Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat Part II
March 13th, 2009 by 
tinakamo
Some of you mentioned that reading Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat made you change your minds about rats. Why do you think some people have a negative opinion of rats? Keeping that in mind, why do you think Lynne Jonell chose a rat as the main character in this story?
Posted in Emmy and the ISR, Literature Discussions | 
43 Comments »
March 13th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
Some people think rats are scary. Lynne Jonell chose the rat because the rat is scary at first then in the middle you will think that the rat is cute. She put the rat in the story to make it interesting for the reader.
March 14th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
I think Lynne Jonell chose too write about rats cause she likes rats or she thinks most people DONT like rats so she wants to change peoples minds an make rats papular!
March 14th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
I also agree with what Kaiya said and ME and my mom HATE RATS!But I dont think rats are cute.
March 15th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
At first I thought rats were gross because they live in sewers and dirty places. They eat gross stuff and they are dirty. But now I think rats are really cool!
I think Lynne Jonell chose a rat as t he main character because they are small and they freak people out. Plus, they can bite people because they’re so small and thats what the story needed.
March 16th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
I used to think rats [EW!] were just dirty little creatures,but now
I changed my mind.I think people
don’t like rats because they squeal
and look ratty. I think Lynne Jonell chose a rat because if it
was another animal,the story would
not have much voice as it does.
March 16th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
I agree with Nadia with the eew stuff but I think that that the story still could have alot of voice even if it had another animal in it.
March 16th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Okay, would it be messing up this discussion if I TOLD you why I wrote about a rat?
Here’s the reason, believe it or not– I was doing a drawing of a little girl pulling a wagon, and I looked at the picture and said to myself, “I wonder what’s in the wagon?” And all at once I knew it was a Rat. And so I drew him. And it was Ratty. He was pretending to be dead (after humiliating himself, playing pawball). And I laughed so hard at the picture that I just had to write more about him and Emmy.
And that is the truth!
March 16th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
I think that most people have a negative feeling about rats because they’re hairy, not so cute, and live in GROSS places! I think that Lynne Jonnel chose a rat as the main character because she really wanted to pull the reader in with all the dialogue and with out the rat I don’t think that there would not be as much.
March 16th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
I think that pepole may not like rats beacuse they are: scary ,not prety and stinky.
I think that the Auther chose the rat as the main charater to change peoples minds.
March 17th, 2009 at 6:39 am
I think Lynne Jonell chose a rat as the main character because mabey most people she knows doesn’t like rats.She might tell them to read the book and they might like rats.
March 17th, 2009 at 10:36 am
From Jacob to Lynne Jonell
Hey, I heard you’re writing Emmy number 3. Do you have a title for it? Where’d you get the Catapult idea from? And how did you think of all the characters names? Oh yeah, I forgot to thank you for everything!
March 17th, 2009 at 10:37 am
Lynne Jonell,
When is your Birthday? Do you have any pets? If you do, how many and what pets? How did you get the names Emmy,Joe and Miss Barmy?
March 17th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Lynne Jonell,
Where did you get the name Emmy? Is there a title for the next book? I like the part when Miss Barmy and Professor Vole turned into rats!
March 17th, 2009 at 10:44 am
Lynne Jonell,
How old are you? I like the ending of Emmy and The Incredible Shrinking Rat when Miss Barmy and Professor Vole turned into BIG SCARY RATS!
March 17th, 2009 at 11:09 am
Hi everybody! I can tell you that I am personally kind of scared of rodents, believe it or not. So I have wondered, myself, why I like to write about them so much.
You all have good ideas. But the thing I finally came up with was, maybe I think that if I can write about rodents and make them funny, I won’t be so scared! What do you think?
I’m afraid I don’t have time to answer all your very good questions, but here are answers to a few:
The title for the next Emmy book is “Emmy & the Rats in the Belfry”. I am working on chapter eight right now!
I loved writing the catapult scene. I’m not exactly sure where the idea came from, but I got some of the technical details right by talking to my husband, who is an engineer.
I have no pets, but I did borrow a girl’s hamster for four days, when I was writing a new book I’m calling “Hamster Magic”.
And my birthday is the day after Halloween!
Thanks so much for telling me that you like my books. I plan to write lots more for you!
