Malcolm at Midnight

goofy127 - Malcolm is a rat undergoing a bit of an identity crisis, you see. Everyone thinks him a mouse because of his size, so he has gone from being on sale as python food to a comfy classroom pet. Then he meets the Midnight Academy during his first adventure outside the classroom. They are a secret society of classroom pets dedicated to keeping the kids of the school safe. They automatically assume he is a mouse too. His rat pride is yelling at him to tell them he is a rat, but rats have a terrible reputation: they are lying, skiving, thieving and selfish rats. When the Midnight Academy takes him on as a pledge, Malcolm is determined to prove that rats can be good too (excusing his lying about being a mouse), and tries really hard to be the fifth-grader he wants to be, one with merit and valor! However, almost everything he does leads the Midnight Academy’s second in command to think he is working with Snip - the cat who is terrorizing their school. And when Aggy the Iguana - the leader of the Midnight Academy - is kidnapped and all evidence points to him, he is locked in his cage. But Malcolm has nutter (kid) friends too and now it’s up to him (with encouragement from the nutters) to stop Snip from carrying out his evil plan, whatever that may be, find Aggy, be the fifth-grader he wants to be, and find Mr. Benny’s engagement ring. This book is a brilliant mystery and has characters with fully developed personalities. I think it will really appeal to fans of Humphrey the Hamster and other stories about animal/bug heroes. It is full of wit, humor, distrust and is all about learning who you really are and being who you want to be. After all, a critter reveals his true self at midnight.

July 30, 2012
Escapades, humor, and romance weave together in this madcap elementary school adventure from first-time author Beck. When fifth-grade teacher Mr. Binney mistakes Malcolm, a small rat, for a mouse and purchases him as a classroom pet, Malcolm develops an identity crisis. He soon learns that rats are held in low esteem by both humans and other animals, first from Mr. Binney’s read-aloud of The Tale of Despereaux (“Was that what people really thought of rats? That they are sneaky, conniving, lazy, greedy?”), and then when Midnight Academy members (pets from other classrooms) accept him only after he self-identifies as a mouse. Longing to prove his worthiness through “valor and merit,” Malcolm faces numerous challenges: Honey Bunny the rabbit’s distrust, Snip the cat’s evil plans against “the nutters” (children), and his forbidden friendship with fifth-grader Amelia. Lies’s (Bats at the Ballgame) detailed spot illustrations are a lively complement to the story, which is written in second person by an unnamed (but identifiable) narrator as an anonymous letter, complete with
assigned classroom vocabulary and footnotes. A first-rate debut. Ages 9–12. Agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt.

February 1, 2013
Gr 4-6-Malcolm, a small but quite extraordinary rat, is purchased as a class pet for the fifth grade at McKenna School in Beck's debut novel (Houghton Mifflin, 2012). The little rodent is mistaken for a mouse because of his size by Mr. Binney and his students. Malcolm allows himself to be called a mouse by the school's Midnight Academy, a secret society of pets at McKenna who protect the school and track its goings-on. When the Midnight Academy's leader, an iguana, is kidnapped, Malcolm is blamed and he sets out to clear his name and prove that he's a rat of valor, integrity, and talent. Not only does Malcolm solve a mystery at the school, but his ability to read allows him to communicate with two students. Charlotte Parry's narration of the long, detailed student note written to Mr. Binney from Malcolm's point of view captures the individual personalities of the members of the Midnight Academy, from its iguana leader to the seriously maladjusted feline villain to the human students. The tension and plot twists are captured in the well-paced, expressive reading. Malcolm's dilemma and identity crisis are neatly imbedded throughout without becoming didactic, making this often exciting, always engaging saga appeal to broad audiences.-"Maria Salvadore, formerly District of Columbia Public Library, Washington, DC"

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.