanna (the rat lady) . Frankie's dad feels bad that he didn't talk to her about Ayanna before but he admits that he didn't know how. the theme of this book is honest because frankie lied so much that she made situations worse .

The 1st person point of view affects the story because you really get a better perspective on everything thats happening in the story and how she feels about it. The authors word choice made much more of the story emotional when the character was sad the author used words like forgotten, gloomy , somber, th author also builds tension by making the main character lie so much. Frankie Through out the whole book is lying so you know shes going to get caught ,so your just left wondering when its going to happen .

I really enjoyed this book and interesting thing i learned from this book was be honest . lying is something everyone does but when you do it to much it gets out of hand very quickly.Frankie lies started small but after a while became something that happened naturally .The only thing i disliked about the book was the ending. I thought it was boring and could have been written differently. I believe the ending could have ended explaining more what happens to the supporting characters like does Jhonny end up with Frankie or do they remain friends. I would have wanted to know .

In conclusion I loved this book i would recommend this to people who are interested in something funny but easy to read. I would really like this book to be turned into a movie I believe it would be intersting to see . I really enjoyed this book its so far one of my favorite ones I have ever read.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Naked Mole Rat Letters
5 out of 5 stars
Amato uses a large amount of humor in her writing to make light of difficult situations. I enjoyed how the author used misspelled words throughout the book; I often do this when writing notes or letters. The font was large, in my opinion, for this type of book. Although the book was not separated into chapters, it was classified into two different groups. One group was diary entries from the main character, and the other group was emails. I think I enjoyed the book so much because of the humor and the interesting plot line, from the main character losing her brother, nearly burning down the house, weaving an intricate web of lies, and developing her first crush. The story was told in chronological order, and there were a few conflicts as well. The conflicts seemed to stem from the main character, Frankie. There were conflicts between Frankie and her brothers, best friend, father’s girlfriend, and guidance counselor. The author did a superb job of using descriptive text and interesting comparisons to help tell the story. One example was when she was talking about going to a play audition. Frankie said she would be like a teacher on her first day of the job, spunky, mature, nervous, and confident. I found it interesting how the main character evolved so much throughout the book. She started as a goody-goody, morphed into a rebel, and ended up back somewhere in the middle. Additionally, I think students can relate to seeming like an outcast as Frankie did.
I gave the book 5 out of 5 stars because I enjoyed the way the author told the stories and her text selection. The reading level for the book would be between fourth and fifth grades. My fourth grade students during student teaching could not put this book down. I think students can relate to living in a one-parent household, as well as having their first crush, and having feuds with their siblings. Two subject areas into which the book could be integrated could be science and language arts. For a language arts lesson, students could write about how they would feel about their father having a new girlfriend. This would have been a great lesson to use with my fourth grade class, considering half of the students came from divorced parents or lived in a one-parent household.

[Madison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personal Reaction: I actually remember this title from my elementary school years, although I’m not sure if I read it then or not. Reading it now, I’m sure I would have enjoyed this story back then. I didn’t experience my parents dating other people but I had many friends with divorced and dating parents, so I think I would have found some relatable information knowing what my friends were experiencing. As a student who hadn’t dealt with these circumstances, it would have given me an insight into how my friends were feeling. It would have helped me empathize with many peers since it is such a relatable and common topic.

Purposes/Use in Classroom

read aloud enrichment: I think that this book is interesting but I’m not sure that I would recommend it as a read aloud book simply because I think it’d be better suited for an independent read since it deals with such personal feelings and family relations, which is a topic that could make some student uncomfortable, especially if the classroom is familiar with everyone’s family situations.

read aloud for curriculum: Although I think this book would be best as an independent read, I think the format in which this book was shared presents the impact of personal letters or the value in diary entries. I think that Frankie’s e-mails will show students the impact of words and how they can affect others, especially through written communication rather than oral communication. On the value of diary entries, it may show the students the usefulness of journaling and how it can be helpful to write down our thoughts.

independent reading: Ultimately, I think that this book is best suited as an independent read. I had many friends growing up who would have found relatable experiences in this story which may have provided comfort. Divorce is such a prevalent occurrence these days and many children endure the hardships that follow their parents’ split. On top of divorce, children of separated parents are familiar with the difficulties of dealing with their parents dating.

[Anthony · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first when I saw this, my mind immediately jumped to this conclusion: It's another Regarding The Fountain rip-off! Well it should at least have a look. And boy, this is something.

The plot: Frankie, a 12 year old girl, has her life consumed becuase her dad is having a cross country relationship with Amaya, a girl who manages the naked mole rats in a zoo in D.C. Frankie, using the wonderful power of email, does everything she can to end their relationship.

