The tagline “When mice do more than point and click” is what initially caught my eye and caused me to pick up Mousenet by Prudence Breitrose.  This gentle novel successfully incorporates themes about friendship and environmental responsibility.  It also portrays divorce and re-marriage in an affirming light, showing that families can go on to thrive and have positive relationships post-divorce.   Add mice that are just adorable with their little military operation mode and sprinkle with illustrations, and you have a perfect younger middle grade read.  The book starts stiffly and the setting is so current that it is unclear if the book will have a long relationship with future generations of readers.  But, overall, Mousenet is a sweet read that contemporary kids will relate to and enjoy.

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  1 mild obscenity

Violence/Gore:  Report of a character throwing and hitting a silbing in the head with a shoe; report of a prior car accident resulting in a death.

Sex/Nudity:  None

Mature Subject Matter:

Divorce and remarriage, trespassing.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Adults have a toast with champagne.