Beck, W.H. Malcolm at Midnight.

Beck, W.H.  Malcolm at Midnight.    Houghton Mifflin  265p  $16.99      978-0-547-68100-9 2012  elm/ms      VG-BN       Animal stories   

A student could not make a truer statement than this: "A lot happens in a school when the teachers aren't looking".  Malcolm is a very undersized rat destined to become dinner for some snake when he is snatched from the jaws of death to become the pet “mouse” in Mr. Binney’s classroom.  While he is initially insulted at the “mouse” designation, Malcolm soon realizes that rats are not nearly as popular as mouse pets.  He goes along with the mistake and soon is enmeshed in the daily -- and nightly -- life of the school.  He teaches himself to read, endears himself to his humans, and discovers the Midnight Academy, a secret society of classroom pets that works to safeguard the school and its students.  Malcolm finds it difficult to prove himself to this group as more than a dirty rat when suddenly, its leader, Aggy the iguana, disappears, and danger lurks throughout the school for both children and animals.  

This very enjoyable tale is written in the form of an anonymous letter, both annotated and footnoted, to Mr. Binney, and it details all of the intricate plot elements.  Malcolm’s appealing character and his devotion to the protection of the school, no matter what the risk, allow him to prove himself as a rat of “valor and merit”.  The lovely pencil illustrations throughout the book greatly enhance the story.

Rats-Fiction, Classroom pets-Fiction                  --Susan Ogintz