Customer Reviews

The Mouse of Amherst

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4 star:		(1)
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I got this book for my 8 year old daughter as I love poetry and thought the story might appeal to her. It did. She loved reading the story of this sweet mouse who befriends Emily Dickinson. My daughter was so engrossed in the storyline that we/she read it quickly. Rhyme is lots of fun for kids and now she is aware of one more wonderful poet.

I am a librarian who loves children's literature. I have always been a huge fan of Emily Dickinson. When I bought this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am now in the process of analyzing it for my college classes, and I find it is even richer than I originally thought. The child who is lucky enough to read this book will come away with the idea that the written word is important, and so is to find one's own talents in life,to find what excites a child to feel that a "whirligig is spinning in my brain." The child will find the importance of friendship in this small volume, and will become introduced in an easy way to poetry and Emily Dickinson. It is a timeless piece which can be used in elementary school as well as high school, where a teacher could truly concentrate on the rich imagery and symbolism. Emmaline will touch a child's heart.

My daugther and I still read together, even though she is an independent reader. I started to read this book to her. After I had read the first paragraph to her, she stopped me and insisted that she would read this one to me. What a wonderful book.

Emmaline, a mouse,lives in the wall of Emily Dickison's room. You see Emily through the eyes of her uninvited house guest. Poems by both are sprinkled thoughtout.

This is a book to be read and reread.

Emily Dickinson fans will love this book! And even children who've never heard of the poet will enjoy this tale of Emmeline the brave little mouse and her shy poet friend. This wonderful story (and the perfect illustrations!) will bring a smile to anyone's face and warm anyone's heart. A sweet treat (like Emily's famous gingerbread).

"I am a mouse, a white mouse. My name is Emmaline. Before I met Emily, the great poet of Amherst, I was nothing more than a crumb gatherer, a cheese nibbler, a mouse-of-little-purpose. There was an emptiness in my life that nothing seemed to fill. All that changed the day I moved into the Dickinson residence on Main Street..." Emmaline moves into the simple, quiet, sunny upstairs bedroom, and begins her new life in the wainscoting of Emily's room. She observes the Dickinson family, and is most fascinated by her new roommate, Emily. "She always wore white. She seemed to be everywhere and nowhere at once, fluttering through the house like a ghost, stirring up a batch of gingerbread in the kitchen, or walking in the garden, lost in reverie..." Emily is always sitting at her little desk in deep concentration, writing and scribbling on small scraps of paper, and this intrigues the little mouse. When a small scrap finally lands on the floor near Emmaline's door, she snatches it up and begins reading. "Imagine my surprise when I realized I was holding a poem! The words spoke to me. These were my feelings exactly, but ones I had always kept hidden for fear the world would think me a sentimental fool..." Emmaline turns the paper over and words begin to pour out of her; a poem of her own. Then she returns the scrap with her new poem on the back to Emily's desk. That night while Emmaline slept, Emily read her poem and wrote back, slipping the note paper under her little mouse door. "I'm Nobody! Who are you?/Are you-Nobody-too/Then there's a pair of us!/Don't tell! they'd banish us-you know!..." And that, as they say, was the beginning of a beautiful friendship..... Elizabeth Spires has written an engaging, gentle, and evocative introduction to the great poet, Emily Dickinson. Her charming and creative story, told often in poems passed back and forth between mouse and Myth, is sometimes poignant, often humorous, and always enlightening. Claire Nivola's black and white sketches complement the text beautifully, and together word and art paint a lovely portrait of the elusive and reclusive Dickinson and her genius, with great insight. Perfect for youngsters 9-12, The Mouse Of Amherst makes an even better read aloud book the entire family can share, and includes an Author's note about Emily Dickinson's life and her poetry to augment and enhance the story and open interesting discussions. This sweet little treasure is sure to whet the appetite of both young and old, and send kids out looking for more. It works well as a companion book to Jeanette Winter's Emily Dickinson's Letters To The World, and Michael Bedard's Emily.

I RECOMMEND THE MOUSE OF AMHERST, ESPECIALLY IF YOU LIKE POEMS. IT IS ABOUT A MOUSE NAMED, EMMALINE WHO GOES TO LIVE IN THE SAME HOUSE AS A POET NAMED ELIZABETH. THEY WRITE POEMS TO TELL EACH OTHER THINGS. ONE DAY THE MOUSE TRAPPER COMES . WILL EMMALINE BE OK? READ THIS BOOK TO FIND OUT!

Emmaline is a mouse who lives behind the wainscoting of Emily Dickinson's bedroom and is a small, but courageous writer. The Mouse Of Amherst is a unique and effective little story for young children that aptly introduces wonderful poetry woven into the warm and superbly crafted story. Illustrations by Claire A. Nivola are perfect augmentations to Elizabeth Spires's engaging and memorable tale.

We recently visited Emily Dickinson's home in Amherst, and later in the day went to the Eric Carle museum of illustrated children's books. In the museum shop I bought "The Mouse of Amherst" as a souvenir of our wonderful day. What a delightful choice it turned out to be! The story of a little mouse sharing living quarters with Emily Dickinson and being inspired to write poetry by Emily's poems is a simple introduction to Emily's life and her poetry for someone new to Dickinson and a delightful tale for Emily's fans. The simple drawings are perfect! I love the book so much that I bought another copy for myself, as well as a copy to give to someone in my family who loves Dickinson's poetry. This is an appropriate choice for child or adult readers.

I'm a read-aloud mom with a family of boys. This book has a tremendous "Wow!" factor.

First of all, this was a surprise. We were in the library scavenging for stories, and my youngest spotted this book. Those clever librarians had turned it face-out and we judged the book by its cover. Cute cover!

Even then, the book went to the back of the book basket, but that little guy is tenacious and he finally got it into the lineup.

It's a winner. The mouse character is very engaging and believable, and the poetry is melt-in-your-mouth good. We've got enough different personalities around here that (as the mom) I was pretty sure were going to scoff at the story, but it was very good. Fascinating, in fact.

I've got one son who keeps a journal and he drew a little mouse with a feather pen while we were reading. Most kids can relate to the way Emily and Emmaline feel small and insignificant, and the poetry is very good. The line-drawing illustrations get the mood exactly right.

Unexpected winner. Give it a try!

Emmaline is a mouse who lives in a house in Emily Dickinson's room. They become friends very quickly and write poems together.

This was an excellent book, and I recommend it to everyone.