Rat Rule 79: An Adventure [Paperback]

Rivka Galchen delivers joy and cleverness reminiscent ofThe Phantom Tollbooth,Alice in Wonderland, and Hayao Miyazaki movies (NPR, Best Books of 2019) inRat Rule 79, a brain-twisting adventure story about friendship, growing up, and peanut-butter-pickle sandwiches.

Fred and her math-teacher mom are always on the move, and Fred is getting sick of it. Shes about to have yet another birthday in a new place without friends. On the eve of turning thirteen, Fred sees something strange in the living room: her mother, dressed for a party, standing in front of an enormous paper lanternwhich she steps into and disappears.

Fred follows her and finds herself in the Land of Impossibilitya loopily illogical place where time has been outlawed by a mad Rat Queen, along with birthday parties and, most cruelly, peanut butter. Fred meets Downer, a downcast white elephant, and Gogo, a pugnacious mongoose mother of seventeen, who help her in her quest to find her mom. Together they must brave dungeons, Insult Fish, a Know-It-Owl, Fearsome Ferlings, and ultimately the Rat Queen herselfand solve an ageless riddle to escape certain doom.

Gorgeously illustrated and reminiscent ofThe Phantom TollboothandThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Rivka GalchensRat Rule 79is an instant classic for curious readers of all ages.

Praise forRat Rule 79:

Rat Rule 79is the adventure I didnt know I wanted until it started, just like its the book you dont yet know youre going to love. We have been waiting for this book our entire lives.

Lemony Snicket

On the night before her 13th birthday, Fred cant sleep. She gets out of bed and sees her mother walkthrougha lantern. Fred follows her into a magical land filled with highly rational, unreasonable rules (or is it highly reasonable, irrational rules?). In the ensuing puzzles and conundrums, Rivka Galchen deliversl³›