“Rory Stowaway longs for adventure. The other mice in his rural community mistrust the Stowaways’ history of exploring the World Beyond, and his own father is determined to keep his family safe at home. Meanwhile, as Rory learns more about his missing grandfather, he becomes determined to find and rescue him, even if he doesn’t quite see how it can be done. In her first novel, Marentette shows promise as a storyteller, creating distinctive characters, building tension, and grounding the fantasy with realistic settings and details. Appearing at intervals throughout the book, Griffiths’ lively shaded-pencil drawings capture the personalities of the characters and enhance the charm of the story. Maps on the endpapers encourage readers to trace Rory’s steps both in town and close to home. With its colorful, dramatic cover illustration, this appealing book will quickly find its audience, fans of mouse adventure tales from George Selden’s The Cricket in Times Square (1960) to Robert C. O’Brien’s Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (1971) to Kate DiCamillo’s The Tale of Desereaux (2003).”
—Carolyn Phelan