The Truth about Rats, Rules, & Seventh Grade

I just read this book aloud to my fifth/sixth grade class. Short, punchy chapters, and lots of action made this a good oral story. Interestingly, the farm boys in my class really got into the tough-as-nails female protagonist.

with the power this book builds. I love Larch Waysorta. She has such an offbeat take on life and does her best to survive her crumbling school and town, her father's tradgedy, and the mixed up relationship she has with her mom. You will LOVE Larch's lists which are sprinkled throughout the book -- her rules she lives her life by. A really fresh, new voice, with not a single word wasted, that will have you laughing one minute, in tears the next. AND BEWARE THE RATCATCHER DOG!! A great read. Can't wait for more from Linda Zinnen!

Larch Wysorta is a great character. Her voice rings true in this tale, which appears lighthearted, yet contains a deeper level; dealing with her father's death. Larch is an incessant list maker, and one of the rules on her list is never ask her mother direct questions about her father's death. Then Larch learns a fact about her dad's accident that sends her reeling. Throughout the book, her friend MaryEllen provides some comic relief, along with a rat catching dog. It is written in first person, and the voice is consistent with a middle school girl. Larch `s view of the world is typical of the roll-your-eyes at the things adults do. One of the professional critics felt the rat scenes were "unrelenting and exaggerated." But kids DO exaggerate, particularly when they are afraid. The critic was also bothered by Larch's misjudgment of the dog and her mother, but that's part of the point of the book. Characters change their minds. As Larch got more information, she was able to see her mother and the dog from a different perspective. As a resident of this area of the state, I found Zinnen's descriptions and dialogue right on the money. I think readers outside Ohio will get a glimpse into life in rural Southeastern Ohio, where schools are falling apart, and incomes are below the national average.

I got this book as a gift, and loved it. It was so funny how the main character, Larch, made up the "Rules" to fit her situation exactly, and then tried so hard to live by them. This was a great way to write the story. As a seventh grader, I totally identified. Everyone should read this book!!!