Emmy and the Rats in the Belfry

June 15, 2011

Ten-year-old Emmy Addison returns with rodent pal Raston Rat to prove she's a responsible kid who still has what it takes to outwit her former nanny, the devious Jane Barmy, in this fast-paced sequel to Emmy and the Home for Troubled Girls (2008).

Fresh from their unscrupulous ventures three weeks ago, when they were transformed into rats, shameless Jane Barmy and her besotted partner in crime, Cheswick Vole, resurface, intent on revenge. While vandalizing Emmy's bedroom to frame her for irresponsibility, the dastardly duo learn Professor Capybara has developed patches embedded with kisses from Raston's sister Sissy that can turn them back into full-sized humans. Together they steal Capybara's formula, dupe Emmy's parents into sending her to visit her great aunts in Schenectady and trick Sissy to go with Emmy to find her "Ratmom." In Schenectady, bats "ratnap" Sissy, who's forced to produce more patches while Emmy discovers her elderly great aunts barely surviving on their own. Using every transforming rodent trick (bites, kisses and reverse aging tears), Emmy and Raston crash a river-rat bar, scale a batty belfry and stow away on a train, attempting to rescue Sissy and save the aunts. The complicated, improbable but highly entertaining plot showcases brave, responsible Emmy and hilarious, irresponsible Raston. Bats appropriately swirl in the flip-book feature.

Fans of Emmy and Raston will welcome their latest escapades. (Fantasy. 9-12)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

July 1, 2011

Gr 3-6-Emmaline Addison, the girl who communicates with rodents, is back with her recipe-loving, bewhiskered friend, Ratson. In this third critter adventure, two mysterious letters arrive from Schenectady. The first invites Sissy to a reunion with her long-lost Ratmom. The second asks Emmy to visit her great-aunts. These letters are actually part of a diabolical plot masterminded by evil Miss Barmey, Emmy's former nanny-turned-rat. She plans to kidnap Sissy and use the rat's magical kisses to restore herself to human form. Once transformed, she will take revenge on Emmy (and her little rats too). Now Emmy and friends must rescue Sissy, find the real Ratmom, stop Miss Barmey's dastardly plot, and prove to her parents that she is indeed a responsible daughter. Predictably, good prevails over evil. Just the same, readers will cheer when Miss Barmey and henchman Cheswick Vole find themselves behind bars. Although some background is provided, readers unfamiliar with Emmy's previous adventures may be confused. Additionally, the length may intimidate reluctant readers. Still, fans of the protagonist will delight in this quirky, imaginative tale. Bean's very batty flip-book art adds to the fun.-Alissa J. LeMerise, Oxford Public Library, MI

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2011
Grades 3-6 This adventure picks up where Emmy and the Home for Troubled Girls (2008) left off. Emmy is in trouble once more, and evil Miss Barmy and her devoted swain, Cheswick, now rats, are still after her. Emmy makes a trip to Schenectady with her orphan and rodent friends and deals with those kisses and slurps that turn humans into rats and (maybe) back to original form. This worthy addition to the series is busy and full of surprises, though readers may want to start at the beginning to see how Emmy got herself into this fix. Again, there's flip artbats!(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2012
Emmy Addison and her friends, who happen to be magical rats, are lured to Schenectady by a rodent villainess determined to regain her human form. This third entry includes many flashbacks, which can slow the action, but the characters continue to have heart, and Bean's flip-book art in the margins is an entertaining bonus.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)