Mouseheart

March 3, 2014
Sword-wielding rats, feline palace guards, and rebel mice fill this adventure with imagination and heart. Hopper, his daring sister, and timid brother are pet store mice. After nearly becoming reptile fodder, the siblings are separated, and Hopper lands in the scary subterranean world of New York City’s subway system. A streetwise rat named Zucker—who turns out to be prince of an empire called Atlantia—saves Hopper from getting clocked by a train. Mouse and rat team up and are soon entangled in a war between the Romanus (who Zucker’s father rules) and the rebellious, mysterious Mus. Hopper is an entertainingly unlikely hero, and Fiedler’s (Romeo’s Ex) villains are suitably nasty, though minor inconsistencies might bother some readers: sheltered Hopper is clueless and alarmed when he meets his first cricket yet has no trouble identifying swords and quickly masters the “metal monsters” of the subway. For those who love an underdog and some romping good battles, Fiedler thoroughly entertains. Art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. Author’s agents: Susan Cohen, Writers House, and Madeleine Morel, 2M Communications. Illustrator’s agent: Shannon Associates.

April 1, 2014
A naive mouse discovers his true mettle when he's accidentally plunged into a world of warring rats, mice and feral cats in Brooklyn's underground transit tunnels. An avowed coward, Hopper lives in a pet-shop cage with his sister and brother. After a dramatic escape, Hopper's separated from his siblings and finds himself alone and terrified in dark tunnels, from which a wily rat named Zucker rescues him. Sympathetic and engaging, Zucker takes Hopper to the sprawling rat metropolis of Atlantia, where Zucker's father, Titus, rules. Treated like royalty and initially impressed, Hopper gradually discovers that Atlantia hides dark secrets. When he's captured by a band of rebel rats who deliver him to a tribe of mice called the Mus, Hopper learns he may be the son of Mus' legendary leader and could indeed be their Chosen One, destined to lead them against their archenemy, Titus. Unsure if he should trust his friend Zucker or the Mus, a confused Hopper resolutely overcomes his fear to discover the real meaning of courage. Riddled with surprises, the fast-paced, complex plot features a host of vivid, memorable rodent and feline characters. Black-and-white illustrations capture key events. Another stalwart mouse with a brave heart will win fans in this captivating underground adventure. (Animal fantasy. 8-12)

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April 1, 2014

Gr 4-8-Fiedler reinvigorates the "small but courageous mouse" literary trope with this captivating animal fantasy set in the subway tunnels of modern-day Brooklyn, NY. Hopper escapes from a pet shop and tumbles into the subterranean rat empire of Romanus. Aided by his new friend Zucker, rascal prince of the rat empire, he longs to find his missing siblings and understand his role in a war between Romanus and the mysterious Mus tribe. Good and evil are not as they seem, and through careful structure and rounded characterizations, Fiedler keeps readers engaged, revealing important plot details at just the right moment and using varying sentence lengths to great dramatic effect. Rich vocabulary and sly references to New York sports history (Dodger, Ebbets, Rangers) add depth. Older readers may pick up on hints about government control and the dangers of trading freedom for safety. In the end, the stage is amply set for book two as Hopper seeks to reunite with his found-yet-lost-again siblings and explore his destiny as the rodent world's "Promised One." Mouseheart will please fans of novels by Erin Hunter, Brian Jacques, and Kathryn Lasky.-Marybeth Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY

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