The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread by Kate DiCamillo

A tale told in four parts of a mouse, Despereaux, who falls in love with the princess and then must use all his wits to save her when she is kidnapped.

This was very light reading after The Dark is Rising. It reminded me of a fairytale and not the fantasy/supernatural category it is placed in. It is a sweet story and their is humor found for adults reading this book similar to what is found when watching a Disney film. Despereaux is an appealing main character and the rat society is similar to our own.

DiCamillo, K. (2006). The tale of despereaux: Being the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup and a spool of thread. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.
ISBN: 0763625299
Illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering