The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett

Title: The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents
Author: Terry Pratchett
ISBN: 978006012335
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Copyright Date: 2001

About the Author:
Terry Pratchett published his first story when he was thirteen, and his first novel when he was twenty. He is the internationally popular author of the Diskworld series, which has sold over twenty million copies worldwide. In his native Britain, Mr. Pratchett's books sold more hardcover copies during the 1990s than those of any other living writer and his last twenty-two books have each reached #1 on the best-seller charts.
Pratchett, T. (2001). The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Curriculum Ties:

• Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
• Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.
• Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

Plot Summary:

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents is a spinoff of the traditional pied piper tale. In this story, the pied piper is a boy named Keith, who fell into a swindling scheme thought up by an intelligent, talking cat named Maurice.  They work with some equally intelligent rats, who gained intelligence by eating garbage from the wizard university, and con towns into giving them money to get rid of their rat infestation. However, there are a few problems with continuing this scheme. The first is that the rats are starting to gain consciences and realize that they are doing something illegal. The second is that the town they just arrived at, Bad Blintz, is full of rat traps, poison, and rat catchers eager to get the new rats. Maurice is happy to take on a new challenge, but he soon finds out that these problems are just the start of the issues they will have to overcome if they are going to get their money.

Critical Evaluation:

In this story, there is an overall theme of self-discovery. Each of the major characters work to find a purpose in their lives. Maurice works though some guilt over eating an intelligent rat before getting his own ability to speak. Dangerous Beans is looking for a philosophy for the rats to survive in the world, and comes to the conclusion that they need to act better. Keith realizes that he should work to make the world a better place instead of just following Maurice’s instructions. These also tie into the importance of thinking for yourself and being accountable for your own actions. This culminates in the confrontation between Dangerous Beans, who wants to show the rats how to be better, and the Rat King, who seeks to control everyone. The conclusion of the story shows the result of acting for yourself and being a better person, with Maurice, a cat, sacrificing his life for a rat. Overall, the story has a very positive message and is a worthwhile read.

Readers Annotation:

Maurice, the talking cat, has a brilliant idea to get money. First, you enlist intelligent rats to raid a town. Second, you get a dumb piper to pretend to lead the rats out of town and, third, you get paid. Unfortunately, when he arrives at a town full of insane rat catchers, angry mayors, and tunnels full of rat traps, things get complicated quickly.

Book Talk Ideas:

• Talk about what you would think about if you didn't know anything about the world. Look for how the rats and Maurice approach things with that thought process.
• Talk about how Keith approaches the rats and Maurice, namely, he treats them as people. Consider how you would react if a cat talked to you. 

Reading Level: 12-18

Challenge Issues:

• There is a fair bit of violence in the story, with characters being attacked and killed. 

Defense Collection:

• 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 --Miranda Doyle (Reviewed December 1, 2001) (School Library Journal, vol 47, issue 12, p142)
• 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.) --Staff (Reviewed November 5, 2001) (Publishers Weekly, vol 248, issue 45, p70)
• Awards: 
• Carnegie Medal
• YALSA Best Books for Young Adults: 2002

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Springville Public Library Collection Development Policy

• The Library Director and designated staff actively evaluate and select materials. The Springville Public Library Board, acting under the authority given to it by Title 4, Chapter 6 of the Springville Municipal Code and Title 09 of the Utah State Code, has the ultimate responsibility for the determination of the policies for selection and acquisition of materials.
• Library materials are selected based on the following (not necessarily in order of priority):
• Local public demand and usage potential
• Popularity
• Subject coverage
• Relevance
• Accuracy and currency
• Presentation, readability and format
• Point of view (all sides)
• Cost
• Local connection
• Social values
• Collection balance
• To assess the item based on the above criteria, staff utilize:
• Nationally recognized and relevant pre-publication reviews
• Staff expertise
• Bestseller lists
• Patron recommendations and requests
• Reliable social media reviews 

Purpose in the Collection:
Terry Pratchett tends to have a very satirical sense of humor, but his stories also delve deep into human nature and discuss what things mean. That makes this a very fun story, but also quite thought provoking as well. It is important in the collection to provide a fun read, that can also be thought provoking.