Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse with four small children, is faced with a terrible problem. She must move her family to their summer quarters immediately, or face almost certain death. But her youngest son, Timothy, lies ill with pneumonia and must not be moved. Fortunately, she encounters the rats of NIMH, an extraordinary breed of highly intelligent creatures, who come up with a brilliant solution to her dilemma. And Mrs. Frisby in turn renders them a great service.
Themes & atmosphere
What you might want to know about Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse, has to move her family before the farmer plows the field, but her son Timothy is too sick to be moved. She turns to a colony of strange, intelligent rats with a story she does not yet know.
Yes. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH won the 1972 Newbery Medal. It was Robert C. O'Brien's most famous work; he died shortly after winning the award.
Yes. The 1982 animated film The Secret of NIMH, directed by Don Bluth, is adapted from Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. The film makes some plot changes but is generally considered a faithful adaptation.
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH is 240 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH takes most readers 4 to 5 hours to finish.
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH is a standalone novel by an unknown author, not part of a series.
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.