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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Abandonment
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a fun, fairytale like adventure. What I love about DiCamillo is that she never talks down to the children she is writing her stories for. Her narration style puts children on equal footing to the narrator herself. This particular adventure follows Desperaux, a tiny mouse whose name means "disappointment," as he goes on a journey to find himself after being banished by the other mice, and, ultimately, to save a princess.
DiCamillo plays a lot with gray areas in this story--characters aren't all evil or all good, there's a great mix of light and dark in each of them. I think that's a very important message for children to learn because it reflects the reality of being human. Overall, this was a fun read and would be a wonderful and thought-provoking read aloud book for lower elementary aged children.
DiCamillo plays a lot with gray areas in this story--characters aren't all evil or all good, there's a great mix of light and dark in each of them. I think that's a very important message for children to learn because it reflects the reality of being human. Overall, this was a fun read and would be a wonderful and thought-provoking read aloud book for lower elementary aged children.
Despereaux Tilling is not your ordinary mouse. He's a tiny little thing with large eyes and fragile health. Also, he has human-like love for music, reading, and stories. This puts him in proximity to Princess Pea, the love of his life. Too bad that she's a human.
Roscuro is a rat that longs for light instead of darkness. This longing leads him to trouble that propels the story forward.
Miggery Sow, a young girl, has more dreams than wit. But that's not her fault. Her life has been such.
The castle's dungeon is a horrible place and the one where the action occurs. Of course, what happens and how is for you to read and find out. ;)
I chose this book for a reading prompt and must admit that I really enjoyed it. Yes, it's darker than the average children's story and has some violence too.
The underlying satire is what I loved the most. The touch of humor also borders on dark, but hey, it's really good. The author wants us to assume that the story is narrated by a mouse, and I did just that.
Though I'm still not a fan of these in real life, I don't mind their antics in the fictional world the least bit. Our hero is not hero material but proves himself to be one when the time comes.
He shows that it's okay to cry when scared, to feel afraid, and to be cautious of things. At the same time, he also shows the importance of taking a stand and being who you are (without harming others, of course).
To sum up, The Tale of Despereaux is a cute yet dark story that could lead to a lot of discussions and more imaginative tales.
Roscuro is a rat that longs for light instead of darkness. This longing leads him to trouble that propels the story forward.
Miggery Sow, a young girl, has more dreams than wit. But that's not her fault. Her life has been such.
The castle's dungeon is a horrible place and the one where the action occurs. Of course, what happens and how is for you to read and find out. ;)
I chose this book for a reading prompt and must admit that I really enjoyed it. Yes, it's darker than the average children's story and has some violence too.
The underlying satire is what I loved the most. The touch of humor also borders on dark, but hey, it's really good. The author wants us to assume that the story is narrated by a mouse, and I did just that.
Though I'm still not a fan of these in real life, I don't mind their antics in the fictional world the least bit. Our hero is not hero material but proves himself to be one when the time comes.
He shows that it's okay to cry when scared, to feel afraid, and to be cautious of things. At the same time, he also shows the importance of taking a stand and being who you are (without harming others, of course).
To sum up, The Tale of Despereaux is a cute yet dark story that could lead to a lot of discussions and more imaginative tales.
I read The Tale of Despereaux, another book for which I broke my rule and saw the movie first. Not sure which version I preferred, though they were certainly quite different. Normally I intensely dislike it when the author addresses the reader, but in this story it worked. During an unpleasant bit of the story, the author warned you of what was coming and said that nevertheless, you must continue, for "Reader, it is your duty." I wanted to salute the page.
Als ich das Buch damals für die Schule gelesen hab fand ich es besser als bei meinem jetzigen Reread, was sicher daran liegt, dass ich damals in der richtigen Zielgruppe/Altersgruppe war. Jetzt fand ich es immer noch ganz süß, das Buch hatte etwas Magisches und Märchenhaftes an sich. Für Kinder sind die Themen angemessen und gut verständlich. Auch ganz nett fand ich, dass manche Worte erklärt wurden, um den Wortschatz von Kinder zu erweitern. Die drei anfangs getrennten Storylines wurden im Laufe des Buches sinnvoll zusammengeführt. An Kinder würde ich das Buch weiterempfehlen.
fast-paced