The Tale of
Despereaux, by Kate Dicamillo
Why you should read this book:
- Despereaux is an unlikely hero.
Very small, with huge ears, with no proper mouse instincts: he is not long
for this world. Enter the Princess Pea, the lovely child princess who
dwells in the very same castle as our small hero, Despereaux. He
falls, like his name, desperately in love with her and pledges his
life to her service. But how, reader, how can a mouse, especially one
like ours, hope to serve the Princess Pea? Especially when in the next
breath after meeting her, he is sentenced by his own kind to die in the
dungeon, to be tortured and eaten by rats? Our hero is small, but his
fate is huge. This, reader, is the tale. The Tale of Despereaux.
(Jocelyn Deal, dealj@clarke.k12.ga.us,
Winterville Elementary School, Winterville, GA)
Story Strengths:
- 2004 Newbery Award Winner
- Small tales that intertwine into one larger
story by the end
- Author's sarcasm, wit, and clever commentary
Who would love this book:
- Those who cheer for the "underdog"
- Those who like traditional fairy tales and
stories with medieval ties
- Those who love fantasy or adventure stories
- Those who enjoy stories where animals are just
as realistic as humans-- right down to the heart inside of them
- Those who are fascinated by stories that
"tie together" at the end (like me!)
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