Bayou Bytes Blog

Fans will know that anything bearing Terry Pratchett's name is certain to be entertaining. The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents  is one of Pratchett's YA novels, and though it is set in Discworld, it can be read as a standalone.  Maurice is a peculiar cat, as are the pack of rats that accompany him, given that they can all speak English and read. Though they aren't exactly sure how they gained these abilities, they are inclined to make the best of it - by recruiting a human boy (Keith) and running a pied piper scam in a town called Bad Blintz. The plan seems solid. The rats head into town and cause trouble for a few days, then Keith and Maurice show up, summon the rats away and collect their fee from the grateful townspeople.  But when they get there, they realize Bad Blintz already has a rat problem...a particularly vicious one.  The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents  is not a new book, it was actually published in 2001. But it's a personal favor...

  When The Masquerade comes to Baru's small island nation, she watches as they are slowly conquered and incorporated into the empire. The Masquerade promises to advance the nation with education, technology, and medical advancements...and by stripping the natives of their language, installing a new religion, and hauling off any citizens who are deemed delinquent. When her own father is dragged away, Baru decides to play the game.   Determined to bring down the empire from within, Baru enrolls in school and learns their rules. She quickly rises through the ranks, becomes recognized as a talented accountant, and secures a position deeper in the empire. Every success brings her closer to the emperor, and Baru refuses to be distracted... It is clear from the beginning that this story will be uncomfortable. Not only does Baru witness the atrocities against her homeland, she pushes them aside in pursuit of her greater mission: infiltrating the empire. Dickinson makes it clear t...