The Tale of Despereaux

Today’s post is from Cecily at Haggard Library:

The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread by Kate DiCamillo

Despereaux is a runt of a mouse with over-sized ears, a romantic heart, and big dreams.  Although discouraged and put down by his family because of his small size and his un-mouse-like ways, he follows his heart and falls in love with the Princess Pea.  He battles rats, and braves the dark dungeons and the wrath of the king, all to rescue his beloved from the clutches of the jealous rat Roscuro.

This is one of the sweetest, funniest and most charming books I’ve read in a while, and was the 2004 Newbery Medal winner.   DiCamillo captures the dreamer’s spirit in each of the three main characters - a mouse, a rat, and an abused kitchen girl.  The book is divided into sections, each devoted to a different character, and in the end it gives even the bad guys a touch of hope.