What do you think?
Rate this book
Bless This Mouse
A church mouse is no ordinary mouse, and Hildegarde—the Mouse Mistress of Saint Bartholemew’s—is no ordinary mouse leader. It falls to her to keep all the church mice safe and out of sight.
But when a few parishioners report mouse sightings, Hildegarde and the rest of the church mice must face a most dreadful consequence: the Great X. To complicate things, a ceremony called the Blessing of the Animals is fast approaching. Saint Bartholemew’s will soon be filled with pets . . . including cats!
Oh, dear. Within the stately stone walls of the church, life is not as serene or safe as one might think. It will take the courage and patience of a—well, of a saint—to keep this scampering, squeaking tribe of Hildegarde’s intact
But when a few parishioners report mouse sightings, Hildegarde and the rest of the church mice must face a most dreadful consequence: the Great X. To complicate things, a ceremony called the Blessing of the Animals is fast approaching. Saint Bartholemew’s will soon be filled with pets . . . including cats!
Oh, dear. Within the stately stone walls of the church, life is not as serene or safe as one might think. It will take the courage and patience of a—well, of a saint—to keep this scampering, squeaking tribe of Hildegarde’s intact
160 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
86 people are currently reading
1064 people want to read
About the author
Lois Lowry
143 books22.8k followersTaken from Lowry's website:
"I’ve always felt that I was fortunate to have been born the middle child of three. My older sister, Helen, was very much like our mother: gentle, family-oriented, eager to please. Little brother Jon was the only boy and had interests that he shared with Dad; together they were always working on electric trains and erector sets; and later, when Jon was older, they always seemed to have their heads under the raised hood of a car. That left me in-between, and exactly where I wanted most to be: on my own. I was a solitary child who lived in the world of books and my own vivid imagination.
Because my father was a career military officer - an Army dentist - I lived all over the world. I was born in Hawaii, moved from there to New York, spent the years of World War II in my mother’s hometown: Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and from there went to Tokyo when I was eleven. High school was back in New York City, but by the time I went to college (Brown University in Rhode Island), my family was living in Washington, D.C.
I married young. I had just turned nineteen - just finished my sophomore year in college - when I married a Naval officer and continued the odyssey that military life requires. California. Connecticut (a daughter born there). Florida (a son). South Carolina. Finally Cambridge, Massachusetts, when my husband left the service and entered Harvard Law School (another daughter; another son) and then to Maine - by now with four children under the age of five in tow. My children grew up in Maine. So did I. I returned to college at the University of Southern Maine, got my degree, went to graduate school, and finally began to write professionally, the thing I had dreamed of doing since those childhood years when I had endlessly scribbled stories and poems in notebooks.
After my marriage ended in 1977, when I was forty, I settled into the life I have lived ever since. Today I am back in Cambridge, Massachusetts, living and writing in a house dominated by a very shaggy Tibetan Terrier named Bandit. For a change of scenery Martin and I spend time in Maine, where we have an old (it was built in 1768!) farmhouse on top of a hill. In Maine I garden, feed birds, entertain friends, and read...
My books have varied in content and style. Yet it seems that all of them deal, essentially, with the same general theme: the importance of human connections. A Summer to Die, my first book, was a highly fictionalized retelling of the early death of my sister, and of the effect of such a loss on a family. Number the Stars, set in a different culture and era, tells the same story: that of the role that we humans play in the lives of our fellow beings.
The Giver - and Gathering Blue, and the newest in the trilogy: Messenger - take place against the background of very different cultures and times. Though all three are broader in scope than my earlier books, they nonetheless speak to the same concern: the vital need of people to be aware of their interdependence, not only with each other, but with the world and its environment.
My older son was a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. His death in the cockpit of a warplane tore away a piece of my world. But it left me, too, with a wish to honor him by joining the many others trying to find a way to end conflict on this very fragile earth.
I am a grandmother now. For my own grandchildren - and for all those of their generation - I try, through writing, to convey my passionate awareness that we live intertwined on this planet and that our future depends upon our caring more, and doing more, for one another."