The flow (As in how does the book go with the plot): Horrible. Me being me, I hate to look at moments where I was an idiot (Hey, who doesn't?), but it's even worse when I'm reading someone do something extremely stupid. I skimmed this more than read it because there was that much embarrassment. Now I know some people might like to see the main character flop on every turn (*cough cough* diary of a wimpy kid readers *cough cough*) But me? Not my cup of tea.

The characters: The most interesting part in the story. Frankie is usually obedient and nice, until Amaya came along, Her brothers have the best names of any character I've ever seen (get this: Skip And Nutter are their names. HOW AWESOME IS THAT?) Amaya always compares things to the naked mole rat way of doing things, and everyone else is boring as watching paint dry. And why does every boy the main character is interested in name is Jonny?

The setting: Told from diary pages and Emails, talk about a town. Just a town.

RRAR: Rated E for everyone

The scale!

Epic
Awesome
Meh
Bad X
Terrible

After about the first ten pages of this book, I looked back and said: Yeah, No. There is no character development in anyone except the main character, everything that can go bad for Frankie does, and even though this is a humor book, I didn't laugh ONCE. But remember, If you're in a colony, there should always be someone by your side, because that is how a Naked Mole Rat do. And as always, I will see you in cyberspace.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would you do if one day you found out your day was talking to another women, sneaking out with her on dates, and sending love emails? This is a realistic fiction book and I loved every minute of this book. This book makes you laugh out loud and maybe cry a few happy tears.

This setting is usually home at Frankies house. 7th grader Frankie becomes suspicious with her fathers actions and starts to investigating she decided to handle this problem herself but emailing the lady herself to get rid of her. Frankie is also have school problems when she doesn't get the role she wanted in the play Miracle worker.

I though this book was very interesting. I liked how Frankie tried so hard to get Ayanna out of her fathers life but in the long run she realizes that maybe change id good. Reading this made me think a lot about accepting everyone things won't always go the way want so sometimes we have to just learn to go along with it and accept it. Through the entire book i felt mad and sorry for Frankie because she had to find out about Ayanna through a family email and i think it hurt Frankie more that her dad didn't tell her about it so understood her pain and reasoning for her actions.

I give The naked mole rat letters a 10 because while reading you get to learn a valuable lesson that everyone needs to understand. I recommend to every teenager who might be going through the same issue because it might really help them with what there going through I would know because a year ago my step dad left and my mom started talking to someone knew i did everything to find who it was I finally found out it was and hated his guts but as days turned into weeks and weeks turned it months I final learned to just accept the fact that she is happy with this person and I'm happy if she's happy.

[Evely · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Naked Mole Rat Letters" is a very interesting and exciting book. This book is about a girl named Frankie she lives with her dad and her two little brothers. The problem starts when she finds a note in her dad’s email; it was from a woman named Ayanna. The letter said that she had a wonderful dinner that night and that she specially loved the kiss.

Then she remembered the day when her father told her and her brothers that he was going to a conference in Washington D.C. Then she realizes that Ayanna lives in Washington D.C. She got really mad because her father had never lied to her and he only lied because of Ayanna. Another example, he also lied about a chair that he was making. Frankie once found a chair in the basement and when she asked him who that chair was for he said that the chair was for nobody special.

From that they on she began getting low grades and she behaved bad at school and she began writing letters to Ayanna making her believe that it was her dad. For example, in math she was an A+ student, from that moment on she began getting C's. Another example is when she ripped her library book and then she didn’t pay for it. She wrote a letter to Ayanna saying that her dad was getting married. She began doing these things because her mother died when she was still little and she didn't want anybody to replace her mom.

This book thought me a lesson. The lesson that this book thought me was that you should always tell the truth about everything. Sometimes is hard to admit something, but if you don't then you'll lie forever. Also because when you lie everybody around you gets affected even you family!

* I STILL HAVE TO FINISH!!!!!

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal Reflection:
How can a young girl possibly express herself in a household absent of her mother and filled only with her father and two brothers? This is a wonderful story that explains true feelings almost every young girl has to deal with growing up, and it is written so with humor and thorough thought. The books doesn't reveal too much about the young girl's life and what happens after the climax, but provides enough information to understand the emotion of the book through diary entries. This book is geared towards 5th-6th graders, for it's eventful and the amount of characters can be difficult to follow for a younger student.

Purpose:
Read-aloud or read-to-self for 5th-6th grade. This book is geared more towards girls, so having it as a read-aloud for a whole class probably wouldn’t be a good idea. This is not to say boys wouldn’t enjoy listening to it, but the main character is through the words of a young girl struggling with growing up into an mature younger girl. This book could be used as a good lesson on diversity and not being judgmental to your classmates and peers. This book could be used as an opening to the school year in an all-girls school, for example, to serve as a great example of recording one’s own thoughts in journal entries. This book would also serve as a great vocabulary/spelling booster because the main character (and narrator) records her thoughts throughout the whole book, and she provides common spelling errors. Students could point out which spelling is the correct one.

