Tri State Young Adult Book Review Committee

Critical Annotation: This book is a short one, but it packs a punch! It begins with a true story of two little babies in a hospital in Russia who were nearly eaten alive by a rat. Nurses were able to save the girls from the starving rat, but not before one had gnawed on Alexandra’s nose and hands. The next chapter describes the story of a woman in England who did not use gloves to free a trapped rat, and she became a statistic when the rat clawed her and infected her with a disease called leptospirosis. Four diseases that rats carried are enumerated and defined, and the final chapter tells how humans can prevent rat attacks and shows how to spot signs that a rat has come into your home. The photographs are chilling, the text is creepy and fast-paced, and the layout and colors are blood red, all designed to instill fear in young readers. Incredibly, the stories are true, and children who crave real life horror will definitely choose to read this book! The glossary is short but there is a list of resources and index which make this book a valid one for nonfiction study.

Series Comments: “Animal Attacks” includes books about bears, sharks, lions, snakes, tigers & others. Each book presents real life drama in which someone has been injured or killed by one of these animals, ways to stay safe & treatments. Includes photographs, a glossary of vocabulary, list of resources and indexes. Recommendations: This book is a good choice for older elementary school children. Due to its graphic content and photographs, younger elementary aged children might find it to be scary.