Young Fredle

Davis Farm #2

by Cynthia Voigt, Louise Yates (Illustrator)

Cynthia Voigt crafts a novel about discovery, perspective, and the meaning of home—all through the eyes of an affable and worried little mouse. Fredle is an earnest young fellow suddenly cast out of his cozy home behind the kitchen cabinets—into the outside. It's a new world of color and texture and grass and sky. But with all that comes snakes and rain and lawnmowers and raccoons and a different sort of mouse (field mice, they're called) not entirely trustworthy. Do the dangers outweigh the thrill of discovery? Fredle's quest to get back inside soon becomes a wild adventure of predators and allies, of color and sound, of discovery and nostalgia. And, as Fredle himself will come to understand, of freedom .

Genres: Fantasy, Animals, Childrens, Fiction, Middle Grade, Audiobook, Juvenile

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Cynthia Voigt is an American author of books for young adults dealing with various topics such as adventure, mystery, racism and child abuse.


Awards:
Angus and Sadie: the Sequoyah Book Award (given by readers in Oklahoma), 2008
The Katahdin Award, for lifetime achievement, 2003
The Anne V. Zarrow Award, for lifetime achievement, 2003
The Margaret Edwards Award, for a body of work, 1995
Jackaroo: Rattenfanger-Literatur Preis (ratcatcher prize, awarded by the town of Hamlin in Germany), 1990
Izzy, Willy-Nilly: the Young Reader Award (California), 1990
The Runner: Deutscher Jungenliteraturpreis (German young people's literature prize), 1988
Zilverengriffel (Silver Pen, a Dutch prize), 1988
Come a Stranger: the Judy Lopez Medal (given by readers in California), 1987
A Solitary Blue: a Newbery Honor Book, 1984
The Callender Papers: The Edgar (given by the Mystery Writers of America), 1984
Dicey's Song: the Newbery Medal, 1983

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Long enough, with enough thoughtful themes, for experienced readers. Funny enough, with enough adventure, for younger and more reluctant children. For both boys and girls.

I wish there were more than two books set on Davis Farm.
This is probably the better of the two, but not by much. They do not need to be read in order as the dogs are not too big a part of this story.

So creative. So wise. I love that the animals are very true to their animal natures... they are not little people in fur or scales. Recommended, perhaps especially looking for adults trying to break free from a reading slump.

"Fredle nodded. He could think about two things at the same time, but he couldn't talk as well. Three was too many for him."

[Lisa Nagel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ages 9 and up. I agree that the writing style may not appeal to all young readers, but those that stay with this sweet and simple story will be rewarded. When Fredle, the house mouse is pushed out of the nest, he suddenly finds himself in the completely foreign world of the "outside." Fredle not only finds the courage to survive in this new world, but he finds he actually is enjoying himself. He meets all sorts of new creatures and sees all sorts of beautiful things, like the moon, stars and flowers. Even though he still longs to return to the safety and comfort of being a house mouse, he comes to love his adventures. In the end Fredle realizes that he has changed and that change is not all bad.

[Nancee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fredle is an adventurous house mouse. He joins with his cousin one night to explore a part of the pantry they have never been allowed to explore. And they find a package of lusciousness -- the outside is dark brown and sweet and the inside is white, cool and yummy. Only later do the two mice discover that something in the candy doesn't agree with mice. And they both know what happens to mice who are not healthy or fast enough. They get shoved out of the nest and are "went." The missus takes pity on Fredle. Rather than kill him, she captures him beneath a bowl and sets him outside. Outside is a completely different world -- a place Fredle is not prepared to deal with. But, deal he does. Fredle's adventures outdoors, learning about finding food when humans don't leave crumbs on a kitchen floor, about predators like raptors and raccoons, and the difference between barn mice, house mice and cellar mice. Wendy Carter is a wonderful narrator for this book. While the print version may be somewhat slow for children, the audio version is fantastic. Carter shares the dialog of the animals, the vivid descriptions of all the new things Fredle encounters with all of his senses and Fredle's thoughts and musings about the meaning of home, with feeling and understanding.