Other comments--It’s a great book and will make students laugh. If you recommend it then the student is sure to like it.

[Sarah Holland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personal Response: This book captured a lot of components of modern life. The narrator's mother passed away and she had no one to turn to. Many, including myself, have experienced loss or loneliness and this book helps with ways in which to cope: who to turn to and acknowledging the emotions involved are normal.

Purposes
-read independently: Students could read this independently as they do journal activities. It would be great for students to read this for the message it gives. It is very relatable in one way or another to student's lives.

-read for curriculum: I would practice journaling with students to hone their writing skills. Unlike the journaling done in conjunction with "Clementine", this would be more extensive and require higher level writing skills. I would require students to not only journal daily feelings and events, but also comment on how they feel about "The Naked Mole-Rat Letters" through critical literary analysis. Additionally, this book could be used in a computer class when students learn how to e-mail. The email format was largely used throughout the book when Frankie emailed "the mole-rat lady" who also happens to be her dad's love interest.

-key literary elements: Conflict is the major element that could be further discussed because it is so prevalent, yet complex. Loss and loneliness are prevalent. Frankie is afraid of a woman replacing her dead mother, so she learns to deal with the future while battling with her past.

Age Level
This book is appropriate for students in grades 5-6. The nuances surrounding the theme and conflict would be better grasped by this age group than a younger one.

[Sonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A children’s book. Blue cover. Title in pink. A writer called Mary Amato; I had never heard of before. A weird looking hairless rat on the cover. And to top it all, the name – The Naked Mole-Rat Letters. Looked like a book that had to be a winner or a complete bore. I thought it may turn out to be some weird fantasy tale with some kid talking to some creatures called Mole-Rats. Since so many books for children these days are in the fantasy genre, this seemed to be a good possibility.

However, I was glad to be proven wrong. The Naked Mole-Rat Letters is a very sensitive story of a 12 year old girl’s journey of discovering herself and her relationships with her near and dear ones. Of a friendship that blooms between a woman and a girl over email and the right push it gives the girl even though the relationship is so tenuous. Of a father and daughter relationship when the mother is no more and hearts are in the right place. Of the tussle between deciding what is right and what is wrong at that delicate age between being a child and an adult.

Thought he cultural context is different, it is easy to identity with different parts of the story and especially with Frankie Wallop. I am sure all young girls will absolutely love this book. While all grown up women will find the young girl within themselves and identify with the emotions. All boys who can appreciate the more delicate side of life too may find a tear or two in their eyes before the book ends…

Here’s wishing all little girls find a Rat-Lady of their own to open their hearts to…

[Aryana Ahmad · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. Personal Reaction: How far can one go with lying and sneaking until they are caught? I personally like this book and read it when I was a child. I think this is a very good book, but it takes a while to get interesting. But, overall it was a good book and worth the read. It is really good especially when it gets to the climax of the story. I would definitely recommend this book.
2. Purpose/Use in the Classroom: The genre was considered to be a fiction book for grades 5-6. It could be a story to read aloud in a classroom setting or a student reading it in their own time. Students that would be interested in this book could be children that can relate to the situation of only having one parent around. And how children that are around the age of 12 would react to it. Some literary elements that can be taught is conflict- when she has to deal with her dad liking "Ratlady" or even when it's her fault she lost her brother, or burnt down the house. Characterization can be taught really well from this story, for instance Frankie changes so much throughout this story. When she starts emailing Ayanna "Ratlady" she does all these wrong things by lying, cheating, not doing her homework, or helping with her siblings. She changes because of the stuff "Ratlady" teaches her throughout the emails they send one another. Showing a dynamic character going from immature to mature.
3. Diverse perspectives: This story could be used in a classroom setting to teach students about how lying can catch up to you. No matter how far you go with lying you eventually will get caught.

[Cierra Garrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal reaction: When I was younger, this would've been a book I would have absolutely adored!! This book tells the story of 7th grader Frankie who is forced to be the big sister to two completely nutty little brother and as if that’s not bad enough, she also finds out that he father has been e-mailing a zookeeper he’s recently met on a trip that takes care of the grossest thing she could ever imagine, naked mole rats. Upon finding this out, Frankie is bound and determined to put a stop to it. The entire story is told through Frankie’s diary entries which makes it seem so realistic. Books written in this type of style were always my most favorite because I felt like I was really connecting with the character and what I was reading was real. I really, really enjoyed this book but it's definitely much better suited for girls than boys!

