Rt, Margaret, and the Rats of NIMH

Margaret feels responsible when she and her autistic brother Artie (R-T) get lost in the woods. But when she discovers that Artie has kept secret from her the mysterious visits to their newly-discovered cave by a talking rat named Christopher, she is furious. Her plan to hold Christopher hostage in exchange for a rat escort home backfires; and the youngsters find themselves spending a glorious summer with the super-intelligent rats from NIMH, while learning about living off the land through their own resourcefulness. This fast-paced adventure fantasy revolves around the metamorphosis of overweight, unhappy Margaret. Though too many of the relationships among Conly's minor characters spark briefly only to fizzle out--demanding less emotional commitment than earlier installments in the Rats of NIMH saga--the novel proves enjoyable for its excitement and believably drawn characterizations of the children and their amazing rodent friends. Ages 9-12. (June)