This is a sweet story of love, longing, revenge, forgiveness, and soup. Really delicious soup.

::Spoilers::

Tiny Despereaux Tilling, an unlikely hero with exceptionally large ears, risks everything to save the princess he loves. And in the process he saves not only his love, but also a rat whose heart was broken when he was denied light, a serving girl who desperately wanted to be a princess, and a prisoner who was tormented by his past sins.

"Love is ridiculous. But love is also wonderful. And powerful." Pg 32 ( )

I reread this with my daughter and though it was darker than I remembered, I loved the message in the end. I think DiCamillo has a wonderful skill for bringing a scene to life and I won't soon forget the dark dungeons, the rat with a spoon for a crown, the outlawing of soup, or the brave mouse whose heart is even bigger than his ears. ( )

"The Tale of Despereaux" is a beautifully written and captivating tale that will capture the hearts of readers young and old.

Independent Reading Level: 7 -10 year olds/ Grade Level: 2nd -5th
Awards & Honors: Vermont Golden Dome Book Award
Newbery MedalWinner, 2004

An interesting book. I definitely enjoyed it, but wasn’t sure what to make of it as I read. First the mouse completely cast out and unloved by his family, then a light loving rat dragged over to the dark side… topped by someone who sells ther child into slavery and the child is beaten until nearly deaf… I know I read things like that as a child and thought nothing of it…. Fairytale content shocked my adult mind. Still, it held my interest and things were generally satisfying by the end ( )