The Tale of Despereaux

Author:  Kate DiCamillo
Lexile measure: 670
Language:  Mild swearing.  One of the bad mice repeatedly says "Cripes".
Violence:  Both mice and men are sent to the dungeon to rot/die.  A child is sold into slavery and physically abused.   She is then duped into kidnapping, which she accomplishes with the help of a knife.   She also uses a knife to cut the tail off of a mouse.  The main character uses a needle like a sword.  The rats kill the jailer by cutting the rope that helps him find his way out of the dungeon.
Big Kid Mature Topics:  Revenge.
Illustrations:  Black and white shaded drawings, every few pages.
Plot:  moderately complex.

Well, this was one of those books that showed up on a gifted kid book list and my daughter got it before I could read it.  I was deeply sorry because this book has a lot in it that I really did not want her to experience yet.  She really loved the story.

I can see how this book would be good for older gifted children.  A precocious reader will find a lot to identify with in this story.  The main character teaches himself to read, just like that, and people think he's strange because he reads and loves books.

I've hidden this one away for later.