Redwall

Module 7

Jacques, Brian. 1986. Redwall. Ill by Gary Chalk. New York: Philomel Books.

Matthias, a young mouse lives in Redwall Abbey, a place where creatures live peacefully. He is a part of an order that seeks to offer help, hope and healing. Their peace is threatened by the evil Cluny, a rat who wants to take over and rule the Abbey. His intentions are evil from the word go. Matthias, although young and inexperienced, feels a calling to defend the Abbey. He joins together with the other animals to fight against the evil forces of Cluny the Scourge. This action packed fantasy grabs readers right from the start. The well developed animal characters are personified in ways that we normally think of these animals. Rats are always considered worse than mice in most people’s minds and Jacques follows this line of thinking. The story seems to be set in an older time period in England. The language/dialogue used fits well with the type of story being told. The story has a definite theme of good and evil and the characters seem to fit into one camp or the other. We find ourselves rooting for the good characters and are anxious for Cluny to get what he deserves. The animal characters have very human traits, at times humorous, and readers can relate to some of their idiosyncrasies. The names of some of the characters fits their personalities well, particularly the rat characters such as Cheesethief, Mangefur and Skullface. In contrast, the mice and other gentle characters have names like Cornflower and Constance. The oldest and wisest character is appropriately named Methuselah. This story will keep children on the edge of their seats without weighing them down with complicated themes found in some of the more higher fantasy novels. The style of writing is successful in creating action and excitement that keeps children involved. While there are some scenes that could be considered a little too violent for some younger children, it is not as extreme as what some kids see on tv every day. The story has a very satisfying ending and children who like this type of fiction will be clamoring to read the others in the series. The book is recommended for ages 9-12.