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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 16 of 16. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Alii on January 1, 2003, at 3:37:34
...of NIMH was....?
Just thought I'd jump start the conversation before I grab my copy and notes and see if anyone else did their holiday reading.
Ready when y'all are!
~Alii
Posted by Dr. Bob on January 4, 2003, at 0:58:24
In reply to What I thought about Mrs. Frisby and the Rats...., posted by Alii on January 1, 2003, at 3:37:34
Posted by Ritch on January 4, 2003, at 14:09:49
In reply to What I thought about Mrs. Frisby and the Rats...., posted by Alii on January 1, 2003, at 3:37:34
Hi, I'm actually about 3/4 done and will probably be finished by tomorrow sometime. The thing that impressed me about the book was the character of Mrs. Frisby. She is like an ideal mother figure. She knows how to communicate and withhold information (as necessary) without lying to prevent putting her worries and fears into her children.
Posted by Alii on January 4, 2003, at 15:31:05
In reply to Re: What I thought about Mrs. Frisby and the Rats...., posted by Ritch on January 4, 2003, at 14:09:49
>>>Hi, I'm actually about 3/4 done and will probably be finished by tomorrow sometime. The thing that impressed me about the book was the character of Mrs. Frisby. She is like an ideal mother figure. She knows how to communicate and withhold information (as necessary) without lying to prevent putting her worries and fears into her children. <<<
Very wonderful observation Mitch. She isn't deceptive in the devious sense but more caring about which persons she imparts what information to.
I'm in the same boat.....not quite finished and my copy is overdue at the library....I'm hiding out and hopefully will be able to breathe and write by Tuesday.
Thanks for chiming in.
~A.
Posted by Dinah on January 4, 2003, at 15:45:24
In reply to Re: What I thought about Mrs. Frisby and the Rats.... » Ritch, posted by Alii on January 4, 2003, at 15:31:05
She was a good mother, and a very wise mouse. Jonathon chose well. The tale has such an old fashioned feel to it. The values of freedom, independence, hard work being better than indolence. It seems like one of those old time American morality stories.
Posted by Dinah on January 4, 2003, at 19:06:06
In reply to Re: Well, I've finished, so any time you're ready » Alii, posted by Dinah on January 4, 2003, at 15:45:24
Oh, and education too. It wasn't until the rats learned to read that they decided to do better than their former rat existence of living off of others. Then they decided to form a rat utopia of hard work and communal living.
And then the few rats who decided not to renounce their old way of life were turned into an object lesson of sorts.
Were there any sequels? Did rat utopia work out as well as expected? If so, then I suppose our brains aren't as similar to rats as the scientists of NIMH had supposed.
Posted by Alii on January 5, 2003, at 1:47:12
In reply to Re: Mrs. Frisby, posted by Dinah on January 4, 2003, at 19:06:06
> Oh, and education too. It wasn't until the rats learned to read that they decided to do better than their former rat existence of living off of others. Then they decided to form a rat utopia of hard work and communal living.
>
> And then the few rats who decided not to renounce their old way of life were turned into an object lesson of sorts.
>
> Were there any sequels? Did rat utopia work out as well as expected? If so, then I suppose our brains aren't as similar to rats as the scientists of NIMH had supposed.Dinah,
There was a sequel book written but not by O'Brien. I'm not sure if there was a sequel movie made. The original animated movie I recall from childhood seemed to do the book justice to my small mind. I would like to rerent that movie after finishing up here and all of our discussions.
The second book is: Rasco and the RATS of NIMH by Jane Leslie Conly from 1986. ISBN 0-06-440245-2
Here are the blurbs from the paperback I have:
Racso, a young city rat, has run away from home to join the famous rats of NIMH in their secret community, Thron Valley. Racso wants to escape a dark secret in his past-and he longs to be a hero. But they other rats aren't impressed with his city smarts. They're too busy trying to stop humans from building a dam that will flood the valley. The dam's computer is programmed to destroy their home!
The rats have faced crises before, but it is Racso who comes up with a brilliant idea to sabotage the project. And when the rats put his dangerous plan into action, Racso has a chance to prove himself-and learn what it really means to be a hero."An outstanding success." --The Horn Book
"Tense, funny and poignant." --Publishers Weekly
Not exactly stunning reviews there Dinah but I have it from the library for another week and might be able to tackle its 278 pages.Such a low that even reading again seems foreign.
~Alii
P.S. Dr. Bob I am fully, painfully aware of your double quote system and chose not to use it since I figure the readership of this site is savvy enough to go to Amazon and find the book for themselves if they should so be inclined. As far as not linking specifically so that books aren't purchased through the PB site/Amazon kickback program? That is one of the main reasons I choose not to link with your spiffy new service. But I wanted to get this in here before you jumped in with your polite not meaning to be pushy inquiry of why I didn't use the double quote feature. Thanks.
Posted by NikkiT2 on January 5, 2003, at 8:20:22
In reply to Sequel to Mrs. Frisby » Dinah, posted by Alii on January 5, 2003, at 1:47:12
"rasco and the rats of NIMH" was, I seem to remember, written by the original authors daughter.
I can't wait to have some extra pennies to be able to buy it!!!
Nikki
Posted by NikkiT2 on January 5, 2003, at 8:25:41
In reply to Sequel to Mrs. Frisby » Dinah, posted by Alii on January 5, 2003, at 1:47:12
I got a real sense of acheivement and goodness reading this. I loved the way Mrs Frisby spoke of her husband with true love, and the way he had taught them to read so they could also have a better life. It gave great insight into "how to be a good mother"!!
