Rating: My bookshelf. *Please note: book 2 in the series is not for me.*

Reading Level: Early Elementary , Mid Elementary, Late Elementary

A clean, sweet story about an orphan mouse who finds a a home and–more importantly–a family. I read this aloud to my kids ages 9, 6, and 4. They were all engaged, and begged to keep going when it was time to stop each night.

Possible Concerns:

  • Peril. The mouse is chased by hungry wolves, and later designed a sneaky but dangerous plan to outsmart them. It is very tastefully done, and my 4-year-old handled it just fine while my 9-year-old was very engaged.
  • Tragedy/Orphaning.The reader quickly learns that the main character’s parents were swept away by a storm. We do no witness it happening, but the assumption is that they are dead. I could imagine the story being healing and restorative for an orphan or foster kid because the main character finds a new home with loving friends. But it also could touch some triggers when it talks about how she lost her family in a storm, and eventually a friend expresses her family was taken by the wolves.

Things I liked:

  • Character. The main character is honest and Earnest. She tries her best, and she owns up to her mistakes.
  • Love. The main character reaches out to guests at the hotel who are in pain, even though she’s told it is against the rules to talk to guests. She chooses love.
  • Courage. Several times the main character puts others above herself in ways that require much courage. This is especially the case when larger predatory animals are around.
  • Creativity and Innovation. The main character challenges her brain to come up with great ideas for how to solve tough problems.

Overall I expect most families would call this a solid winner.

That said, please note that I had strong concerns about Book 2, The Greatest Gift.