"I’ve always felt that I was fortunate to have been born the middle child of three. My older sister, Helen, was very much like our mother: gentle, family-oriented, eager to please. Little brother Jon was the only boy and had interests that he shared with Dad; together they were always working on electric trains and erector sets; and later, when Jon was older, they always seemed to have their heads under the raised hood of a car. That left me in-between, and exactly where I wanted most to be: on my own. I was a solitary child who lived in the world of books and my own vivid imagination.
Because my father was a career military officer - an Army dentist - I lived all over the world. I was born in Hawaii, moved from there to New York, spent the years of World War II in my mother’s hometown: Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and from there went to Tokyo when I was eleven. High school was back in New York City, but by the time I went to college (Brown University in Rhode Island), my family was living in Washington, D.C.
I married young. I had just turned nineteen - just finished my sophomore year in college - when I married a Naval officer and continued the odyssey that military life requires. California. Connecticut (a daughter born there). Florida (a son). South Carolina. Finally Cambridge, Massachusetts, when my husband left the service and entered Harvard Law School (another daughter; another son) and then to Maine - by now with four children under the age of five in tow. My children grew up in Maine. So did I. I returned to college at the University of Southern Maine, got my degree, went to graduate school, and finally began to write professionally, the thing I had dreamed of doing since those childhood years when I had endlessly scribbled stories and poems in notebooks.
After my marriage ended in 1977, when I was forty, I settled into the life I have lived ever since. Today I am back in Cambridge, Massachusetts, living and writing in a house dominated by a very shaggy Tibetan Terrier named Bandit. For a change of scenery Martin and I spend time in Maine, where we have an old (it was built in 1768!) farmhouse on top of a hill. In Maine I garden, feed birds, entertain friends, and read...
My books have varied in content and style. Yet it seems that all of them deal, essentially, with the same general theme: the importance of human connections. A Summer to Die, my first book, was a highly fictionalized retelling of the early death of my sister, and of the effect of such a loss on a family. Number the Stars, set in a different culture and era, tells the same story: that of the role that we humans play in the lives of our fellow beings.
The Giver - and Gathering Blue, and the newest in the trilogy: Messenger - take place against the background of very different cultures and times. Though all three are broader in scope than my earlier books, they nonetheless speak to the same concern: the vital need of people to be aware of their interdependence, not only with each other, but with the world and its environment.
My older son was a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. His death in the cockpit of a warplane tore away a piece of my world. But it left me, too, with a wish to honor him by joining the many others trying to find a way to end conflict on this very fragile earth.
I am a grandmother now. For my own grandchildren - and for all those of their generation - I try, through writing, to convey my passionate awareness that we live intertwined on this planet and that our future depends upon our caring more, and doing more, for one another."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 322 reviews
June 13, 2019
I can hardly believe this book is by Lois Lowry. Even considering its difference in genre, it does not at all live up to her superb books such as Number the Stars or The Giver.
In part, it simply suffers from a weak premise: church mice trying to avoid exterminators and the cats sure to be present at the annual Blessing of the Pets on St. Francis' feast day. There isn't much plot material to work with. The characters are neither terribly likable nor terribly memorable. I am also turned off by mildly crude references in children's books, such as the recounting of an incident with a horse peeing "gallons" on some flowers.
There are plenty of lousy children's books about anthropomorphized animals, though. Even a good author might write one, and it could still be "OK." What made me utterly dislike this book was the subtle--or not so subtle--progressive messages embedded in it.
In the first chapter we have the mouse leader scolding a mouse who has just had a litter of mouselets because it is so irresponsible of her to have gotten pregnant again. An adult readily sees the social parallel intended, and the child reader will almost certainly find this enough out of the ordinary to take note. The mouse leader is a female, and it is implied that only a female can be leader. Later when physically strong mice are required for a task it is explicitly asked whether female mice can volunteer, and the answer is that of course they can. And--surprise, surprise--in the end we basically get an affirming message that you should just be you and others should accept you and leave you in peace to do whatever it is you do.
I finished reading the book because it was fairly short, but I almost wish I had not bothered. However, I did get one good thing out of it: a reminder that seemingly innocent children's books by seemingly trustworthy authors still require careful assessment.
