Misunderstood: Why the Humble Rat May Be Your Best Pet Ever - Hardcover

Toor, Rachel

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0374303088 ISBN 13: 9780374303082

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), 2016

Synopsis

As much a moving memoir as it is an amusing pet manual, Misunderstood is a unique nonfiction book for teens and tweens about domesticated rats in general and a wonderful rat named Iris in particular. Brimming with smarts and energy just like its furry subjects, Rachel Toor's text blends history and science with profiles of interesting people and autobiographical anecdotes as it joyfully sets the record straight about why this reviled creature is actually a most amazing species. Readers will come away with a deeper understanding and appreciation of domestic rats―and may be convinced to adopt one themselves.

About this title

About the Author

Rachel Toor has been an admissions officer at Duke University, a high school cross country coach at the North Carolina School of Science and Math, an SAT prep tutor, and she currently teaches writing at Eastern Washington University in Spokane. A featured columnist for The Chronicle of Higher Education, she is the author of four previous books including the YA novel On the Road to Find Out.

From School Library Journal

Gr 6 Up—Have you ever considered owning a pet rat? Would you believe that rats make great, low-maintenance pets? Toor aims to reverse negative attitudes toward rats by informing readers of their pleasant nature and many amazing abilities and providing some personal anecdotes about her own rat, Iris. Hesitant readers will immediately be drawn in by the first line of the introduction: "For three and a half years I was in love with someone the size of a hot dog bun." Toor mixes humor with genuine affection as she details how she came to appreciate rats while also debunking some common myths students may be familiar with. For instance, she clarifies that rats alone did not cause the Black Plague; rather, it was the fleas that lived on them (which carried the disease in the form of a bacterial microbe) that were largely responsible. In addition, she briefly covers the concepts of evolution, genetics, and domestication to show how environment and circumstance can influence how a creature develops and acts. The true highlight of this work is the relationship between Toor and Iris during a challenging period in Toor's life (her mother was diagnosed with cancer). Students will feel close to the loving and sweet-tempered Iris. However, tenderhearted readers should be warned that Toor's mother and Iris both die. The author includes material on ratteries (rat breeders), different rat varieties (based on color and coat), and questions to consider before opting for a pet rat. VERDICT A delightful addition to any library or classroom's creative nonfiction section.—Elizabeth Anne Ragain, Springfield Public Schools, MO

Edition details

• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 0374303088
• ISBN 13: 9780374303082
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 256