[Ensiform · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fredle is an young mouse who acts too different and does not conform to the timid, quiet, conservative world of the mice, who are meant to keep their heads low and forage. Fredle asks too many questions, after he eats too much whoopie pie, his family "wents" him – he is ousted out of his cozy home behind the kitchen cabinets and into the wide world the outside. Fredle is entranced by the new colors, textures and smells, stars, moon, colors, flowers, and giant green blades of grass. But there are also dangers such as raccoons and snakes. Fredle befriends a field mouse and tries to make his way in this strange new world, while beginning to realize that much of what his strict family believes about the world is wrong. There are attic mice and basement mice and even friendly dogs and babies. In the end, Fredle is changed for the better, and he is determined to bring that change back to his family and make them also experience all the excitement and dangers of the wide world. I found this book a bit overlong to read to my third graders, and sometimes these fictional worlds and their rules are hard for kids to get into (the "wenting" being a prime example). But the overall sentiment and the lessons about bravery, experience, and independence are nice.

[Meisbres · Rating 4 out of 5]

The audio narration really makes the characters come alive. What a beautiful story. So deep and profound for a children’s story.

If it hadn’t been for the delicious combination of chocolate and peppermint, Fredle might have lived his whole life as an indoor mouse. When he becomes ill from overeating, he is pushed from the safety of his family’s nest out onto the unprotected kitchen floor . There Missus traps him under a glass and releases him outside. Having lived his whole life inside, there are so many outside things that Fredle doesn’t understand. What do outdoor mice eat? Where do they sleep? And what are the dangers to avoid? On his quest to get back home, Fredle is nearly eaten by raccoons, narrowly escapes being lunch for the barn cats, and has a scary conversation with a snake. Will Fredle be able to get back inside and will he even want to now that he has seen the excitement of outside.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was AMAZING, through all of the places it takes you. Though it does take a tiny bit TOO long to read. I mean Young Fredle is awesome, do not get me wrong. It is just that sometimes people just want to finish their books within a month. This book for example took about a month and a half for me to read.If you to want to read a book for a while then definitely read it, but if you want a short book then don't read Young Fredle until you are fine with really hunkering down. All in all Young Fredle is a very good book and I think almost everyone in my class would like it. So I hope other people love it too.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listening to the audio. The narrator has a good reading voice. Cute story. Jacob loved the part when fredle meets the raccoons.

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

"If you will have only one chance, you want to make it the best it can be."

—Young Fredle, P. 163

I don't know if I can think of a single author whose writing is truly wiser than that of Cynthia Voigt. Louisa May Alcott, maybe? Joseph Krumgold? Elizabeth Yates? E.L. Konigsburg? Walter Dean Myers? Jacqueline Woodson? It's probably only accurate, though, to say that these great authors are capable of equaling, at times, the wisdom shone forth by Cynthia Voigt in her novels. We are lucky to have such a keenly perceptive soul in the business of telling stories, whether the subject matter is emotional and searing as in Izzy, Willy-Nilly or a bit on the lighter side, as in Young Fredle. Any story that Cynthia Voigt wants to tell, I am going to make a point of listening to and learning from, and I could choose no better teacher of emotional truth and its everyday application than the author of the matchless Tillerman Cycle. Cynthia Voigt is a wonder.

Following in the long tradition of junior novels that feature mice and their miniaturized world as the primary characters and setting, Young Fredle introduces us first to an extended family of house mice living within the walls of a house in the country. The rules by which the mice live are crystal clear, and there are no exceptions made for anyone: remaining vigilant to the constant threat of the live-in cat is priority one, and any mouse who grows lackadaisical about it is going to eventually be caught and eaten. Playing Russian roulette with the house cat does not ever pay off for mice. And because successfully foraging during the night for their food is so vital to the continued existence of the group as a whole, the standard rule is that any mice incapable of carrying their weight are to be pushed out of the walls, and left to whatever end they will meet in the open areas of the house. Life as a house mouse isn't as cute in Young Fredle as in some stories, but it's the only life that they know.

