The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents
by Terry Pratchett
|
List Price: ££6.99
Our Price: ££2.39
Your Save: £ 0.00 ( % )
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
Manufacturer: Corgi Childrens
|
Average Customer Rating: 
|
|
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN: 9780552552028
ISBN: 055255202X
Label: Corgi Childrens
Number Of Pages: 272
Publication Date: 2004-04-29
Publisher: Corgi Childrens
Studio: Corgi Childrens
|
|
|
|
|
|
Spotlight customer reviews:
|
Customer Rating:
Summary: Courtesy of Teens Read Too
Comment: I have always been told that, as a fan of fantasy and humor, I needed to read Terry Pratchett. And after reading THE AMAZING MAURICE AND HIS EDUCATED RODENTS, I now understand what everyone was talking about. Pratchett's style is simultaneously witty, entertaining, and incisive; he succeeds in this children's book in saying more about society than most adult books ever manage, and he does so while making you laugh out loud.
Set in an obscure corner of Discworld, the fantasy world in which Pratchett has written numerous other books for adults, a cat named Maurice discovers suddenly the ability to talk--and not just to talk, but to think and to reason. Maurice believes himself to be the only animal afflicted with this talent, until he discovers a group of rats living in the city dump who have also miraculously achieved the ability of speech and thought. As Maurice is emphatic about his promise to never eat anything that can talk, he and the talking rats get along rather well. Soon, along with the help of an orphan boy named Keith who was raised by a musician's guild, Maurice sets upon a scheme to make some easy money, and the rats go along in their belief that they may someday find a place where they will be free to live as talking rats without the fear of being hunted by humans.
Maurice's plan is simple. If the rats will go and infest a town, wreaking havoc for the space of a few days, the town leaders will be sure to call a rat piper to remove the rats from the town. Then it's Keith's job to show up, pipe the rats away, and receive a generous fee for his troubles, one that the rats and Maurice will share. Keith, Maurice, and the rats go like this from town to town...until they reach the town of Bad Blintz, and everything stops working as planned.
The story is populated by humorous characters that you can't help but take seriously. Maurice's sly cunning is undermined by the fact that he meticulously questions any rat he comes across before eating it, in order to keep up his first promise to the talking rats. The rats themselves are amusing individuals, self-named after the first things they could read in that city dump where they originated, so that the story is populated by creatures who go by Hamnpork, Darktan, Sardines, and Dangerous Beans. But under these hilarious names, they are at heart a people trying to figure out their own origins and explain the things they don't yet understand about their sudden ability to speak, and what that means for their future.
I would recommend this book to anyone who's not afraid to laugh, and anyone who's not afraid to think hard about the ramifications of being a person--or rat, or cat--capable of speech, thought, and reason.
Reviewed by: Candace Cunard
Customer Rating:
Summary: Inventive fiction at its best
Comment: As a long time Pratchett fan I began The Amazing Maurice with a little trepidation, after all, it is aimed at kids, right? One chapter in, I understood that Pratchett has truly mastered pitching a tale for a vast audience. At no point are adults patronised, and I should imagine younger readers would be just as engrossed, although the end seeks absolute closure and is just a wee bit too long. The story's main protagonists are talking rats and an equally smart cat. That in itself would be the central fact of a children's book. Not so here; the dilemmas faced within this tale are deep - there's (rat) philosophy, questions about what it means to have an idea of 'self' and a quirky and amusing outlook from the animal kingdom. Threaded through this is the plot, a typical Pratchett affair, in which an old tale is blended with additional panache, twists and wit. This Discworld story is as clever as expected, however the real winner here is that the new animal perspective allows Pratchett to unleash a book far smarter and engaging than most - absolutely recommended.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Utterly Brilliant!
Comment: I hardly ever give 5 stars, but his book deserves it. It is just one of those books that stands out from the crowd and it is most definitely my favourite Terry Pratchett book.
As expected the story is extremely funny and well-written, but unlike many of Terry Pratchett's other books, it also clever, innovating, and it even gives you something to think about. Not bad for children's fantasy!
I would highly recommend this book to anybody who likes Terry Pratchett, anybody who likes fantasy, anybody between the age of 10 and 100, anybody basically :)
Customer Rating:
Summary: A ratty view of people
Comment: On the Discworld, even wizards produce leftovers. Their discarded garbage, however, is laced with traces of magic. Out on the tip, the rats forage in the scraps - apple cores, candle stubs [good carbohydrate source], dogends. Like any trace mineral, the magic builds up until the rats have changed, gaining new talents. Among those talents are speaking and reading. Speaking allows them to communicate better while the reading gives them words to use as names. They're an organized group now, and they have an ambition. They want to find a safe place for retirement. They have a mentor, Maurice, a cat who shares their talents, but has an extra one of his own - he's a con cat. And he has a story hidden away.
