inlibrisveritas
Written on Jul 12, 2019
This is my first time reading a Babymouse story, and despite being the third book in the series I had no issues with understanding the characters at all. It’s a fairly self-contained book, so if you or your little one want to dive in then you’ll both be able to fully enjoy it. Babymouse has entered middle school and is finding it a little less than glamorous, she’s terrible in the gym and deals with bullies, but she has one class that she truly enjoys and that’s her art class. I love her enthusiasm about pretty much everything that piques her interest and her ability to sort of roll with the punches even if a situation is way out of her depth. I appreciate the theme of being resourceful and independent, but I do feel that there were not enough consequences for Babymouse when she wanders off into a large city unsupervised. It almost makes the entire trip seem like a good idea at the end of it, despite the issues she had. It does, however, highlight the fact that phones can be helpful, but it’s important to know how to function without them using things like maps and phone directories.
Aside from the somewhat unlikely nature of the story (most schools would never let middle school-aged kids roam by themselves) and the kind of ideal outcome for Babymouse’s decision to rush into a city without an adult, this was a really fun read. It has some great humor in it and some really cute illustrations. I do really feel that this is perfect for the age group, really honing in on the fact that middle school is hardly anyone’s idea of perfect and getting the humor that comes along with it. It talks about the independence that most kids that age are really coming to desire, and I do think it shows the need to truly think out your decisions before you make them.