Purpose: This is a book I would give to a student if I knew they were dealing with something similar to Frankie in regards to her father showing interest in someone that isn't her mother. This is an issue that unfortunately many students will have to deal with. After they had finished the book I would have a talk with them about what they learned from it. In the book, towards the end, Frankie learns that Ayanna is not all bad, and that she could actually see herself liking and opening up to her. I would try and explain to the student that things are not always as they seem. Just because something is new and different doesn't necessarily mean that its bad or wrong. Sometime you just have to open up to new opportunities.

[Libby Erwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Naked Mole-Rat Letters by Mary Amato was a great read and I think any young child would love this book! This book follows a young girl Frankie and her quest to stop her father and a naked mole-rat zookeepers email relationship that she comes across on her fathers email. I really liked how this book was written in a diary entry style, this makes it so much more relatable to young children and makes the reading go fluidly, easily being able to form mental pictures and truly feel what Frankie is thinking and feeling. Amato made it very easily to be able to relate to Frankie and take a walk in her shoes, which captivates students more than almost anything.

This book could be a good read for a child who is going through obstacles similar to Frankie. Whether that is divorce, a cheating parent, dealing with a tiresome younger brother; many different themes can be pulled from this book. This book could also be related back to the old saying of "don't trust a book by its cover". Even though Frankie initially despises Ayanna and thinks that she is just set out to ruin her family, she then realizes she is actually a good person and Frankie could see a potential friendship with her. Children's home lives always play a key role in their school lives, it is hard for them to mask their feelings or things that they are going through. A book such as this one is cool because it shows the way a child would actually deal with issues, even if they aren't always the most logical. I definitely think The Naked Mole-Rat Letters could find a place in many different classroom environments!

[Zahava Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal response:
An easy and entertaining read meant for upper elementary (5-6). It really touches on a very relevant issue of dealing with losing a parent and gaining a new one. And the mole-rat pulls away from it, making it less of an in your face type of situation. The entire story is revealed through emails and diary entries, which I actually loved. A fairly predictable story, but one with solid relationships and refreshing characterizations.
Purpose:
Read aloud- This would be a great book to start off the school year showing that all students have unique situations, but everybody can relate to everybody else in some way or another. Potentially if there is death in any of the unit (doubtful) it could be pulled in for that.
Independent reading- I was very easily assign this book to a student who is going through a similar situation of losing a parent and/or gaining a step parent. It can be a struggle at that age and could cause acting out in the classroom and a book like this could slowly help a student get a grasp on it. This book is a humorous look at honesty and privacy that will have special relevance for readers whose parents are back in the dating pool.
Literary elements- The vocabulary is not too difficult in this book, but the concept behind it can be what is challenging. I think it would help build contextual understanding for students over time. Also, analyzing alternative ways of structuring a plot with the diary entries could open up a new realm of possibilities at this age level.

[Mollie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure at first, but as Frankie's lies, covers, and struggles in middle school progress, I began to love her fiery spirit...even her self-centeredness is pretty endearing after awhile.

After her character began to grow on me, I finally realized why. I think I was this kid. No, I didn't have siblings to take care of or have to watch my dad date other people after my mom died (they were already divorced and remarried), but the anger, the hurt, and the sheer grief that underlies Frankie's daily interactions were mine, too.

And like Frankie, I, too, was fortunate to have at hand teachers like Ms. Young and adults like Ayanna who could be real, supportive, and help me to be honest--with others and myself--about my feelings.

This book is a great recommendation to a kid grieving a parent.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely a Middle Grade book. That being said it was just what I needed to read. The narrator is alternately delightfully funny in her dramatic interpretation of things and embarrassing by-proxy as I read her learn things the hard way when her mountain of lies caused some stumbling. She's both still learning about the world and new enough to see some truths the adults around her do not. I also thought the email correspondence between Frankie and "Ratlady" was really well done and added greatly to the narrative.

Just a really delightful book.

I'm counting this as a book I own that I hadn't read yet (even though there are SO MANY OF THOSE that I'm hoping to read this year) in part because it's been sitting on my shelf unread and untouched for at least two years and in part because I need to catch up on the PopSugar challenge!

[Sps · Rating 3 out of 5]

Think the Alice books by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor plus Dear Dumb Diary by Jim Benton. A familiar type of book (kid interferes with her single parent's romantic plans) but done so winningly. Did I read it on the bus even though that inevitably makes me nauseated and I could predict exactly what would happen? Yes, yes I did. Because D'Amato writes characters who are nutty and imperfect and connected, and you want to see how they fare.

The SLJ review noted its "solid relationships and refreshing characterizations" and I completely agree. Also not unlike Lauren Myracle's Eleven-Twelve-Thirteen books, especially the love and loathing of wonderfully characterized siblings, with a little Claudia Mills thrown in. (Easy readalike list!) Lots of growing up squeezed into a few weeks. 7th grade protagonist.