I also loved the idea of the "medicine mouse" being old and wise.I think, as a childrens book, this gives a really positive image as to mother hood and how women can be mothers and still be strong within themselves. I really don;t like books trhat have a "moral message" behind them, and even though this book did have that in a way, it was ever preachy nor did it ever make me feel that I should be living my life a different way (which many books do at the moment!).
I'm a huge fan of kids books! So many of them deal with such difficult issues in such a wondrous way.
Nikki x
Posted by Dinah on January 5, 2003, at 12:57:28
In reply to Mrs. Frisby The Rats on NIMH, posted by NikkiT2 on January 5, 2003, at 8:25:41
It's funny how we all pick up on different aspects of the story. I saw the Mrs. Frisby part almost as a literary device to tell the story of the rats (and mice) of NIMH. I didn't focus as much on her part at all.
Posted by NikkiT2 on January 5, 2003, at 13:03:29
In reply to Re: Mrs. Frisby The Rats on NIMH, posted by Dinah on January 5, 2003, at 12:57:28
It is strange isn't it..
Maybe (*dons her psychobabble hat*!!) it could be due to my maternal urge.. I'm pretty broody right now (no kids yet!) and so picked up on all the mothering aspects, to tuck away tips for use one day... Maybe you are trying to strive for something else in life right now that was represented by the rats??
Hmmm
Nikki x
Posted by Ritch on January 5, 2003, at 14:03:58
In reply to Re: Mrs. Frisby, posted by Dinah on January 4, 2003, at 19:06:06
> Oh, and education too. It wasn't until the rats learned to read that they decided to do better than their former rat existence of living off of others. Then they decided to form a rat utopia of hard work and communal living.
>
> And then the few rats who decided not to renounce their old way of life were turned into an object lesson of sorts.
>
> Were there any sequels? Did rat utopia work out as well as expected? If so, then I suppose our brains aren't as similar to rats as the scientists of NIMH had supposed.
Dinah, I finished the book a couple of hours ago. The most interesting philosphical idea in the book had to do with the concept of "stealing". They didn't want to live off others like parasites anymore. There was also ideas of environmentalism alluded to (why waste stuff when it isn't really making us any happier?). Another interesting idea was life becoming "too easy" and "pointless". The rats started to have a similar existential crisis that modern humans go through! They also started going through all the problems associated with concepts of "property", "power", and dealing with threats. They started becoming *political*. --Mitch
Posted by Ritch on January 5, 2003, at 14:06:10
In reply to Re: Sequel to Mrs. Frisby, posted by NikkiT2 on January 5, 2003, at 8:20:22
> "rasco and the rats of NIMH" was, I seem to remember, written by the original authors daughter.
>
> I can't wait to have some extra pennies to be able to buy it!!!
>
> NikkiI was sneaky. I went to the library to borrow this one. It actually was kind of fun to go to the children's section with all of the desks and counters practically right on the floor. :)
Posted by NikkiT2 on January 5, 2003, at 16:14:10
In reply to Re: Sequel to Mrs. Frisby » NikkiT2, posted by Ritch on January 5, 2003, at 14:06:10
Oooh, I could go to library tomorrow.. they rarely have books I want, so I haven't even got membership.. but they might have this!! YAY!! A plan for the day!!
Nikki
Posted by Dinah on January 5, 2003, at 18:23:23
In reply to Re: Mrs. Frisby The Rats on NIMH » Dinah, posted by NikkiT2 on January 5, 2003, at 13:03:29
I guess we could say the book has something for everyone. An interpersonal story for those who are interpersonally inclined, and a philosophical discussion for those of us who aren't.
Posted by wendy b. on January 6, 2003, at 17:55:16
In reply to Mrs. Frisby The Rats on NIMH, posted by NikkiT2 on January 5, 2003, at 8:25:41
I read this book right before it was decided that this group would do it. So I'm thrilled to be able to join in here... I picked it up in a 4th grade classroom where I was substitute teaching for the day - the title intrigued me. Interesting that the view from inside the NIMH is quite a scary one (as I recall, the rats are slowly being medicated, something about losing their memory, their ability to think, the thing that makes them stand out amongst other animals).
> I think, as a childrens book, this gives a really positive image as to mother hood and how women can be mothers and still be strong within themselves. I really don;t like books trhat have a "moral message" behind them, and even though this book did have that in a way, it was ever preachy nor did it ever make me feel that I should be living my life a different way (which many books do at the moment!).It's interesting, isn't it? As I say, I substitute teach for a living right now (what a way to make a buck, right?), and I see so MANY wonderful childrens' books. It's just wonderful for kids right now... I don't remember having such beautiful illustrations or such high quality materials.
Anyway, yes Nikki, I have found that childrens' book are usually very big on 'morality' or 'ethics,' as though kids needed coaching in that. Maybe they do, I'm not sure. It almost seems that the function of the fairy tale or the legend or the folk-tale is usually to give the listener/reader a lesson in a sense of duty, love one's neighbor as oneself, family values, strength, courage, etc. And thus the modern children's book is just a take-off from that standpoint. They all MUST relate to the good vs. evil, light vs. dark theme.I don't have any opinion on that, except to say that it does make for satisfying reading, especially when you're doing it with a child. My daughter and I always read together, even now we read aloud, and she's almost 11. Every night for at least a half hour when she was younger. Now she reads me good passages from the young people's novels she reads. Obsessively reads, always got one in her hands, never goes anywhere without one...
> I'm a huge fan of kids books! So many of them deal with such difficult issues in such a wondrous way.Yes, I am too. What a nice book for you all to have chosen.
best,
Wendy
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