By Richard Peck
Illustrator Kelly Murphy
4Rbooks: 4/6, grades 3-6
Amazon rating: 4.4/5, grades 3-7
Good Reads: 3.67/5
Common Sense Media: 3.5/5, ages 9+
Pages 237
Synopsis:
There are two families that live in the Cranston house. The human Cranstons (mom, dad, Olive and Camilla) live in the house while the mouse Cranstons (Helena, Louise, Beatrice, and Lamont) live in the walls. Life hasn’t always been easy for either family. The mice have lost their parents and older sisters. Olive can’t find a boyfriend for a future husband. The “upstairs” Cranstons decide they need to sail to England to give Olive a chance to find love. The downstairs Cranstons decide to stowaway and go with them.
The cruise to England proves to be a surprising adventure for both families. The mice learn that there is an entire society of mice living and traveling on the ship, just like the humans. They meet royalty, mice and human, and learn how mice can help their human families achieve their goals. The human Cranstons learn that love can come in different ways and times than you expected. Together the Cranstons, unknowingly, work together to create new and better futures for them all.
Parental Guidance: low medium
Helena meets with an older female mouse who tells her fortune after
looking into a marble which is acting as a crystal ball.
Members of Helenas family drowned.
Lamont loses part of his tale in a snake attack.
Helena is hunted by a cat on the ship.
Beatrice sneaks out at night to meet with her boyfriends.
Recommendation:
If the Hallmark Channel made children’s movies, this might be the novel to start with. It’s cute, at times predictable, and plenty of love to go around. Some students might find the story slow, at times, but children who enjoy stories with animals and character development over intense action should find this an easy, and enjoyable read.
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