Review: R-T, Margaret, and the Rats of NIMH

You may remember watching an animated version of NIMH when you were younger (or watching your kids watch it). The story was fantastic and the characters always interesting and complex (from what I remember).

When I saw R-T, Margaret, and the Rats of NIMH on our shelf, during a reading slump, I knew I needed to read it right away. I'm glad I did, though it made me want to visit other books and rewatch the film.

The story is simply. Two children are lost after going on a camping trip, and they are found by young rats who are similarly inclined to doing things children do - not the right things, the things they should be doing.

Margaret is a chubby young girl who didn't want to go camping, and she's often mean to people, especially her brother, Arthur, who is strangely silent and seemingly (to Margaret) selfish. Rasco is a rat who's been in the city before and has an eye for adventure, while Christopher, his rat friend, is mostly likable and along for the ride. When Christopher stumbles upon the pair of children and befriends Arthur, the plot picks up with a series of twists and (sometimes predictable) turns.

Though I loved the journey, I did feel the writer a bit much throughout. The obvious jabs at modern-day technology and health ripped through the plots and characters and destroyed a sense of natural development of both. There's far too much of an authoritarian parental presence in novels that I find somehow disheartening.

Still, there are some good lessons and believable plotlines and dialouge, and a real sense of humor. The characters evolve, from every side, and these make it a worthwhile read.

Recommended by: Serendipity
Book source: Personal copy