The+Tale+of+Despereaux





DiCamillo, Kate. (2003). //The Tale of Despereaux: being the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread.// Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.
 * Citation:**

Despereaux is a puny mouse with unnaturally oversized ear and heart. After breaking the law and approaching the human princess, Despereaux is sentences to banishment to the rat infested dungeon. Despereaux lucks out through and is rescued by the guard in the dungeon. Despereaux then learns of the rat Roscuro’s evil plan to use the maid servant Miggery Sow to kidnap Despereaux’s beloved Princess Pea in an act of vengeance. Roscuro’s hatred and cold heart goes back to the day the queen died when she discovered Roscuro floating in her beloved soup. From that day forward rats and soup were banished from the kingdom by order of the king. Roscuro convinces Miggery Sow that if she ever wants to be a princess then she must help him kidnap and lock Princess Pea in the dungeon.
 * Plot Summary:**

Despereaux sets out to rescue the princess with the help of a fellow brave hearted mouse; Despereaux descends to the dungeon with a spool of thread to help him find his way out again. Despereaux reaches the princess and prepares to defend her from Roscuro, but the princess realizes that the only way for them all to make it out of the dungeon is to forgive Roscuro for her mother’s death. The princess’s forgiveness melts Roscuro’s cold heart and they all make it out of the dungeon to live happily ever after and eat soup!

//The Tale of Despereaux// has all the makings of a fantasy classic: one princess in distress, one underdog hero of unflinching bravery, and one villainous rat. Everyone will fall in love with the kind and brave mouse, Despereaux. Despereaux stands up for what he believes in and for those he loves. //The Tale of Despereaux// proves that you do not have to be the strongest or the fastest to save the day and that in the end kindness and forgiveness are more powerful than brute force.
 * Personal Thoughts:**

Fantasy
 * Genre:**

4th to 7th grades
 * Reading Level:**

2004 Newberry Award ALA Notable Children’s book 2004 ALA Top Ten Fantasy Books for Youth 2004 Book Sense Book of the Year 2004 Finalist Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature 2004 Finalist Young Readers Choice Award 2006 Booklist Editors Choice 2003
 * Awards/Honors:**

Cooper, I. (2003). The Tale of Despereaux (book). //Booklist, 99(21),// 1886. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
 * Reviews Consulted:**

Jones, T.E. Toth, L. Charnizon, M. Grabarek, D., Larkins, J., Budin, M. (2003). The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread (Book). //School Library Journal, 49(8),// 126. Retrieved from EBSCOhost Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts with Full Text.

Roback, D., Brown, J.M., J., Zaleski, J. (2003). The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread (Book). //Publisher's Weekly, 250(24),// 71.Retrieved from EBSCOhost Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts with Full Text.

Sieruta, P.D. (2003). The Tale of Despereaux (Book). //Horn Book Magazine, 79(5),// 609-610. Retrieved from EBSCOhost Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts with Full Text.

The Tale of Despereaux (Book). (2003). //Kirkus Reviews, 71(14),// 962. Retrieved from EBSCOhost Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts with Full Text.

Despereaux Tilling: an unnaturally small mouse with large ears and a larger heart
 * Characters Names/Descriptions:**

Chiaroscuro aka “Roscuro”: Rat banished to the dungeon after the queen died when she found him in her soup. Mistreatment has turned him into a cold and malicious beast

Princess Pea: Despereaux’s beloved princess who he saves from Chiaroscuro

Miggery Sow: a deaf maid servant who wants more than anything to be a princess

http://www.katedicamillo.com/
 * Author’s Website:**

Meet Despereaux Tilling, a small mouse with big ears and a bigger destiny. Can Despereaux save the beautiful Princess and restore happiness to the kingdom?
 * Annotation:**