Racso and the Rats of NIMH facts for kids
First edition
|
|
| Author | Jane Leslie Conly |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Leonard B. Lubin |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Rats of NIMH Series |
| Genre | Children, Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Harper & Row |
|
Publication date
|
1986 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 278 |
| ISBN | 0-06-021362-0 |
| OCLC | 12370051 |
| [Fic] 19 | |
| LC Class | PZ7.C761846 Ras 1986 |
| Preceded by | Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH |
| Followed by | R-T, Margaret, and the Rats of NIMH |
Racso and the Rats of NIMH is an exciting fantasy novel for young readers. It was written by Jane Leslie Conly and published in 1986. This book is a direct sequel to the very popular story, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. It picks up right where the first book ended, continuing the adventures of the clever rats. Critics have praised the book, saying that Conly did a great job of capturing the peaceful, rural feeling of the first story. They also noted that the characters in this book are even more detailed and interesting.
Contents
The Story of Racso and the Rats of NIMH
In Racso and the Rats of NIMH, the smart rats from NIMH have created their own special home. This place is called Thorn Valley. It is a secret community where they live completely separate from humans. The story begins when Timothy Frisby, the youngest son of Mrs. Frisby, leaves his family's home. He travels to Thorn Valley to join the rats. Timothy is a special mouse. Even though his mother is an ordinary mouse, Timothy has inherited his father's amazing intelligence. His father, Jonathan, was one of the rats who escaped from NIMH.
During his journey, Timothy meets a young rat named Racso. Racso is the son of Jenner, a rat from the first book who was thought to be a traitor. Timothy and Racso finally arrive at Thorn Valley. Timothy quickly fits in and starts learning with the other young rats. However, Racso has a harder time. He comes from a group of wild city rats and finds it difficult to adjust to the cultured life in Thorn Valley. Racso also feels weighed down by his family's past. His father had left the rats' old colony, putting them in danger.
Life in Thorn Valley suddenly faces a big threat. Humans begin making plans to build a dam in the valley. This dam would flood most of Thorn Valley and destroy the rats' home. The rats must come up with a very clever plan. They decide to try and change the developers' computer plans to stop the project.
How This Book Connects to Other Stories
Tying into Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
Racso and the Rats of NIMH is a direct follow-up to Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. That first book won the Newbery Medal, a very important award for children's books. The first book was written by Robert C. O'Brien, who was Jane Leslie Conly's father. Conly wrote this sequel many years after her father passed away in 1973. Even though she tried to answer questions left open by the original story, this book is still her own work.
One big question from the first book was about Mrs. Frisby's children. Readers wondered if Teresa, Martin, Timothy, and Cynthia would grow up and have their own adventures with the rats. In this book, only Timothy actually goes to Thorn Valley. Teresa and Cynthia stay at home, and Martin has started his own family. While this neatly finishes that part of the story, some readers felt that the other children had a lot of potential for more adventures.
Another question Conly answered was about the fate of Justin. Justin was a main rat character in the first book. At the end of the original story, it seemed like Justin might have sacrificed himself to save another rat. However, Conly chose to keep Justin alive and well in her sequel.
More information was also given about a rat named Jenner. In the first book, it was hinted that Jenner had died before the main events. Jenner had disagreed with Nicodemus about leaving the city. He took a group of rats who wanted to go their own way. At the end of the first book, it was revealed that NIMH had found several unusual dead rats. It was thought that this was Jenner's group.
However, in this sequel, it is revealed that Jenner actually escaped. He and a few other rats who survived still disagreed with the Thorn Valley group. They believed their own way of life was better. In this book, we learn that Jenner had a family, and Racso is his son. Jenner even makes a surprise appearance in the story. He shows that, despite his past, he cares deeply for his son. Some readers think that Jenner's role in this book was influenced by the movie based on the first book, The Secret of NIMH. In that movie, Jenner had a much bigger part. However, in this book, Jenner only appears a few times, mostly in flashbacks. He is killed off-screen during the story's big ending.
No Connection to The Secret of NIMH Movie Sequel
While Racso and the Rats of NIMH shares some story ideas with the first The Secret of NIMH movie, it has no connection to the movie's sequel, The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue.