In part, it simply suffers from a weak premise: church mice trying to avoid exterminators and the cats sure to be present at the annual Blessing of the Pets on St. Francis' feast day. There isn't much plot material to work with. The characters are neither terribly likable nor terribly memorable. I am also turned off by mildly crude references in children's books, such as the recounting of an incident with a horse peeing "gallons" on some flowers.
There are plenty of lousy children's books about anthropomorphized animals, though. Even a good author might write one, and it could still be "OK." What made me utterly dislike this book was the subtle--or not so subtle--progressive messages embedded in it.
In the first chapter we have the mouse leader scolding a mouse who has just had a litter of mouselets because it is so irresponsible of her to have gotten pregnant again. An adult readily sees the social parallel intended, and the child reader will almost certainly find this enough out of the ordinary to take note. The mouse leader is a female, and it is implied that only a female can be leader. Later when physically strong mice are required for a task it is explicitly asked whether female mice can volunteer, and the answer is that of course they can. And--surprise, surprise--in the end we basically get an affirming message that you should just be you and others should accept you and leave you in peace to do whatever it is you do.
I finished reading the book because it was fairly short, but I almost wish I had not bothered. However, I did get one good thing out of it: a reminder that seemingly innocent children's books by seemingly trustworthy authors still require careful assessment.
September 7, 2020
What is this even?! This is a children’s book by Lois Lowry? I don’t believe it. This is utter garbage.
1. This entire book is based on the concept of population control. The story begins with a mother mouse being scolded for giving birth yet again. - “Such bad timing!” “Babies in general were best avoided.” “That irresponsible little Millicent has reproduced again.” “I am commanding you to stop this incessant reproduction!”
“...with their capacity - the same capacity that Hildegarde was trying now to curtail. ... Hildegarde was not wrong to try to limit the numbers.” - Throughout the book the matriarch mouse is constantly referring to the church mice as “the population.” She’s completely fixated on population control - it’s appalling.
2. A hatred of children - “These mouselets were a hideous shade of pink ... they were not cute at all.”
When a young mouse asks the professor mouse questions, the professor mouse gets annoyed and refuses to answer him. The young mouse is portrayed as a nuisance, and not worth teaching because the information is probably too much for him anyway. The little information the young mouse did receive was very exciting to him. He went to go share it with his mother. How did she respond? She “swatted him on his rear and told him to shut up.” - Wow, what a great message for children.
3. Too much crudity - “...the horse suddenly paused and peed what seemed to be gallons...”
4. Sacrilegious attitude and actions - the matriarch mouse eats a fallen consecrated host with the same reverence as she eats a life saver candy.
5. Adult content - “She attended an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting on a Thursday night ... She liked AA meetings because they served cookies...”
6. Very cynical view of life - “The life of a mouse for the most part can be described in verbs. Arrive. Grow. Forage. Eat. Sleep. Mate. Reproduce. Age. Die.” - She cannot even use the word “birth,” and instead chooses the word “arrive.” Is life and birth really so disgusting? My goodness.
7. The matriarch mouse, who is a church mouse, is basically a racist - “Field mice were a lesser species, of course - not very smart and with unappealingly small ears.”
Overall there are too many errors/problems (and the book is boring anyway) to be worth any stars.
1. This entire book is based on the concept of population control. The story begins with a mother mouse being scolded for giving birth yet again. - “Such bad timing!” “Babies in general were best avoided.” “That irresponsible little Millicent has reproduced again.” “I am commanding you to stop this incessant reproduction!”
“...with their capacity - the same capacity that Hildegarde was trying now to curtail. ... Hildegarde was not wrong to try to limit the numbers.” - Throughout the book the matriarch mouse is constantly referring to the church mice as “the population.” She’s completely fixated on population control - it’s appalling.
2. A hatred of children - “These mouselets were a hideous shade of pink ... they were not cute at all.”
When a young mouse asks the professor mouse questions, the professor mouse gets annoyed and refuses to answer him. The young mouse is portrayed as a nuisance, and not worth teaching because the information is probably too much for him anyway. The little information the young mouse did receive was very exciting to him. He went to go share it with his mother. How did she respond? She “swatted him on his rear and told him to shut up.” - Wow, what a great message for children.