Fredle, though, has a questioning streak in him about many of the hard and fast rules by which his family lives, and it is this curiosity, ultimately, that leads to the crucial mistake which gets him pushed out of the walls. Fredle manages to make it in one piece to the outside, a region of the world that neither he nor any of his family has ever actually seen, only heard rumors about, and Fredle is terrified of what he might encounter in this new, uncomfortably bright setting. As the stories go, there are outside mice who are quite different from the house variety, and rummaging around in the house's cellar are mice that are different still from both the outdoors and indoors types. It doesn't take Fredle long after the onset of his "banishment" to fall in with a group of the outdoors mice, and to find out that so much of his family's speculation about the outside world was completely wrong. There was a whole different side to basic existence that the house mice were always completely ignorant of, Fredle comes to realize, and only by joining in that existence himself could he have ever learned about it.

But so much of the outside world can a dangerous, fearful place, a fact made obvious by specific encounters even as Fredle grows to understand that both his new lifestyle and his old have their good and bad parts. One of the main themes to this book is the struggle with fear that Fredle—and we humans, too—go through when stepping out past our comfort zones and trying something new, taking a chance that feels crazy but may offer us our only opportunity of experiencing life to an extent that makes it truly worthwhile. What good does it do to be safe if it means locking ourselves up tight away from others, too afraid of getting hurt to open our vulnerable side up to the possible damage that they may inflict? Of course, things like that are easy to say but much more difficult to act on, as anyone who has been badly burned knows all too well. Yet such chances still must be taken, or life loses its luster and becomes a dull, unlivable repetition that leads nowhere good. Maybe a big part of life is finding a way to enjoy the color and light of outside even with full knowledge that predatory birds are flying in our skies, and there's not much we can do if they choose to dive down and sink their talons into us. I guess we never know what's really going to happen until we take that first step outside and see for ourselves.

So, what happens to Fredle? Well, I'm not going to give away anything important, but there's a lot for a young mouse to learn about the world around him, the world that he barely even knew existed before he ventured forth into it and began to find things out for himself. The story speaks eloquently to all of us who struggle with fear the way Fredle does, hampered with the frightened instincts of a mouse in a world that generally only rewards (but also crushes) the valiant. Fredle's journey into the outside is a total experience of emotions, intellect and body, and while his time outdoors changes him in some fundamental ways, I think it's the deeper questioning spirit that always drove him which gives Fredle the courage to live his new life in spite of the fear he feels, and leads him to find the answers that he had sought even while he was quietly habitating the dark, dank walls of the house with his family. Even a mouse can discover reserves of courage within himself, it seems, sometimes at the most unexpected of moments.

I knew that I definitely wanted to give two and a half stars to Young Fredle, and briefly considered the possibility of rounding that rating up to three stars instead of down to two. This is a very nice story, wise in its intent and filled with memorable characters that show a wide range of personalities, just as in real life. Cynthia Voigt is a storyteller whose work should not be missed by any serious reader, and I'm happy to have added Young Fredle to the list of her books that I have read. I hope that many others choose to do the same, and that Young Fredle earns all the praise it deserves.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminding me strongly of The Mouse and the Motorcycle or perhaps a contemporary version of The Tale of Despereaux, this book provides children with an entertaining way to examine our world with fresh eyes.

The story is engaging and Wendy Carter does a great job narrating the story using different voices and a great deal of enthusiasm. Her interpretation of the raccoon whoop brought back memories of Al Pacino in the movie Scent of a Woman.

interesting quotes (page numbers from edition with ISBN13):

"It's hard to understand something if you can't even tell if it's false or true." (p.)

"" (p.)

"" (p.)

"" (p.)

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Sweet story, a little bit Charlotte’s Web and a little bit Plato’s Allegory of the Forms. We all enjoyed the audiobook.

