Book Reviews

Kirkus Reviews, July 18, 2012

Malcolm is a small rat who is often mistaken for a mouse, which is both a blessing and a curse.

As a fifth-grade “mouse” pet he has a comfortable cage, good food and a classroom full of interesting kids, and, amazingly, Malcolm discovers he can read! During nighttime explorations, he becomes part of the Midnight Academy, a group of varied creatures who are also classroom pets. They speak and have several sophisticated means of communication utilizing school bells, secret codes and even cellphones and computers. But there is a prowling, vicious rogue cat, and there have been thefts, disappearances and cases of vandalism. Malcolm is at the center of it all, always under suspicion but determined to use his rat abilities to act honorably. What follows is a breathless, exciting tale of adventure, danger, betrayal, twists and surprises. Beck unfolds the events in the form of an anonymous note to teacher Mr. Binney detailing Malcolm’s journey, with clever and sometimes hilarious asides in the form of footnotes. Meditations on the nature of power and friendship are subtly and seamlessly woven within the plot. Lies’ meticulously detailed illustrations in endless varieties of gray depict the highlights of Malcolm’s adventures and capture each creature’s individuality. Malcolm’s mouse/rat appearance underscores the confusion as to his real species.

A rip-roaring tale; even rodent haters will have to like Malcolm.
(Animal fantasy. 8-12)

Newsday, Sept. 12, 2012

Everything about “Malcolm at Midnight” by W.H. Beck (Houghton Mifflin, $16.99, ages 9-12) cries out for a place on the list of books read aloud in fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms.
The story itself is set in motion by a teacher reading aloud. Mr. Binney announces that he has chosen “The Tale of Despereaux” (Kate DiCamillo’s Newbery Award-winning novel about a heroic mouse) in honor of Malcolm, the fifth grade’s new classroom pet. Mr. Binney little suspects that the novel throws poor Malcolm into an identity crisis. Malcolm is not a mouse, but a rat, though small enough to pass for the more acceptable rodent, and he's horrified to learn the reputation of his kind: “Was that what people really thought of rats? That they are sneaky, conniving, lazy, greedy?”
Mr. Binney advises his students, when faced with choices, to consider “the person they want to be,” and “Malcolm at Midnight” is all about doing the right thing. That night Malcolm, discovering his cage door open, sets out to explore the school and finds himself -- still mistakenly identified as a mouse -- inducted into the Midnight Academy, the secret society of classroom pets who act as guardians of the school. A mystery ensues that involves a power struggle within the academy and the many ambiguities of the human-pet bond. In the end, Malcolm finds an honorable way to embody an academy saying: “A critter reveals his true self at midnight. It means the way you are when no one is looking.”

Publishers Weekly:

“Escapades, humor, and romance weave together in this madcap elementary school adventure from first-time author Beck. When fifth-grade teacher Mr. Binney mistakes Malcolm, a small rat, for a mouse and purchases him as a classroom pet, Malcolm develops an identity crisis. He soon learns that rats are held in low esteem by both humans and other animals, first from Mr. Binney’s read-aloud of The Tale of Despereaux (“Was that what people really thought of rats? That they are sneaky, conniving, lazy, greedy?”), and then when Midnight Academy members (pets from other classrooms) accept him only after he self-identifies as a mouse. Longing to prove his worthiness through “valor and merit,” Malcolm faces numerous challenges: Honey Bunny the rabbit’s distrust, Snip the cat’s evil plans against “the nutters” (children), and his forbidden friendship with fifth-grader Amelia. Lies’s (Bats at the Ballgame) detailed spot illustrations are a lively complement to the story, which is written in second person by an unnamed (but identifiable) narrator as an anonymous letter, complete with assigned classroom vocabulary and footnotes. A first-rate debut.”