3. Too much crudity - “...the horse suddenly paused and peed what seemed to be gallons...”
4. Sacrilegious attitude and actions - the matriarch mouse eats a fallen consecrated host with the same reverence as she eats a life saver candy.
5. Adult content - “She attended an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting on a Thursday night ... She liked AA meetings because they served cookies...”
6. Very cynical view of life - “The life of a mouse for the most part can be described in verbs. Arrive. Grow. Forage. Eat. Sleep. Mate. Reproduce. Age. Die.” - She cannot even use the word “birth,” and instead chooses the word “arrive.” Is life and birth really so disgusting? My goodness.
7. The matriarch mouse, who is a church mouse, is basically a racist - “Field mice were a lesser species, of course - not very smart and with unappealingly small ears.”
Overall there are too many errors/problems (and the book is boring anyway) to be worth any stars.
April 16, 2019
Slight, but cute and mostly 'feel-good.' I like that Father Murphy has a habit of expressing his thoughts as if he's talking to whatever he's thinking about.... I don't like the ridiculous shirts the mice wear. Again with leaving animals' bottoms bare... and in most other ways these are mice, not stand-ins for ppl... so really the clothing has no point at all. I also don't like that Millicent gets blamed for "incessant reproduction" but no mention is made of the absentee father....
April 3, 2013
Review:
The reader for this sweet, yet slyly funny, tale about mice trying to survive the Great X at their church home is perfect. She does a lovely job with the various mice voices.
A fun listen. Even my four year-old enjoyed it - although I did have to explain to him what an exterminator does and why the mice were so nervous about one coming. There was also quite a bit of church-related vocabulary that needed some explanation for him as well (sacristy, narthex, etc.). However, he understood the basic story and enjoyed the friendships and rivalries in the mice community.
Earlier:
Listening to this in the car with Tony.
We've finished all of the Junie B. series and have been doing Magic Tree House for a while (we're to book 25 now!), but had to wait on the next set of stories, so we're trying this.
I think the vocabulary is a little tough for a little guy, but he's still enjoying listening and wants to know if the mice will survive the BIG X!
I haven't been adding our listens to goodreads, since most Junies and Magic Tree Houses run about the same as the next, but since this title is by the awesomely talented Lois Lowry, I figured I'd review it when we finish.
The reader for this sweet, yet slyly funny, tale about mice trying to survive the Great X at their church home is perfect. She does a lovely job with the various mice voices.
A fun listen. Even my four year-old enjoyed it - although I did have to explain to him what an exterminator does and why the mice were so nervous about one coming. There was also quite a bit of church-related vocabulary that needed some explanation for him as well (sacristy, narthex, etc.). However, he understood the basic story and enjoyed the friendships and rivalries in the mice community.
Earlier:
Listening to this in the car with Tony.
We've finished all of the Junie B. series and have been doing Magic Tree House for a while (we're to book 25 now!), but had to wait on the next set of stories, so we're trying this.
I think the vocabulary is a little tough for a little guy, but he's still enjoying listening and wants to know if the mice will survive the BIG X!
I haven't been adding our listens to goodreads, since most Junies and Magic Tree Houses run about the same as the next, but since this title is by the awesomely talented Lois Lowry, I figured I'd review it when we finish.
August 12, 2011
My family started this as an audio book recently. We like everything we've ready by Lois Lowry until this one. I keep an open mind (for the most part) but we decided to stop it and not finish the book. At what point did we decide to stop? It wasn't at the beginning when the protagonist, Hildegarde, is trying to stop the mice from reproducing (which can instantly bring up questions from kids and while I know this story is about mice, they are mice with names that talk which makes it not as harmless as someone's pet mouse). The life of a mouse was summed up as this: eat, sleep, mate, die. She has discovered a mouse has got herself pregnant and she is upset (didn't like the implications of that). It wasn't even when we found out the secretary of the church had to attend the Alcoholics Anonymous group meetings. It was when the priest was portrayed as the "good ole boy" type watching a football game Sunday afternoon with his beer. It just seemed a little too sacrilegious for us so we decided to stop. Maybe we missed a good book, maybe not.