[Ariane · Rating 4 out of 5]

great story and excellent illustrations for grade schoolers

[Joella · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my 17th book for the YALSA Best Books reading challenge. It was also nice to read listen to this audio because it was for the younger end of the teen/tween readers. So many of the award winners for YALSA are older. And I enjoyed the change of this book being for the tween audience.

Young Fredle (rhymes with metal) is a mouse that lives on a wooden shelf behind the pantry. There are strict rules that need to be followed in order to keep all the mice safe. You must be quiet during the day. You only look for food at night. Beware of the cat. Don't do anything out of the ordinary. But then he finds something wonderful to eat that makes him sick (chocolate) and in order to keep the family safe, he is pushed out where Mrs. can see him in the morning. In a random bit of luck Mrs. doesn't kill Fredle or give him to Patches the cat, she just puts him outside. He doesn't know what to do with outside. It is a lonely place full of all sorts of dangers (snakes, raccoons, raptors that fly in the sky) but also full of all sorts of beautiful things (stars, flowers, colors).

After Fredle is well again he longs to make his way back to his family and the life he knew. But he knows with each new adventure he will miss the thrill of this new world as well.

I liked Fredle. I liked how he figured out the world around him. I enjoyed learning about things like ice cream or the moon from the perspective of a creature that had no concept of it before. Fredle was smart and resourceful in figuring out how to get out of tricky situations. The audio recording was especially enjoyable. Wendy Carter narrates and she was just right. The voices that she did and the emotions that were portrayed were spot on. I could totally see taking this book on cd on a long car trip with a family who enjoy listening to stories. It isn't too young for the tweens to laugh at the ideas that a mouse might have about the world while being good for youngsters to be able to listen to a fun story about a kitchen mouse in the big, wide world. Good book!

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I could, I would rate this book 2.5 stars. I think I had high expectations for this one, and unfortunately, the story just did not measure up. Fredle the mouse's adventure is cute, but the plot and writing style lacked energy somehow...I never found myself 'hooked' by the story.

Fredle and his family are kitchen mice, and they live by certain rules. One unfortunate day, Fredle breaks one of the rules and is pushed out of the nest. He winds up alone in a new and wondrous place: outside. The story follows Fredle as he journeys to discover all he can about the world, himself, and where it is he best fits in.

The beginning of this book is well-done, with plenty of character development and action. However, as the story progressed, I found myself losing interest time and time again. Although Fredle is a well-developed and introspective character, he could not save a lackluster and uneven plot. This is not to say there are not high points within this tale (like Fredle's interactions with other mice and with Sadie the dog), but overall, I think I just wanted more from this book in terms of a plot. I would recommend this book to children ages 9/10 and up who really enjoy reading books with animals as main characters. Overall, a 'just okay' read.

[Laurel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been avoiding writing this review, because... well, I didn't love this book. And I can't on earth figure out how that's possible. I love soft, episodic mg books. I love Voigt about as well as any author in the world. But somehow, nothing ever seemed to happen to Fredl.

The writing is, naturally, perfect. Line by line I wanted to eat the book. The fourth star is for the language of the book. The word-by-word moments. The "went" and the "Woo-ha" and so forth. But the story never took off in a way that made we want to turn pages. I didn't come to care.

In the end, this book reads like allegory. So much of it feels like code for something else. As children's poetry I'd love it. Maybe even as a story collection. I'd put it under my pillow. As a novel it doesn't work for me.

I probably shouldn't give it 4 stars, but.... but... I just love Voigt so much.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fredle is a young kitchen mouse whose consumption of chocolate makes him ill, resulting in his being moved to the dreaded great outdoors. Although he is frightened and at first reluctant to venture out very far because of all the things he's been told about the wider world, eventually he does take risks--and is almost eaten by a band of raccoons. But once he makes his way home, Fredle is a little older and wiser, and he is not so sure that the life of a kitchen mouse is the life he wants to lead, after all. Like so many, he realizes that taking risks may be dangerous, but sometimes those risks are worthwhile because of the adventures you may have and the friends you meet along the way. I really liked how Fredle started to question the way things have always been done among the kitchen mice.

