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Philip Pullman
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I Was a Rat Paperback – January 1, 2002

by Philip Pullman (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 270 ratings
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" I Was a Rat!" So insists a scruffy boy named Roger. Maybe it' s true. But what is he now? A terrifying monster running wild in the sewers? "The Daily Scourge" is sure of it. A victim of " Rodent Delusion" ? The hospital nurse says yes. A lucrative fairground freak? He is to Mr. Tapscrew. A champion wriggler and a budding thief? That' s what Billy thinks. Or just an ordinary small boy, though a little ratty in his habits? Only three people believe this version of the story. And it may take a royal intervention-- and a bit of magic-- to convince the rest of the world.Set against the backdrop of a Royal Wedding-- and a playful parody of the press, "I Was a Rat!" is a magical weaving of humor, fairy tale, and adventure.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    164 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Perfection Learning
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 2002
  5. Dimensions
    5.2 x 0.6 x 7.4 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0756910706
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0756910709
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Perfection Learning (January 1, 2002)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 164 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0756910706
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0756910709
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.2 x 0.6 x 7.4 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 270 ratings

About the author

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Philip Pullman

Philip Pullman

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PHILIP PULLMAN is one of the most acclaimed writers working today. He is best known for the His Dark Materials trilogy (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass), which has been named one of the top 100 novels of all time by Newsweek and one of the all-time greatest novels by Entertainment Weekly. He has also won many distinguished prizes, including the Carnegie Medal for The Golden Compass (and the reader-voted "Carnegie of Carnegies" for the best children's book of the past seventy years); the Whitbread (now Costa) Award for The Amber Spyglass; a Booker Prize long-list nomination (The Amber Spyglass); Parents' Choice Gold Awards (The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass); and the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, in honor of his body of work. In 2004, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

It has recently been announced that The Book of Dust, the much anticipated new book from Mr. Pullman, also set in the world of His Dark Materials, will be published as a major work in three parts, with the first part to arrive in October 2017.

Philip Pullman is the author of many other much-lauded novels. Other volumes related to His Dark Materials: Lyra’s Oxford, Once Upon a Time in the North, and The Collectors. For younger readers: I Was a Rat!; Count Karlstein; Two Crafty Criminals; Spring-Heeled Jack, and The Scarecrow and His Servant. For older readers: the Sally Lockhart quartet: The Ruby in the Smoke, The Shadow in the North, The Tiger in the Well, and The Tin Princess; The White Mercedes; and The Broken Bridge.

Philip Pullman lives in Oxford, England. To learn more, please visit philip-pullman.com and hisdarkmaterials.com. Or follow him on Twitter at @PhilipPullman.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
270 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Suzanne Werner
5.0 out of 5 stars IWASARAT
Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2018
Verified Purchase
this was a delightful story about folks living in the outskirts of fairy tales. Also pretty sure there’s a lot of subtext that I missed on purpose because I was so drawn in by the story. I’ll read this again ASAP. Phillip Pullman is rad.
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dudemus
5.0 out of 5 stars A clever twist on a classic fairy tale
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2014
Verified Purchase
This is the same guy that brought us The Golden Compass and sequels, which are so epic and serious, but this is anything but. An older couple finds a confused boy dressed as a bellhop who claims he was a rat and take him in. A fun adventure and mystery with a really satisfying ending. 4th-6th graders really like it (I teach 6th graders).
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Walter Stern
4.0 out of 5 stars So amazing!!!!
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2018
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So simple but still good plus it was really funny and cute. Also the time set was kind of hard to tell.
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Sherry Caillier
5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous story
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2018
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I loved this story. I was totally surprised by the ending. I recommend it to many children.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Books
Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2017
Verified Purchase
This was a great book! I gave it 5 out of 5 because it had detail and a great conflict and he wrote the solution creately.
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Miles Vorkosigan
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful story
Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2014
Verified Purchase
Great all around, as I have come to expect from Pullman.
Beautifully crafted, great plot, characters, pacing, etc. Highly recommend.
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Po
3.0 out of 5 stars Cute but not Worth The Moola
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2001
Verified Purchase
A very cute story, but hardly worth $15.95 in hardcover. I think Mr. Pullman and his publisher are cashing in big time on his name. I am a huge fan of retellings of famous myths and stories (Wicked; Confesssions of an Ugly Stepsister; Mysts of Avalon), but this is very, very lightweight.
Don't get me wrong. It's a lovely little story. But little it is. If they republish this as a $4.99 paperback, definitely pick it up.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Winter Mum
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 8, 2022
Verified Purchase
I read this to my son and daughters (6, 8 and 11) as a bedtime story. My 6 year old disliked the story, her 8 year old brother liked it and their 11 year old sister found it good but not unmissable (she skipped listening to a few chapters when she had other things to do).

The story imagines what happens after Cinderella goes to the Ball - but told through the eyes of a minor character; a rat who became a page boy. Familiarity with the Cinderella story is useful before reading this book.

The language was good for introducing some new vocabulary, including sanctimonious, to my 8 year old; the word hell cropped up a couple of times - something my son was a bit shocked by!

The story is partially told through tabloid newspaper articles - occasionally interspersed between chapters. This device impacts the flow of the story a bit, which I think is one of the reasons it wasn't a hit with my younger daughter. The story satirises tabloid journalism - something older children and adults will probably appreciate more than younger children.

Our copy of the book was bought second hand (via Amazon) from Better World Books Ltd. and was described as Used - Very Good. It is an ex-library book which looks like new (apart from the addition of a date label, etc) - very good condition, very good value; will definitely buy from Better World Books again.
2 people found this helpful
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frostbitten geezer
5.0 out of 5 stars Good story, enjoyable performance
Reviewed in Canada on November 9, 2018
Verified Purchase
I've had the DVD for some time, and am also a Pullman reader, so this turned up in a casual search. The only disappointment (and my own error) was it wasn't Full Cast as with many Pullman audiobooks. The price was right, the delivery was timely, and the performance was quite enjoyable. A valued addition to my library.
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Yogi
5.0 out of 5 stars Ein Märchen für Erwachsene
Reviewed in Germany on February 22, 2019
Verified Purchase
...vielleicht auch besonders für Mitmenschen, die Enkel haben. Das Englisch nicht zu schwierig, die Story nicht zu lang, eine herzberührende Geschichte. Dieses Buch war MEIN Einsteiger zum Lesen englischsprachiger Bücher, deren es inzwischen eine beachtliche Zahl geworden ist. Also - wer jemanden dazu bringen möchte, Englisches zu lesen und seine fremdsprachlichen Kenntnisse somit auszubauen - "I was a Rat" könnte ein Anfang sein.
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Juwairiya
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!!!!!!!!👏🏻👏🏻😃
Reviewed in India on July 25, 2017
Verified Purchase
Very nice book please buy it😊😊
One person found this helpful
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maurizio rosetti
5.0 out of 5 stars Libro
Reviewed in Italy on March 9, 2014
Verified Purchase
Cercato, analizzato ed ordinato.
Consegnato nei tempi programmati, ottimo l'imballaggio, nessuna sorpresa.
Sono sicuramente soddisfatto dell'acquisto e della sua gestione.
Bravi.
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