Customer Review5.0 out of 5 starsAt the Naval Academy, even the mice strive to greatnessByNR Tomasheskion June 1, 2018Format: Kindle EditionIt's somewhat cliche to describe a book such as this one as delightful, but it really is. It's more, too: exciting, clever, and even educational, as it's an accurate depiction of Plebe Summer at the U.S. Naval Academy, complete with insider lingo. Two of Weisberg's sons attended the Academy, and that was part of her inspiration. The other part was the very real presence of mice in Bancroft Hall (the world's largest university dormitory). What if, Weisberg thought, those mice were engaged in their own centuries-old traditions?R. Leigh Anderson's illustrations are magnificent; I have the full-color edition; I'm sure the black-and-white renditions are lovely, but I would recommend the color if possible!Instead of making this a straight-forward mice-as-stand-ins-for-people tale, Weisberg brings certain anthropomorphic qualities to her mice while retaining the essence of what it is to be a mouse, which creates a unique perspective, a world we've rarely seen in a mouse hero tale, and which draws us more fully into the experience.They don't have guns, for example, but weapons and other equipment of a sort that clever mice might be able to craft. The obstacle course sequence is a pure delight! The mice proudly wear their various uniforms of rank, but civilian mice don't wear clothes of any kind. The matter of how the cloth (carefully culled from the human Academy's scraps) is actually crafted into these tiny replica uniforms is glossed over, but it doesn't affect enjoyment one bit, precisely because all the other little details are so deftly handled.The characters are well-depicted, from the range of young aspiring mice (one is an exchange student from Europe) to the upperclassmice who are fairly duty-bound to build their charges' characters through tough leadership. The experience of an actual Plebe Summer is reproduced accurately: softened somewhat out of respect to the intended audience (ages 8-12; though, obviously, 54-year-olds can enjoy it just as well!), but with all the structure, adherence to following orders and the risk of consequences, and camaraderie that the human Plebes know well.This is a great book for siblings and parents of Academy attendees, anyone who loves mouse hero stories, and anyone who has an interest in the history and traditions of the United States Navy.