Terry Pratchett - The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents

Pros: Funny and inventive as always...
Cons: ... seems a bit too familiar, some scenes upsetting for younger children

The Amazing Maurice is a cat, and His Educated Rodents are… um… rodents. What is a cat doing with educated rodents, I hear you cry. Well you see, not only the rats are educated, but Maurice himself is educated and more than a bit ...

Pros: Much-needed indoctrination for Young Adults into the Discworld!
Cons: Humor toned down just a tad, more slapstick/bodily function oriented than usual.

When I heard Terry Pratchett had written a novel for Young Adults, I was a little worried. As much as I enjoy his work and his sharp, biting humor, I was afraid that maybe he'd feel the pressure to change that in order to suit a younger audience. Stil ...

Pros: Fun, easy read with no prior knowledge of Discworld required
Cons: Diehard Discworld fans may be disappointed at the lack of complexity and Discworld continuity

“Hey, Mum”, says Darling Daughter (DD), “the school library has two whole shelves of Terry Pratchett – do you want me to bring any home?”

“Oh, yes” say I, “Please.”

Fast forward one day (I read...

Pros: Funny, sarcastic, a great story. I read it twice in two days!
Cons: Absolutely none.

The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents - Terry Pratchett Doubleday - 2001 Humour/Fantasy Winner of the Carnegie Medal in 2001 (An annual award recognizing an outstanding book for children and young adult readers.) "You gotta ...

Pros: Another Discworld classic, unique characters and ceaselessly amusing.
Cons: Not for children younger than 7 as certain frightening descriptions.

Pratchett’s Discworld series is generally considered a teenage/adult set of novels. Younger children would not appreciate his wit or intricate plot structures, and often lose interest. Yet The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents takes a well-known ...

Pros: Funny and exciting.
Cons: Too short. Some scenes too gory and frightening for children.

I bought this book for my step-daughter last Christmas because of the quirky title and dramatic cover art [on the UK/Canadian edition]. At that time I had only read "The Colour of Magic", and no other Discworld books.

Since then I have read...

Pros: Great introduction to Discworld, hilarious, wonderful writing.
Cons: A bit less funny than the other Discworld books, much too short.

I'm sure the more cynical of us have wondered before about fairy tales. Would Hansel and Gretel really be that abysmally stupid? Could Goldilocks be that picky while ransacking the house of carnivorous animals five times her size? And how, exactly, did...

Pros: Good story, characters and atmosphere.
Cons: Not a children's book.

What if the Pied Piper of Hamlyn was a 'fix', a set up that the rats made a profit out of? That's the basic premise that starts this dark, fascinating tale of a cat (Maurice) and the rats who work this scam.

Here this is being touted as a...