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Summary
Summary
Is Discworld ready for educated rats?
Set in the Discworld, a brand new and marvellously eccentric fantasy tale for young readers.
Maurice, an amazing cat, who has survived four years on the toughest streets in the whole of the Discworld, reckons that rats are dumb. Clever, OK, but dumb. Maurice, however, is smart -- smart enough to recognize that there's a new kind of rat around; rats that have been eating wizards' rubbish and can now talk. And Maurice is also smart enough to get a pretty amazing idea when he spots a kid playing the flute. Now he has his very own Pied Piper to go with his "plague of rats". And Maurice's money-bags are getting fuller and fuller. That is, until the group reaches the far flung village of Bad Blintz.
Author Notes
Terry Pratchett was on born April 28, 1948 in Beaconsfield, United Kingdom. He left school at the age of 17 to work on his local paper, the Bucks Free Press. While with the Press, he took the National Council for the Training of Journalists proficiency class. He also worked for the Western Daily Press and the Bath Chronicle. He produced a series of cartoons for the monthly journal, Psychic Researcher, describing the goings-on at the government's fictional paranormal research establishment, Warlock Hall. In 1980, he was appointed publicity officer for the Central Electricity Generating Board with responsibility for three nuclear power stations.
His first novel, The Carpet People, was published in 1971. His first Discworld novel, The Colour of Magic, was published in 1983. He became a full-time author in 1987. He wrote more than 70 books during his lifetime including The Dark Side of the Sun, Strata, The Light Fantastic, Equal Rites, Mort, Sourcery, Truckers, Diggers, Wings, Dodger, Raising Steam, Dragons at Crumbling Castle: And Other Tales, and The Shephard's Crown. He was diagnosis with early onset Alzheimer's disease in 2007. He was knighted for services to literature in 2009 and received the World Fantasy award for life achievement in 2010. He died on March 12, 2015 at the age of 66.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (6)
Publisher's Weekly Review
For this outrageously cheeky tale, British writer Pratchett pairs a dynamite plot with memorable characters a group of intelligent rats sporting such monikers as Hamnpork, Big Savings and Darktan (they've been foraging in the University of Wizards' garbage dump and come up with "the kind of name you gave yourself if you learned to read before you understood what all the words actually meant"), plus a "stupid-looking kid" with a flute and a criminal kitty mastermind named Maurice. The motley con artists' pied piper scam is highly successful until the rats develop a conscience. Reluctantly, they agree to one final heist, but in the town of Bad Blintz things go horribly, hilariously wrong. First, they're twigged by Malicia Grim (granddaughter and grand-niece of the Sisters Grim), then they encounter a pair of conniving rat-catchers, a real pied piper and an evil something lurking in the town's cellars. They triumph, of course, and there's even a glimmer of redemption for the deliciously self-centered Maurice, who tackles the "Grim Squeaker" and bargains for the life of his rat comrade Dangerous Beans. In the end, while the others settle down, Maurice hits the road and is last seen approaching another "stupid-looking kid" with a money-making proposition. Could this mean more tales to come? Readers will eagerly hope so. Ages 12-up. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
(Intermediate) Maurice the cat is the brains of the operation. The rats create the plague-widdling in the jam, doing the backstroke in the cream-then the stupid-looking kid (Keith) pipes them all out of town for a fee, to be shared by all conspirators. But the rats, newly sentient after ingesting some magical refuse, are beginning to get scruples, and the town of Bad Blintz turns out to have worse problems than a few rats. The town's rat catchers are running a scam of stealing food and selling it downstream, while they're breeding extra-large rats for use baiting terriers in a rat pit-but there's an even more awful and secret evil lurking behind them. Three rats, Darktan (a trap-hunter and safety expert), Sardines (a tap-dancing plaguester), and Dangerous Beans (a philosopher who guides the others through the pitfalls of self-awareness), lead the other rats in rooting out the evil, aided by Keith (not as stupid as he looks), Malicia (mayor's daughter, storyteller, royal pain), and Maurice the cat (who begins to get a few scruples himself). Pratchett's absorbing, suspenseful adventure is speeded along by the characters' wisecracking patter and deepened-as when Darktan emerges alive from a trap with new ideas about the afterlife, or Dangerous Beans formulates his Thoughts for changed rats-by a willingness to tackle the questions of existence. From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Gr. 6-9. The Amazing Maurice, an opportunistic cat, talks Keith, a "stupid-looking kid" who plays a flute, and a horde of rats (with names like Dangerous Beans, Darktan, Hamnpork, Big Savings, Peaches, and Nourishing) into working pied-piper scams on various towns. In Pratchett's first Discworld novel for young readers, the motley crew readies itself to take on the isolated hamlet of Bad Blintz. Unfortunately, it didn't count on running into the mayor's conniving daughter (to whom everything is part of a fairy tale) or a pair of rat catchers working an evil scheme in the tunnels and sewers beneath the town. What ensues is scary mayhem, leavened with a big dollop of comic relief as the scammers become heroes and, eventually, cut a deal with the townspeople. Kids who like Brian Jacques' Redwall series and Robin Jarvis' Deptford Mice trilogy will feel pretty comfortable with the fast-paced (sometimes gory) action here. --Sally Estes