March 17th, 2009 at 11:10 am
Lynne Jonell,
-I’m so excited I can barely type! I’m so happy that you took the time to contact us on our blog! Did you ever wish that some of those rats really did have powers? Because sometimes I do. I think that the FUNNIEST part of Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat is whenever Miss Barmy tells a lie she lets one rip! Ever since I read Emmy I wondered what was the first book you wrote? Please write back.
March 17th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
To: Lynne Jonell
I am very interested in your books.
I think if you make them funny you won’t be scared of rodents anymore
because it worked on me. Before we read Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat I was scared of
rodents but not too much any more.
How many more Emmy books are you going to write?
March 17th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
To Lynne Jonell
I love your books so much.
They have a lot of voice. How old are you? Because I really want you to keep writing and never die. How did you get the idea for all the rats powers? What is your favorite part of writing stories? Can you really write a whole series of Emmy books?
March 17th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Hi Lynne Jonell,
Your books make you sound like a professional writer. Oh wait. You are one! When we finish reading Emmy and the Home for Troubled Girls I will be the happiest person in the whole world. I hope you come to Hawai’i some time soon. Please write back.
bye,Cayli Rose
March 17th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
I don’t really see rats so often so I don’t likely have a feeling for them and I think the reason people think rats are scary is because of their sharp teeth and their long tail.
March 17th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Hi Lynne Jonell,
Me again I just wanted to say…Thank you soooooooo much for taiking your time to write on our blog.When our teacher told us that you wrote we were all yelling and whooping.
bye,Cayli Rose
March 17th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Hello again! Kristin, the first book I wrote was a picture book called “Mommy Go Away!” And yes, I WISHED I could have a rat with special powers. But that’s the fun of writing– I can MAKE ONE UP! And I love that part about Miss Barmy, too. I was laughing out loud when I wrote it!
Good question, Tanner, and I think I want to write a total of five Emmy books. There are some things that still have to happen (cat wars, for instance) and they won’t happen in the third book.
Hokupaa, what a nice thing to say! I am 52 years old, and I know that will seem old to you– but don’t worry. My grandmother lived to be 101, and if I am like her, I have many more years to write lots of books. And I have three favorite parts of writing stories: 1) when I get the first ideas and start laughing, 2)when I am done and I am really happy with what I have written, and 3) when I get great comments from kids like you!
Cayli Rose, I’m hoping you WILL finish Troubled Girls, or you might not be the happiest person in the whole world, and then I would feel so TERRIBLE! And I’d love to come to Hawai’i, but the airfare is a little steep for me. (Maybe I need a rodent with FLYING powers.)
Kamali’i, I think you are right. The teeth ARE scary, and the long skinny tail is the WORST! I don’t know why, either!
March 17th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
“Hey Lynne Jonell I kind of agree with you because I used to hate rodents like rats even thogh I never ever saw one befor I still kind of hate them because all of my class mates dont like them ether.
March 17th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Cayli Rose, thanks for telling me about the whooping– it made me smile!
And Jacob, I guess I’d better not tell Ratty how you feel. He’s a very sensitive rodent, you know…
Poor Ratty.
March 17th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
I am glad that we read Emmy and
the Incredible Shrinking Rat because I use to think rats were scary and gross, but now I
do kind of like rats. I do not know why pepole don’t like rats. To bad the title describes that the book is about a rat. Hey Lynne Jonel, have you ever illustrated a book before? Good luck on the nene award!
March 18th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Kiana,
do you think that the reason people might not want to read the book Emmy And the Incredible Shrinking Rat is because they don’t like rats
and they would be choosing the book depending on it’s title?
March 18th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Dear Lynne Jonell
Now that I’ve heard your Grandmother was 101 I think that you’ll live for longer than I expected.It is probably in your genes.If you had a rodent with powers what power would it have? If I had one it would so smart that it could do my homework for me. Do you have a favorite song? Mine is Daughtry-What about now?
March 18th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Dear Lynne Jonell,
Do you know what your 4th and 5th
books will be about? I hope you
will be done with “Emmy and
the Rats in the Belfry” soon
because I’m SO eager to read
more of Emmy’s adventures.
March 18th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Cayli I do think that the reason might not want to read Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat is because the title discribes a rat.
March 18th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
Jacob I like rats a little bit and so dose Brycen.
March 19th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Hi you guys!
