Somewhat of a retelling of the Pied Piper, in the same way that Neil Gaiman's "Odd and the Frost Giants" feels like a retelling of a traditional tale. There are all the hallmarks of the familiar, and yet it's not some tired and worn-out story -- it's a new thing, in a new world and the details give it life and spark and a certain beguiling power. Rudi finds a coin on the mountainside and learns, in the end, that all debts must eventually be paid. ( )

Disclaimer: Won a free copy of the book.

I'd say 4 stars for kids, 3.5 for adults.

I try not to read ahead about a book (to minimize spoilers or influence), so it wasn't until about half way through that I realized this was a retelling of the Pied Piper. I may be in the minority, but I am generally not a fan of retelling a story unless you have some amazing new perspective, so I think I judged it more harshly because of this. I appreciate the addition of the backstory of the Pied Piper, but not sure that it was enough to warrant redoing the story. Perhaps I'd feel differently if I had realized I was reading a variation before I started, instead I felt a little disappointed to figure it out part way through.

What did I like?
The characters of Oma and the witch.
Though a bit of a trope, the wise grandmother was handled well.
Without revealing any spoilers, I very much enjoyed her perspective on the witch and found the portrayal at the end to be a nice twist on the usual witches in fairy tales.
I also liked the portrayal of the rat-catcher.
The blacksmith who railed against everything was also fairly amusing.

What did I not like?
I know it was written from the perspective of a young boy, but the fact that the girls in the book are constantly (at least 3 times) dismisses as "silly little girls" who squealed at rats annoyed me. The main character matures through the book, why not at least Susanna? Again, this is probably unfair, but when it's a female writer and a book from the last ten years, I do have higher expectations that we not reinforce old gender stereotypes. I'm sure this was in no way intentional, but it still lessened my excitement at giving it to two young girls to read after I had finished it - but since it did have positive older female portrayals, I figured it would balance out. ( )

Really fun re-telling of the pied piper story. Loved it even as an adult, but the kids couldn't get enough of it either. Well written and keeps momentum until the very end. I recommend this to anyone that's enjoys some light fantasy. ( )

From July 2012 SLJ:
Gr 4-6:—When 12-year-old Rudi finds a golden guilder while hunting, he can't wait to share the news at home. But unearthly noises haunt him, even safely in his village, and his grandmother tells him that if he has taken something from the Brixen witch, she will not rest until it is returned. The next day, he sets out to return the coin, but an avalanche buries it before he can do so. For months, he is tormented by nightmares and feels at ease only when they finally fade. When a severe infestation of rats strikes the village and the witch's servant arrives offering a solution, Rudi knows that his relief was premature: the payment required to get rid of the rats is the golden guilder. The desperate villagers agree, certain that they can reason with the man, but when they cannot pay, he uses the same fiddle that lured the rats away to lead all of the village children deep into the mountains. As Rudi learns more about the village witch and the servant who has stolen some of her powers, he realizes that he must battle the evil that is threatening to destroy the witch's magic. The final confrontation requires Rudi to rely on his wits and on the other villagers, and leads to a satisfying conclusion. The folksy language and silhouette spot art give this Pied Piper-inspired story an old-fashioned quality that fans of fairy tales will appreciate. ( )

Great retelling of The Pied Piper of Hamlin. ( )