The Mousehunter

January 12, 2009
In a world of pirates, spies and greedy mouse collectors, 12-year-old Emiline knows she must fiercely protect what's most important: her pet mouse, Portly; the assortment of mice she tends as mousekeeper; and her friend, Scratcher. Then Emiline gets caught in the middle of a dangerous feud between the most feared pirate on the Seventeen Seas and a wealthy, underhanded mouse collector. Suddenly, everything she holds dear is in danger. Before each chapter, debut author Milway amusingly introduces different species of mice (the Magnetical Mouse, a must for sailors, “has a bulletlike nose that always points due north”). Although some questions remain unanswered (Where are Emiline's parents? Why are mice the animals du jour?), they are easily disregarded as the adventure unfolds and Milway's colorful if unlikely heroes encounter sea serpent–like Graks, Howling Moon Mice and prized but forbidden Golden Mice. Emiline is feisty, clever and loyal, while the pirates she befriends are all bark and little bite. More adventures seem to await Emiline in future books, and readers, having gotten to know the hard-nosed, softhearted pirates and their unusual mice, will be glad. Final illus., also by Milway, not seen by PW.
Ages 10–up.

March 1, 2009
Gr 4-6-Twelve-year-old Emiline Orelia works for Isiah Lovelock, one of the richest and most powerful mouse collectors in the world. While she tends to his extensive menagerie, she dreams of becoming a mousehunter, traveling the world in search of rare and exotic species. When Lovelock hires Captain Devlin Drewshank to capture the pirate Mousebeard, who sank his merchant ship, Emiline runs away and joins his crew. She and her new friend, Scratcher, find themselves in the midst of Lovelock's plot against Mousebeard. Emiline grows throughout the story in her awareness of the other characters and their motivations, and in her perceptions of the shades of gray between good and evil, as she sees Lovelock as a scheming traitor and finds redeeming qualities in the notorious Mousebeard. Milway has created an atmospheric and engaging world filled with hundreds of varieties of mice with different coloring, temperaments, and abilities. New creatures are introduced both within the text and in pages with information and illustrations from The Mousehunter's Almanac interspersed between chapters. Readers will enjoy the action, chases, and plot twists, and will look forward to the sequel that's sure to follow.Beth L. Meister, Milwaukee Jewish Day School, WI

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2008
Grades 4-7 In a society that values collecting and trading mice above all else, being a mousekeeper (and hopefully some day a full-fledged mousehunter) carries its share of prestige. This is especially true for Emiline, the mousekeeper of the most famous mousehunter in Old Town, Isiah Lovelock. To be clear, in this world mice arent simply squeaky little nuisances. Theres the Sharpclaw Mouse, whose calamity-inspiring claws can slice through just about anything; and the Magnetical Mouse, valued by seafarers for its ever northward-pointing nose; and, most rare, the Golden Mouse, whose hair of purest gold has tempted many, and caused the Mousehunting Federation to ban its capture on pain of death. The story follows Emiline as shejoins a high-seas mission to hunt down the dastardly pirate, Mousebeard. While Emilinesadventure has its share of twists and thrills (some earned, some a little too convenient), the imaginative panoply of prized critters is the true hook, aided and abetted by Milways fanciful illustrations and his strong, persistent sense of quirkiness. A quite different and just plain fun yarn ripe for a sequel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)