Listening to the audio book with my daughters. This is how we go to bed at night now.

4.5 stars rounded to 5. Voigt touched on many important topics in this children's novel. I can see why it was nominated for awards. The story was honest, at times brutal, and humorous. Fredle was different from other mice and learned to accept who he was even though his own family turned against him. He lived life on his own terms and a great message was revealed through his adventures. The main problem was, I don't think my students would have enjoyed it as much as I did. This would have to be a book I read to them and discussed with them as a class. I can't think of a student who would have read it from start to finish on their own. But, it's worth the discussion and much would be gained, so I will make them listen to it anyway. ;0) ( )

I do not like animal books. I don't like books about pets and I don't like books about kids with their faithful companion, be it a dog or a deer. I dislike talking woodland creatures and mice who wear clothes and live in houses with doors built in the between the roots of trees. I despise books where the animals act like people and I don't know why the author made the characters into animals when they very well could have been humans without changing a single element of the story. I hate stories where the animals act like animals, mostly, but not quite, with human motivations for their actions, or the predators are the bad guys. I can rant for hours on why I hate The Lion King and The Redwall series. I just barely tolerate Charlotte's Web and I barely choked down The Tale of Despareau. I say all this because I want you to understand that for me to enjoy this book makes it a pretty amazing book. I only read it because I think Cynthia Voigt is a great author and I was curious why she would write an obnoxious talking animal book.

"Young Fredle" is an amazing adventure story that could only have happened to a mouse. Yet there are some great questions, connections, and conversations that can be discussed about humans. And this is without making the animals into little animal people. What I enjoyed most was hearing thoughts that were realistic mousey thoughts and conversations that were just what you might expect to hear if different animal species could converse.

I enthusiastically give four stars. If I ever reread this book and enjoy it just as much the second time, I will give it five stars. ( )

Enclosed in Fantasy/Sci-Fi Discussion post.

Narrated by Wendy Carter. Absolutely lovely book about experiencing life beyond one's boundaries and the familiar. Fredle is a kitchen mouse; his family and relatives live back of the pantry. They have a strict routine that involves foraging at night, sleeping during the day, and keeping the noise down. The worst thing to happen to a mouse is to "went," either by way of the cat or by being pushed out of the nest due to age, illness or inability to keep up. Fredle is forced out when he gets sick eating chocolate and he ends up outside where he meets the family dogs, woodshed mice, and racoons, and discovers the beauty of the moon, stars and color. When he finally makes it back to the pantry after many adventures, he finds you can't go home again; he's changed and has seen so much. He comes up with a very nice solution that makes for a satisfying ending. Narrator Carter does a superb job, endowing the animals with distinct and colorful personalities, and best of all, she fully expresses Fredle's aching wonder at all of life's possibilities. You can't help but feel how much Fredle has grown and just want to cheer for him. ( )