A 2009 SCBWI Work-in-Progress Grant runner-up
Forthcoming from Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
October 9, 2012
Illustrations by Brian Lies
When Malcolm (a smaller than average rat) arrives as the fifth grade pet at McKenna School, he revels in the attention, the Pop-Tart crumbs, and his new Comf-E-Cube. He also meets the Midnight Academy, a secret society of classroom pets that keeps the nutters (kids) out of trouble. After all, everybody knows, “a lot happens in a school when the teachers aren’t looking.”
There’s just one problem. Have you heard? Rats have a terrible reputation! So when the Academy assumes that Malcolm is a mouse, he doesn’t exactly speak up. Then the Academy’s leader, a glasses-wearing iguana named Aggy, disappears and the Academy smells a rat . . . a dirty rat fink, to be specific. Now Malcolm must use all of his ratty persistence to prove his innocence, get Aggy back under her heat lamp—and to find out if it’s possible to be a critter of valor and merit, even if you’re a rat.
Why I Wrote This Story
Although I’ve never had a rat for a pet, there’s a lot of me in this story. More soon!
What People are Saying
“It’s my kind of yarn when a classroom pet nibbles on a social studies textbook but finds it too dry. And when an owl is unnerved by its food talking back. Malcolm, the somewhat conflicted hero of this piece, is indeed a rat of valor and merit. So is his story.”
–Richard Peck, author of SECRETS AT SEA and Newbery winner for A YEAR DOWN YONDER
“Malcolm at Midnight has all the valor and adventure of The Tale of Despereaux with the wit and antics of Frindle that will keep kids both laughing and mesmerized. It’s everything a young reader wants — mystery, cliff hangers, a fast pace, engaging characters, and a satisfying story. And there are even footnotes (yes, footnotes!) that add to the humor. Three cheers for the fresh and funny Malcolm!”
–Kathryn Erskine, author of THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF MIKE and National Book Award winner for MOCKINGBIRD
The setting, fictional McKenna Elementary.