October 22, 2023
I actually loved this little tale. It was the perfect story to listen to when getting ready for bed. The chapters were the perfect length and the audio by Bernadette Dunne was lovely.
Understandably, some people didn’t enjoy this one for its religious basis but I was entranced by the characters of Ignatius and Hildegard; humoured by their relatedness to the human saints.
Either way, I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading Lowry’s ‘The Giver’ at some point.
Bless this Mouse is well worth the read/listen if your looking for something sweet and feel-good. If you love churches and church mice, you’ve probably come to the right place!
🐭⛪️🕯
Understandably, some people didn’t enjoy this one for its religious basis but I was entranced by the characters of Ignatius and Hildegard; humoured by their relatedness to the human saints.
Either way, I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading Lowry’s ‘The Giver’ at some point.
Bless this Mouse is well worth the read/listen if your looking for something sweet and feel-good. If you love churches and church mice, you’ve probably come to the right place!
🐭⛪️🕯
April 25, 2011
Lois Lowry just does it for me, and Bless This Mouse was no exception. Her writing is, as always, humorous, lovely, and humbling all at once. This is really such a cute book, pick it up for your kids if you're able and give it a read yourself, you won't be disappointed.
August 2, 2017
Pros:
*It was kinda fun thinking about what it's like to be the size of a mouse and go about life in a human world trying to remain unseen.
*I liked how they used their tails to turn pages in the phone book; that was very resourceful.
*We learned new terms about the parts of a big church since it is different from what we experience at church.
*The very ending was cute.
Cons:
*Hildegard is crotchety and strict and never lightens up. She is fussy and anxious and negative. It is not fun to read about her. She even tells her wise adult friend to stop talking because he's giving "too much information" even though she's asking him questions.
*The characters are not fans of kids in this book! They are looked down upon and sighed at and shushed all through the book. One youngster was called annoying twice, asked not to ask questions, then spanked and told to shut up. What message is this supposed to leave for the kids reading this book?
*The storyline was drawn out and not very exciting.
*The book is uncomfortable in tone.
Overall, after finishing this audiobook with my kids (who kept wanting to listen even though I asked them if they wanted to stop several times) my daughter summed it up by saying, "I don't really like mice."
*It was kinda fun thinking about what it's like to be the size of a mouse and go about life in a human world trying to remain unseen.
*I liked how they used their tails to turn pages in the phone book; that was very resourceful.
*We learned new terms about the parts of a big church since it is different from what we experience at church.
*The very ending was cute.
Cons:
*Hildegard is crotchety and strict and never lightens up. She is fussy and anxious and negative. It is not fun to read about her. She even tells her wise adult friend to stop talking because he's giving "too much information" even though she's asking him questions.
*The characters are not fans of kids in this book! They are looked down upon and sighed at and shushed all through the book. One youngster was called annoying twice, asked not to ask questions, then spanked and told to shut up. What message is this supposed to leave for the kids reading this book?
*The storyline was drawn out and not very exciting.
*The book is uncomfortable in tone.
Overall, after finishing this audiobook with my kids (who kept wanting to listen even though I asked them if they wanted to stop several times) my daughter summed it up by saying, "I don't really like mice."
February 16, 2011
Book Basics
Title: Bless This Mouse
Author: Lois Lowry
Expected publication: March 21st 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Format Read: Net Galley ARC e-book
What made me keep turning the page?
• It was a quick, light hearted read
• Lessons of forgiveness and teamwork were learned throughout the book
• The story and characters were charming
Any complaints?
• Not as much action as I would like
Recommendation:
• Late Elementary School students, early middle school students
• Would be a great read aloud to younger kids
Final Thoughts…
I did enjoy this book. I was hoping there would be a bit more adventure in the story. However, I think it would be a great story for a young child just beginning chapter books, or as a read aloud.
Title: Bless This Mouse
Author: Lois Lowry
Expected publication: March 21st 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Format Read: Net Galley ARC e-book
What made me keep turning the page?
• It was a quick, light hearted read
• Lessons of forgiveness and teamwork were learned throughout the book
• The story and characters were charming
Any complaints?