[Ardea Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title / Author / Publication Date: Young Fredle/Cynthia Voigt/2011

Genre: Fiction

Format: E-Book

Plot summary: Fredle, a young mouse cast out of his home, faces dangers and predators outside, makes some important discoveries and allies, and learns the meaning of freedom as he struggles to return home.

Considerations or precautions for readers advisory: Mice who are injured or extremely old and require help gather food are pushed out of the nest and left to die. This process is called "went".

Review citation: Phelan, Carolyn. (2011). Young Fredle. (Book Review). Booklist.
Kirchoefer, Kathy. (2011). Young Fredle). (Book Review). School Library Journal.

Section source used to find the material: EBSCOhost: Children’s Core Collection (H.W. Wilson) Most Highly Recommended

Recommended age: 9 and up

[Jane G Meyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not get this book as an ebook, but as an audio book that we listened to in the car. I just about sent it back to the library during the first CD, because I felt the story was already so similar to The Tale of Despereaux, but the narrator, Wendy Carter who did the reading, was so talented that I decided to press on.

We ended up listening all the way through, but the plot moved slowly, sluggishly even at times. If it were a book, I probably would have put it down, but I loved the various accents of the characters and let the story just roll along as I drove carpool. I don't think this would be an easy read for a middle grader. Fredle is adventurous, and endearing, but the plot just doesn't move fast enough to keep a young one turning pages.

[Rene Kirkpatrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet, a little slow to start, but a very exciting book about a house mouse exiled to the outdoors when he gets sick and may endanger the rest of the mouse family. Great emotions in this book. Fredle is overwhelmingly lonesome when he is sent away and it is obvious how much he misses his family.

Fredle, curious, adventurous, is sent out of the nest he's lived in his whole life. The mom in the house finds him and puts him outside. Fredle is a house mouse and has never been outside, or on his own! He is about to give up when he finds an orange peel, delivered by a meadow mouse who takes him under his paw and teaches him about water and grass, raccoons and barns.

Very nice artwork.

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fredle, a young mouse living with his family in the pantry of a farmhouse, finds himself in the unfamiliar world of "outside." Here, he finds new friends in unlikely suspects, a new sense of self and self-confidence, and a new definition of the idea of home. I loved the way this book was told, very convincingly, from the perspective of a mouse. What it reminded me of is that each person has such a unique view of the world in which we live and that view is shaped by our experiences. However, we can expand our experiences and therefore expand our view of the world. Fredle is a sweet hero and this book was a treat to read.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another emotionally sensitive and astute novel which I read with my son. It was such fun to experience Sadie, Angus, Mister and Missus from Fredle’s point of view. But even more compelling was Fredle’s wild adventures. Logistical and emotional problem-solving galore. I loved Fredle weighing the safety of the cellar against the stars and moon and flowers of outside. And of course, the humor and charm of all of the characters’ naïveté—my favorite was the debate between Sadie and Fredle on whether the sick baby would come back home or not.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I still view any mouse in my house as an interloper whose life if forfeit. But there is such a good message in this book - do you view change like Fredle did, and use it as an opportunity for growth, or do you see it like his cousin Axel, and close yourself off to possibility. From my perspective, I am going to remember disc 5 and I am going to appreciate the moon and the stars and how they light our world and the sun and the flowers. What a great book to read as spring is coming!

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Zzzzzzzzzz...
But to be fair, i did just finish a YA book about religious cults before reading Fredle,so I may give it another chance someday.