School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up-In this laugh-out-loud fantasy, his first "Discworld" novel for younger readers, Pratchett rethinks a classic story and comes up with a winner. His unforgettable characters include Maurice, a scheming and cranky but ultimately warmhearted cat; Keith, a young musician who isn't as dumb as he looks; and half a dozen intelligent rats with personalities all their own. Their plan is simple. The rats steal food, frighten ladies, "widdle" in the cream, and generally make nuisances of themselves. When the town advertises for a piper, Keith appears to lead the rats away, and they all meet up later to divide the loot. It works like a charm until the conspirators stumble into Bad Blintz, a village with not a single "regular" rat to be found. As Maurice's band of rodents poke around in the town sewers, Keith befriends the mayor's daughter, a ditzy girl with a head full of stories. When the humans are captured by evil rat catchers, it's up to Maurice and his crew to save the day. Pratchett's trademark puns, allusions, and one-liners abound. The rats, who grew intelligent after eating magic-contaminated trash behind a university for wizards, now tackle major questions of morality, philosophy, and religion. Despite the humorous tone of the novel, there are some genuinely frightening moments, too, as the heroes confront a telepathic Rat King in the bowels of Bad Blintz. Readers who enjoyed Robert C. O'Brien's Mrs. Frisby & the Rats of NIMH (Atheneum, 1971) and Richard Adams's Watership Down (Macmillan, 1974) will love this story. A not-to-be-missed delight.-Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Guardian Review
A story about stories, this latter-day Pied Piper of Hamelin is high comedy with unforgettable animal characters. Maurice, the streetwise tomcat with a touch of Del Boy, leads his educated ratty friends - Maurice has a rule that you can't eat anything that talks - on a nice little earner. But the town of Bad Blintz has a different smell to it. The lightness of Terry Pratchett's wit (especially his word games) makes it easy to underestimate the more serious points of this story. The Dark Horse, by Marcus Sedgwick (Orion, pounds 7.99) Age: 12+ Told in two voices, The Dark Horse weaves stories of old magic and forgotten powers into a highly charged, timeless mystery. The Storn, a tribe from another time and place, live quietly and poorly, often fishing for nothing more nourishing than sea cabbages. But their quiet is disrupted after the discovery of Mouse, a rescued child. Who is she? What is in the box she finds and why can only one man open it? Sparely told, rich in imagination, this conjures up a barren country, unnatural isolation and the struggle between powerful individuals to find humanity. Exodus, by Julie Bertaga (Picador, pounds 9.99) Age: 13+ An exciting adventure that explores the destruction of the environment, the establishment of new power bases and the plight of refugees seeking safety, Exodus is thrilling and thought-provoking in equal measure. With icy water cascading down the streets straight into the stormy sea, the island of Wing is no longer a fit place to live. Led by Mara, whose vision of a sky city in the new world offers hope of a new way of life, the people fight danger from the elements and prejudice from others also searching for new homes. It's a novel of hope and survival. Jake's Tower, by Elizabeth Laird (Macmillan, pounds 9.99) Age: 11+ Jake needs a place to escape to. His dream house has a moat around it and a drawbridge that he can pull up tight. Here he can be safe. In reality, Jake is rarely safe. His step-father is unpredictable - and violent. Jake dreams of his father, creating a fantasy figure to admire. When Jake's mother takes him to meet his father, an illusion is shattered, but none the less Jake does find love and the emotional support to rebuild his life in safety. A harsh contemporary story with a sure emotional core. Revenge House, by Bernard Ashley (Orchard, pounds 4.99) Age: 11+ Displaced to the country by her mother, fleeing memories of London after her father's death in a hit-and-run accident, Sophia has to adjust to a new life in the country. At Marsh End, empty skies replace busy nightlife, but the quiet is deceptive and a bigger danger lurks as a criminal mastermind targets their home. Bernard Ashley's pacy thriller is especially strong on sense of place and the difficulty of mother/daughter relationships in adolescence. The Shell House, by Linda Newbery (David Fickling Books, pounds 10.99) Age: 12+ Across two time frames, Linda Newbery cleverly intertwines two stories and encompasses some big issues: sexuality, love, class, religion and the loss of faith. Present-day Greg suffers from the usual teenage self-doubts and insecurities. His interest in a ruined stately home leads his life to become intertwined with that