• Not as much action as I would like
Recommendation:
• Late Elementary School students, early middle school students
• Would be a great read aloud to younger kids
Final Thoughts…
I did enjoy this book. I was hoping there would be a bit more adventure in the story. However, I think it would be a great story for a young child just beginning chapter books, or as a read aloud.
August 7, 2019
I really enjoyed reading this. It was such a delightful little story.
May 10, 2021
A really cute story with beautiful illustrations! Another wonderful story by Lois Lowry.
March 17, 2024
4.25. Very cute.
June 15, 2024
Rating: g totally sweet
Recommend: 1st and up
Oh, such a sweet little palate cleanser of a book. And a completely delightful ending. Loved it. Well done Mrs Lowry.
Recommend: 1st and up
Oh, such a sweet little palate cleanser of a book. And a completely delightful ending. Loved it. Well done Mrs Lowry.
May 17, 2017
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a mouse? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a church? This book will answer both questions. Hildegarde is the Mouse Mistress in charge of over 200 mice that live at St. Bartholomew's. She is very CONFIDENT in her role as a COMMUNICATOR and main CARER for the group. There are times that she must THINK about how to save her friends, especially since they over heard that they will be "exterminated" or the BIG X will happen, as they call it. Will she be able to TAKE THE RISK to save everyone. Will she be able to show her self to humans?
July 18, 2012
A very short and sweet animal story for grades 3 and up. Mouse Mistress Hildegarde leads an extraordinary group of church mice at St. Bartholemew's. But their well-being is threatened when parishioners start to report mouse sightings, and an extermination is called for. How will Hildegarde keep her clan safe? Again, this was a quick read with not much in the way of depth, but full of sweetness, heart, and enjoyable characters. Hildegarde and her mice companions are cute--and kids who enjoy animal stories will get a kick out of this tale.
July 8, 2015
Basically the way I summed up this book was "eh." Hildegarde as a main character is far from likable. There are some borderline sacreligious moments I was not comfortable with (mice getting into the holy oils, eating parts of the communion wafers, drinking the wine that has spilled). For some this may not be a problem, but for me as a Catholic who believes that the wine and bread are the blood and body of Christ, it's unsettling and uncomfortable, even if it is fiction. Just be aware! A cute idea for a book, church mice and their lives, but poorly done in my opinion.
October 6, 2011
What a sweet, sweet story. The audio version was wonderful with many great mousy voices.
There is a lot of harder vocabulary in this short, sweet read, perhaps making it a better read aloud. A lot of vocabulary is connected to Christian church terms, practices, and traditions - readers may need support with this.
There is a lot of harder vocabulary in this short, sweet read, perhaps making it a better read aloud. A lot of vocabulary is connected to Christian church terms, practices, and traditions - readers may need support with this.
October 8, 2020
One of my favorite books of all time. Lois Lowry showcases our world through the stunning lens of a tight-knit community of church mice whose greatest enemy - The Great X - threatens to topple their world again. However, with their brave, sharp-witted, and loyal Mouse Mistress Hildegarde in the lead, these mice might have more of a chance than you might think.
December 3, 2013
Not quite the same caliber as The Giver or Number The Stars, but Lois Lowry did a good job with this book too. Very fun ending, though I thought it was peculiar that they could actually talk to each other at the end.
Want to read
March 2, 2011Dane will see this...
November 18, 2016
Such a fun and adorable book! I thoroughly enjoyed it.
January 12, 2022
Honestly, if this had a different first page, I might have approached the whole story from a different posture. But on page 1, the head mouse is self-righteously shaming some other mouse for reproducing again, at an inopportune time. Even in a children's book (or maybe especially in a children's book?) this is an inappropriate message. The main character (heroine? sort of?) has a rather unlikable temperament, and you are 95% of the way through before she exhibits any real redeeming qualities. The supporting characters have unique personalities, but surprisingly also not in an endearing way. The plot itself was interesting and fun, but the characters were not.
Also, trivial and unimportant gripe, but the author put all the fancy architectural and liturgical vocabulary in (trancept, chrism, chasuble, etc.) but failed to call the celebration "mass" instead of "service."