[Velvetea · Rating 4 out of 5]

To ease my burdened mind, I read this sweet story after the arduous mission of returning home from living abroad and all of the le-----ngthy protocol involved in the transition.
As I battled the effects of Japan-to-America-jet-lag, I found it hard to read more than a few pages at a time. Yet, experiencing the story at a slow pace brought my attention to how well-worded it is, how wise (and you know this story goes to some very real, dark places).
Having just experienced (for the second time) the shock of spending years in a foreign land, where nothing is familiar and family is an ocean away, to return home and find things much the same....but I've changed, been molded by experiencing things few here can relate to...it's a tough place to tread.
Yet, I'm also envious of the bonds that have strengthened in my absence; how loved ones have progressed in their personal goals and grown closer to each other. For myself, it's like beginning anew.
Fredle goes through an insurmountable transformation on his journey, only to return to face the truth that not everyone will notice or care. Their world is small, their challenges and troubles much less demanding than what he's been put through, persevering with his life.
But the ending is one of encouragement~ strike out and celebrate the ways you've grown, share it with others who do care and who will take courage from your stories. There's a great big world out there, for mice as well as all creatures. It is the things we choose to perceive with an open mind, the beauty we find amid the danger or the dreary, that makes a life vibrant and full of wonders.

[Ace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely little novel that transforms what we would perceive as the mundane into a whimsical, incredible journey. While I knew there was likely a happy ending, Ms. Voigt still crafted a tale with plenty of suspense, a colorful canvas of characters, several side stories, and an almost intenseive introspection into how our surroundings and our cultures can shape our perspectives. She concisely, gently encourages her audience to poke out of their own nests, and try to see things from the eyes of those who have different experiences to us. To learn about other cultures, to try to see beyond our preconceived notions, and to use that knowledge to create something better- Truly, a brilliant novel and important concept, perfectly presented for younger audiences. Hope to add this to my classroom library in the coming days.

[Jaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded to 5

Voigt touched on many important topics in this children's novel. I can see why it was nominated for awards. The story was honest, at times brutal, and humorous. Fredle was different from other mice and learned to accept who he was even though his own family turned against him. He lived life on his own terms and a great message was revealed through his adventures. The main problem was, I don't think my students would have enjoyed it as much as I did. This would have to be a book I read to them and discussed with them as a class. I can't think of a student who would have read it from start to finish on their own. But, it's worth the discussion and much would be gained, so I will make them listen to it anyway. ;0)

[Sina Lucia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audio book on a family road trip from Maine to CT.... really, really great book. So beautifully written! The audio book is acted out with different voices from the actor, which was really well done and entertaining. We have 3 children ages 13, 12, and 10 at the time, and they all LOVED it. It's a great family story and very interesting. The language throughout the book is engaging and it was FULL of adventure. The story itself is very satisfying and I found myself joyfully listening along without trying to figure out what was going to happen next (which is what I usually do), this one I just enjoyed and experienced. This is a great family road trip audio book.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful story! It is so informative, and creative.
My eight-year-old grandson and I listened to this each day, in the car on the way to and from summer camp. I wish we had been able to listen to the series in order, but this was the first one available through the library app. I already recommended this author to two of my sisters so they can share with their grandchildren of similar ages.
This is a great audiobook for the entire family, and would be perfect for long trips. We are currently listening to the third book in the series, since we loved this one so much.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fredle was pushed out of his mouse family's nest because he got sick from eating candy. He was dicovered by the farmers wife and captured. Luckily she threw him outside where he discovered there was more to life than a nest in the house walls. A story of courage, curiosity, determination and ingenuity for childre 6 ti 10 years old. It would make fun read aloud for parents and techers to use as discussion starters about descriptive writing, creating characters and plot.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fabulous story for mg and up. Even younger children would love this.
Fredle is a kitchen mouse who lives in the walls of a farmhouse with his family of siblings, parents, grandparents, cousins and so on. When he gets pushed out he lives through many adventures and dangers that mice face, learning much about Outside.

If you have a chance to listen to this story, performed by Wendy Carter, you will thoroughly enjoy her voices and interpretation of the characters. Completely wonderful!

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2. I liked the ending, in which Fredle realizes it’s better to live life fully, experiencing all it has to offer, than to live constantly in fear that something bad will happen. That alone makes me want to recommend it to anyone with anxiety. I didn’t love the inconsistency in the portrayal of the animals: sometimes quite anthropomorphic but other times emphasizing their animalistic tendencies.