Yes, I have illustrated a book, Kiana– it’s called “Bravemole”, and it was my reaction to 9/11.
About the title– I suppose some people might not want to read Emmy #1 because it mentions a rat, but on the other hand, I have heard of a lot of people who got very interested in it just because there was a shrinking rat in the title, and they wanted to find out what that was about!
Hokupa’a, I love your idea for a rat that could do your homework for you! For my rat with powers, I might want to be able to fly… or maybe to stay underwater like a fish with gills. I have not heard the song you mention, but I think my favorite song is Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings”. It is very good music to write by!
Nadia, I am not certain, but I think the 4th book will have to do with forgery, wills, Priscilla, trial by jury, jail-breaks, and true love! And I think the fifth book will have to do with bookstores, exterminators, cat wars, sailing, and exodus from Rodent City…
At least that’s what I think so far. It could all change, you know!
March 20th, 2009 at 10:34 am
Hey Lynne Jonell could you send us
a picture of you? I really want to
know how you look. I just want to know what a 52 year old looks like.
March 20th, 2009 at 10:45 am
Lynne Jonell,
I heard that you are going on a trip! Where are you going?I can’t wait until Ratty comes in May!!! Can you ask him if he would like to come to our Multicultural Festival!! Tell him that it will be super duper AWESOMEIFIC!!!!
PPPLLLEEEAAASSSEEE write back,
Kristin
March 20th, 2009 at 10:48 am
Can you send a picture of you so I can see what you look like?
March 20th, 2009 at 10:49 am
Hi Lynne Jonell,
My class is having so much fun reading The Home for Troubled Girls.We just started chapter 2. I think that the faces on the EEEEEEEEEVVVVVVVIIIIILLLLLLL Miss Barmy’s cane are the girls that went to the Home for Troubled Girls. Okay,so maybe you don’t know what a spam musubi is but here’s what it is: For a spam musubi you have to make the rice into a 3-D rectangle then put spam on it and wrap it with nori. Nori is dried seaweed.
March 20th, 2009 at 10:54 am
HI Lynne Jonell,
Hey Jonathan Bean is good at drawing, don’t you think?
Oh YEAH, a Spam musubi is a rectangle shape with a piece of nori and it’s a piece a dried seeweed that’s nori.
March 20th, 2009 at 10:55 am
Dear Lynne Jonell,
I can’t wait till Ratty comes.
He can go to Waikiki and go to
a hotel but everyone would probably
scream.But he could go snorkeling.
And we can go on his blog.And he can shop at target.
March 20th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Hi Maia– for a picture of me, go to http://www.lynnejonell.com and you will find one!
Kristin, I am traveling to Houston to speak at a library conference, then to northern Minnesota for another conference. I will be talking about fantasy and how I write it.
Yes, Ratty is planning a trip to Hawaii, and he tells me he’ll blog about it! I don’t know if he’ll be at your festival (he worries about getting stepped on in crowds), but I do know he wants to learn to surf.
Hokupa’a, I’m glad you’re enjoying Troubled Girls. Just wait– it gets much scarier! (Good guess about the cane!) And thanks for telling me about spam musabi, and you too, Jacob. Yes, Jonathan Bean is an awesomeiffic artist!
Brycen, you are so right about people screaming. And Ratty is very sensitive about that. But snorkeling is a great idea, if he could find a mask to fit!
Well, everybody, it has been great blogging with you this week. I am signing off now, because I have more books to write, but I want to wish you all a wonderful spring break! Mahalo, and happy reading!
March 20th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
Lynne Jonelle,
What if Ratty comes here on vacation here and sees that some of the people in our class really do not like rats?
P.S. is ratty a real rat because you said that rats do not have super powers and you wish they did and a talking rat would be a rat with super powers.
P.P.S.Can you PLLLLLEASE write back?
March 24th, 2009 at 6:48 am
Lynne Jonell
If we see ratty will he have to bite us so we can talk to him.
March 31st, 2009 at 8:04 pm
I am excited that ratty is coming to Hawai’i and is ratty a real rat in real life.
April 2nd, 2009 at 8:06 pm
lynne jonell
Is ratty going to our class in may? I make musubi’s to you know. What is the first book you read? What is your favorite book? who is your favorite author?
April 5th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
I think Lynne Jonell chose a rat
for the main character because
authors don`t put rats in their
story.