My daughter <> loved it, as she does pretty much every book about personified mice. We have read a lot of them. This is at the bottom of the pile. I am trying to figure out how to get this one returned to the library without upsetting her too much.
Also, trivial and unimportant gripe, but the author put all the fancy architectural and liturgical vocabulary in (trancept, chrism, chasuble, etc.) but failed to call the celebration "mass" instead of "service."
My daughter <> loved it, as she does pretty much every book about personified mice. We have read a lot of them. This is at the bottom of the pile. I am trying to figure out how to get this one returned to the library without upsetting her too much.
Read
October 31, 2020I like stories about church mice -- I grew up with an old title that I can't remember -- And I absolutely love the REDWALL series so this one caught my attention.
Sorry....I almost deleted this one...but then I thought I needed to respond. I didn't get far because I came across a specific passage and then closed the book and walked away.
(bottom of page 5 - page 6)
...Of course it was Roderick who had told her. "That irresponsible little Millicent has reproduced again," he announced in his arrogant, judgmental way....She peered down at the young mother. "How many litters does this make?" -- Millicent cringed in embarrassment. "Four," she confessed. --"Four this year? Or four overall?" Hildegarde gave an exasperated sniff. "Oh, never mind. It doesn't matter. The point is, as Mouse Mistress, I am commanding you to stop this incessant reproduction!....
NOTE: Do with it what you will
The illustrations have some merit
Sorry....I almost deleted this one...but then I thought I needed to respond. I didn't get far because I came across a specific passage and then closed the book and walked away.
(bottom of page 5 - page 6)
...Of course it was Roderick who had told her. "That irresponsible little Millicent has reproduced again," he announced in his arrogant, judgmental way....She peered down at the young mother. "How many litters does this make?" -- Millicent cringed in embarrassment. "Four," she confessed. --"Four this year? Or four overall?" Hildegarde gave an exasperated sniff. "Oh, never mind. It doesn't matter. The point is, as Mouse Mistress, I am commanding you to stop this incessant reproduction!....
NOTE: Do with it what you will
The illustrations have some merit
March 17, 2022
This book was not good. Definitely didn't feel like a child's book. It starts off with the main mouse chastising a young woman mouse for having more baby mice. Pretty much saying she was a slut. Then there is body shaming (main mouse says another lady mouse who also wants to be in charge backside is huge and sways when she walks". Anyway the main mouse is a grump the whole time even though she is the heroine of the story she does it in a way that she thinks she's better than everyone and they are all a burden. The most appalling part is at the very end. She's with a boy mouse and takes him up to her room and pretty much says she is wanting to sleep with him. Says even though they aren't young anymore she wants to be with him and have fun.... They get interrupted but ya, not good. Especially for a kids book.
August 5, 2017
This book proves that any random little idea can be crafted into a story, with the quality and result left up to the author. I am a great fan of Lowry, and of stories that come from the most unexpected places. However, I found this book confusing. By the title, cover illustration, blurb, and author history, I expected this to be a book for young children. Unfortunately, it was not quite as young and innocent as I had expected. I thought it ok as an audiobook, helping me pass time in my art studio. I would not, however, read it with my son. I won't give anything away, but I felt the characters and themes were more fitting for adult audiences. To summarize: a confusing mixed-genre batch of randomness.
February 27, 2019
This is a really cute story about a bunch of mice that live in a church. Hildegarde is the Mouse Mistress, meaning she basically is the head of all the mice (over 200 of them!) Lucretia is another mouse but one that wants to take over the Mouse Mistress position.
Despite Hildegarde's best efforts the fact that there are a bunch of mice in the church leads to THE GREAT X, a mouse-genocide program! It's up to her to somehow get all the mice to safety, get them back into the church safely and avoid problems with cats when the Blessing of the Animals ceremony is held.
There's also mouse traps to avoid, food to be found and a professor-type mouse who can speak at very great lengths about almost anything.
It's really an enjoyable read.
Despite Hildegarde's best efforts the fact that there are a bunch of mice in the church leads to THE GREAT X, a mouse-genocide program! It's up to her to somehow get all the mice to safety, get them back into the church safely and avoid problems with cats when the Blessing of the Animals ceremony is held.