A street smart feline, Maurice has learned the value of money. He knows how humans use it, and he wants the independence it offers. To gain it, he's organized the rats and adopted Keith, a rather simple human, into his group. Together, they work the towns to create a "plague of rats" then provide a piper, Keith, to lure them away - for cash. Despite disputes over percentages, the team has scored many successful ventures. But Keith, and the rats, are having misgivings over the ethics of the con. They want to quit, and Bad Blintz will be the last place they work the con.
Every venture has its risks. Bad Blintz is clearly not a rich place. The villagers queue up for bread and sausages, which are in short supply. There are rat catchers who carry strings of tails, but the team can't find a live rat anywhere in the maze of cellars and tunnels beneath the town. In resolving this conundrum, team encounters a powerful new force - one that challenges all the skills given them by the wizards' residue magic. Their very survival rests on how they deal with the mystery. Its resolution is consummately Pratchett.
Terry Pratchett's books increasingly delve into philosophical questions, even moral ones. It would be nice to know if he actually intended this book for "children." You'll note above that the publishers call for "Reader Level Ages 9 - 12," but the editorial reviews say "12 and up." The disparity is typical Pratchett. Why the lack of consensus? One guess is that Pratchett thinks the adult mind set is too rigid to discern the point he's making. This book isn't a fantasy about "talking animals," it's a spur to stimulate thinking about the relationship of humanity to the rest of the animal kingdom. We're part of that kingdom, but we deal with our relations in ignorance. Children, and a few adults, are best suited to begin revising that approach. With human society devastating the habitats of so many creatures, a new way of thinking about them is required. Pratchett's conclusion shows that the process won't be simple and we have to start thinking now about how to do it. Who better to start with than children? They still have the capacity to learn.
It's almost superfluous to discuss Pratchett's writing. He's a master of language and a skilled manipulater of ideas. If you are new to his work, this is a fine place to start. If you're an established fan, there's nothing here to disappoint you. Add this book to your library and buy another for someone. Anyone. They'll surely be grateful. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
Customer Rating:
Summary: Terry Pratchett is, quite simply, a genius.
Comment: That rare thing that might come along only once in one's lifetime, and is marvelled at exceedingly: a Discworld book with chapters.
|
|
|
- Ask about this education product "The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents" in the forum
- Give review on this education product "The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents" in the forum
- Search related information in the forum
|
|
|
|
|
| OOEN Referral Program Spotlight |
 | | Computer Career Institute at Johns Hopkins University
Take the shortest path to a promising technology career. The rapid growth of Information Technology (IT) has created unprecedented career opportunities. The Computer Career Institute at Johns Hopkins University, located in Columbia, Maryland offers highly competitive certificate programs in Information Technology and Web Development. Choose from over 18 certificate programs - the largest variety available anywhere. Complete your program in as little as 7 weeks - less time than any other institution. | |  | |
 | | Concordia University
Concordia University in Irvine, CA, is a thriving Christian university offering bachelor and master degrees. Programs in Business, Education, Christian Leadership, and Liberal Studies are offered. In addition to traditional degree programs, Concordia offers innovative adult degree completion programs, Entrepreneurial MBA programs, an online Master’s in Education, and a master degree that can be completed overseas in International Studies. Most important is the "Concordia Experience," that special place where Christian scholarship and Christian friends come together at one of the country’s top Lutheran universities. Join us today. | | | |
 | | Connecticut Culinary Institute
Become a successful chef or baker with a degree from the highly respected Connecticut Culinary Institute. Programs are offered in Advanced Culinary Arts or Professional Pastry and Baking. Students at the institute are provided with hands-on training in the fine arts of sautéing, grilling, baking, and creating pastries as well as instructed in garnishing, menu planning, business operations, safety, and kitchen etiquette. The institute also offers students paid externships with the region’s best restaurants. Flexible schedules enable students to attend classes during the day or evening. Extensive career placement services are also offered. | | | |
|
What is OOEN Referral Program Spotlight?
OOEN provides comprehensive listing of online courses, degree programs, colleges and universities.
Also OOEN provides links to their information request pages; if you want to find out more about any course,
degree program, college or university, you can just fill out the form linked from OOEN and request information.
It is completely free for anyone to request information, and you can request information from as many colleges
and universities as you'd like. We list featured schools and their brief information
in this "OOEN Referral Program Spotlight" section of OOEN Store for Education,
in case that you are interested in taking a class or two or even pursuing degree program
through these featured schools.
|
|
|
