Good Books - Secret of NIMH

I haven't done a good book review in awhile so I thought I'd talk about one of my childhood favorites.

 The Secret of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien. I was first introduced to this story by watching the animated film that came out back in the 90s.

The story is about a young mouse mother that is trying to protect her family. Her husband, Johnathan mysteriously vanished, leaving her and her four children to fend for themselves.

Frisbe Family

Johnathan

 Their winter home was a cinder-block in the middle of a farmers field. Every spring they were forced to leave their home when the field is plowed. But at the beginning of the story her youngest son is sick and can't go outside. She is faced with the problem of keeping him safe from the plow.

The story is of her quest to save her son's life. She is given some medicine from a family friend. And when she is told that it will take two weeks, she seeks the help of the great owl.

 

 The owl tells her to ask the rats for help. The rats are a strange bunch that have made their home in the farmer's rose bush. She discovers that her husband came from the same place as the rats, a place called NIMH.

Justin

Nicodemas

While with the rats she learns the secret of NIMH and how to save her son's life.

If you are looking for something similar to Watership Down, this is a good short read. The characters are likable and you are cheering for poor Mrs. Frisbe as she struggles to understand the secret life of her husband and struggles to save her family. I highly recommend this book to young readers. And the movie follows the book really well.