There's also mouse traps to avoid, food to be found and a professor-type mouse who can speak at very great lengths about almost anything.
It's really an enjoyable read.
May 17, 2017
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a mouse? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a church? This book will answer both questions. Hildegarde is the Mouse Mistress in charge of over 200 mice that live at St. Bartholomew's. She is very CONFIDENT in her role as a COMMUNICATOR and main CARER for the group. There are times that she must THINK about how to save her friends, especially since they over heard that they will be "exterminated" or the BIG X will happen, as they call it. Will she be able to TAKE THE RISK to save everyone. Will she be able to show her self to humans?
May 20, 2020
This wasn't my favorite story but it did grow on me by the last two chapters. I just thought the characters could be so much more endearing and not so flat. If I read that Hildegarde "glared" at a mouse one more time... But I have to write this without the boys here because they loved it.
Noah: I like that Harvey keeps saying stuff. I like that Hildegarde put the gum drop on her head. And last is I like the whole book.
William: I like when Father Murphy's eyes widened when Hildegarde said 219 mice not counting her. I like that Harvey keeps on asking questions and that Ignatious always try to tell people stuff.
Noah: I like that Harvey keeps saying stuff. I like that Hildegarde put the gum drop on her head. And last is I like the whole book.
William: I like when Father Murphy's eyes widened when Hildegarde said 219 mice not counting her. I like that Harvey keeps on asking questions and that Ignatious always try to tell people stuff.
December 1, 2023
Definitely a younger years, juvenile fiction, read. This could make a good, lite, feel-good read aloud /audiobook listen with young children, especially for a family that cover a religious/ saints based calendar ( this one concerns St. Francis). The story is a bit twee in places and for me does not attain to the depth (On the Horizon) or success making ingredients ( Gooney Bird Green ) of some of Lowry’s younger years chapter books.
It does cover some of the power struggles that a group - a club, a family, a tribe, a clan, a church group - of people can go through, along with a strength balancing message ( some girls are very strong physically), and though the mice are considered ‘less than’ of all the other animals being brought to church for a blessing, they send a representative of their kind too.
I have been through this book before, but couldn’t remember much of it, and when I compare it against other mouse based stories I’ve been through over the years, this one just scrapes in to a 3⭐️ rating.
Extra: for sensitive young readers, a mouse gets stuck to some rodent paper ( but is rescued). No-one is chased, nor caught and eaten, by a cat.
A younger mouse is scolded for “putting everyone in danger” by having ‘yet another’ litter of mice.
It does cover some of the power struggles that a group - a club, a family, a tribe, a clan, a church group - of people can go through, along with a strength balancing message ( some girls are very strong physically), and though the mice are considered ‘less than’ of all the other animals being brought to church for a blessing, they send a representative of their kind too.
I have been through this book before, but couldn’t remember much of it, and when I compare it against other mouse based stories I’ve been through over the years, this one just scrapes in to a 3⭐️ rating.
Extra: for sensitive young readers, a mouse gets stuck to some rodent paper ( but is rescued). No-one is chased, nor caught and eaten, by a cat.
A younger mouse is scolded for “putting everyone in danger” by having ‘yet another’ litter of mice.
July 22, 2025
It was cute, but very put-downable...which was a bit disappointing considering this is by LOIS LOWRY!! She's one of my favorite jr. fiction writers, but this one was not in her top-tier style.
A group of church mice have to navigate life in the church without getting caught. One brave mouse finally decides to take a very daring step to protect them all.
It would be a very cute read-aloud with kids 1st-4th grade. There are quite a few catholic references (they live in a parish church), so there is quite a bit of religious vocabulary that may need to be clarified (mostly words about various clothes and accessories used by the priest as well as parts of the building).
A group of church mice have to navigate life in the church without getting caught. One brave mouse finally decides to take a very daring step to protect them all.
It would be a very cute read-aloud with kids 1st-4th grade. There are quite a few catholic references (they live in a parish church), so there is quite a bit of religious vocabulary that may need to be clarified (mostly words about various clothes and accessories used by the priest as well as parts of the building).
Displaying 1 - 30 of 322 reviews