of Edmund, the last son of the house, fighting in the first world war and also struggling with his sexuality, loyalties and the value of life. The Shell House is intelligent and perceptive. Thursday's Child, by Sonya Hartnett (Walker, pounds 4.99) Age: 12+ With the penetrating but largely unjudgmental eye of a child, Harper Flute records her family's struggle for survival as the great depression grips Australia. Harper's hapless father descends into alcoholism while the rest of the family struggle to keep going. Always in the background is the shadowy figure of Tin, Harper's brother, who lives in a lair of tunnels. Tin is a wandering spirit who acts as a guardian angel protecting the family and, ultimately, saving them. Beautifully written, Thursday's Child encompasses immense dramas without slipping into melodrama. Warehouse, by Keith Gray (Red Fox, pounds 4.99) Age: 13+ Edgy, terrific on both the grimness and the warmth of life on the margins, Warehouse is a violent, emotionally honest and passionate story. From the outside, the transient population of the Warehouse - some brought in by the Can Man, others who have found it for themselves - seem like a bunch of losers. Their lives may appear to be feckless and reckless but, on closer inspection, they have their own compassion and kindness. Keith Gray controls both the dramatic story and his wholly credible characters with delicacy and conviction. Green Boy, by Susan Cooper (Bodley Head, pounds 10.99) Age: 10+ Trey and Lou love the magical white-sand island of Long Pond Cay, but it is under threat from developers. In their fight to save it, Trey and Lou find themselves carried through to Otherworld, swallowed up into an overcrowded and polluted city. Swept into a new mythology, Lou, an elective mute at home, speaks and is hailed as a hero whose destiny is to bring destruction. Susan Cooper sweeps the two strands of her story together into a delicately written parable with an unsentimental strain and a hard-hitting environmental message. To order any of the books featured on these pages call Guardian book service on 0870 066 7979 Caption: article-kidsbk20.1 Jake needs a place to escape to. His dream house has a moat around it and a drawbridge that he can pull up tight. Here he can be safe. In reality, Jake is rarely safe. His step-father is unpredictable - and violent. Jake dreams of his father, creating a fantasy figure to admire. When Jake's mother takes him to meet his father, an illusion is shattered, but none the less Jake does find love and the emotional support to rebuild his life in safety. A harsh contemporary story with a sure emotional core. With the penetrating but largely unjudgmental eye of a child, Harper Flute records her family's struggle for survival as the great depression grips Australia. Harper's hapless father descends into alcoholism while the rest of the family struggle to keep going. Always in the background is the shadowy figure of Tin, Harper's brother, who lives in a lair of tunnels. Tin is a wandering spirit who acts as a guardian angel protecting the family and, ultimately, saving them. Beautifully written, Thursday's Child encompasses immense dramas without slipping into melodrama. Trey and Lou love the magical white-sand island of Long Pond Cay, but it is under threat from developers. In their fight to save it, Trey and Lou find themselves carried through to Otherworld, swallowed up into an overcrowded and polluted city. Swept into a new mythology, Lou, an elective mute at home, speaks and is hailed as a hero whose destiny is to bring destruction. [Susan Cooper] sweeps the two strands of her story together into a delicately written parable with an unsentimental strain and a hard-hitting environmental message. - Julia Eccleshare.
Kirkus Review
Satiric adult SF superstar Pratchett (The Last Hero, p. 1254, etc.) resets the Pied Piper tale on Discworld, with predictably unpredictable results. Here the rats themselves are pulling off a profitable scam, masterminded by Maurice the cat. The animals, their intelligence accidentally magically enhanced, infest town after town, until the desperate inhabitants pay their human accomplice to pipe them out. But the rats have developed consciences; and when they agree grudgingly to just one more "plague," they run up against an evil combining the worst of human and rat natures-and that only human, rat, and cat together can defeat. Much of the charm here resides in the way the animals remain true to their natures-the rats, each with a distinct personality, still fight, steal, and stink, while Maurice is as self-centered as only a cat can be-yet still remain far more appealing than the foolish humans around them. Pratchett hasn't blunted his wickedly funny pen for younger readers; the only apparent concessions to a teen audience are the adolescent humans abetting the rats, and the story's relative brevity. He retains the lethal combination of laugh-out-loud farce, razor-sharp satire, and the underlying passionate idealism unique to the confirmed cynic that makes his adult Discworld series so popular. A lot is packed in amidst the humor: ruminations on good and evil, dreaming and doing, leadership and compromise. But this is at heart a story about stories, so necessary as consolations, inspirations, and guides, but also so dangerous when allowed to replace independent thought. Excruciatingly funny, ferociously intelligent. (Fiction. YA)