I picked this up at the Vogelweh Air Base (GERMANY) Library Free Book Exchange. I hope to READ and RELEASE!

This book is a Newbery Medal Winner for the year 1972.

The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

This book was on the Sequoyah Book Award Masterlist for Children for the year 1974.

Sponsored by the Oklahoma Library Association (OLA), the annual Sequoyah Book Award is a student’s choice award presented since 1959. The program added a Young Adult literature award in 1987. Books chosen for the annual Sequoyah masterlist are selected by two committees of OLA members. Each member of the committee reads over 100 books before recommending titles for the masterlists.
During the school year, young Oklahomans from grades three through junior high are encouraged to read the titles from the masterlist. Students must read or listen to three books in order to cast a vote. The winning book is announced in February and the award is presented during the annual Oklahoma Library Association’s spring conference.
With this award, Oklahoma honors the Native American leader, Sequoyah, for his unique achievement in creating the Cherokee syllabary. In so doing, he created a way to preserve his people’s language and culture.

What memories this book brings back for me.

When I was in elementary school and my nephew was no more than a few years old I remember watching this movie over and over and over again. I think that we watched it daily for weeks on end ... until another movie would take its place for a while.

I am just glad that I could go to school ... that meant that I didn't have to watch it as much.

At first as I was reading I thought that the movie was better than the book. Then as I got more into the book I changed my mind ... I really liked the book's description of the Rats, NIMH, the rosebush, and the valley where they were going. And I don't remember the movie telling the part where they lived for a time after their escape in a grand house full of books. But then again it could have been a part of the movie that I just don't remember.

I think that I would like to watch the movie again just for old times sakes. I am glad that I got the opportunity to read the book to bring back those old memories and I hope that this book will bring enjoyment to others.

From the back cover:

Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse with four small children, is faced with a terrible problem. She must move her family to their summer quarters immediately, or face almost certain death. But her youngest son, Timothy, lies ill with pneumonia and must not be moved. Fortunately, she encounters the rats of NIMH, an extraordinary breed of highly intelligent creatures, who come up with a brilliant solution to her dilema. And Mrs. Frisby in turn renders them a great service.