Ratscalibur by Josh Lieb

It all started with a rat Uncle Patrick brought him as a housewarming gift.  He wasn't sure why he picked a rat and the poor thing didn't look too healthy but Uncle Patrick assured him he was just sleeping...

Razorbill and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published May 5th, so watch for a copy then.

You need a good imagination and a tolerance for puns if you're going to read this book.  It's a grand adventure and there aren't many puns but the one I found made me groan.  Are you ready?  Let me tell you a bit about the story first.

Joey isn't sure about this rat and it's get even stranger when the rat talks to him.  He tells him he needs to get a message to the King that he's failed his mission.  When Joey asks him how he's supposed to do that, he changes him into a rat with a small bite.  That bit of magic makes Joey's life a lot more complicated.  It also puts him the middle of a war.

He almost gets eaten by a cat before he finds the King.  By accident, he finds the spork in the scone and manages to pull it free.  Remember the Sword in the Stone?  It's a bad line but I love it.  Since he is now their champion, they take him to see the King.  The King is barely alive.  He's immediately sent off a quest that's even more dangerous than he thought since there is a traitor in court.

Lots of action and adventure adventure fill this story and it was a fun read.  I'm sure this one will be popular with the boys, too.  Who doesn't like sword fighting, even if the swords are toothpicks?