I am a 5th grader, and recently I was given an assignment to read this book. Earlier in the school year, we read Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, which was good, but I didn't enjoy it as much since I had read it many times in kindergarten and first grade. The book is boring and fast-paced, and it seems like Jane Leslie Conly has perhaps watered down the writing, perhaps to make it less difficult. The book got considerably better in the end, but still it was poorly written and boring. The plot was actually quite good, but the way everything went so quickly was confusing, and yes, I didn't like it. It was also too long for such a dull book. Usually I would think that 278 pages is short, but the way it drags on, it was a slow read for me. However, some parts were interesting, nevertheless, the first one was much better. I enjoy books by J.K Rowling, Brian Jacques, Anne McCaffrey and others.