Always, Clementine
by Carlie Sorosiak (Author)
From the author of I, Cosmo comes a humor-filled, heart-tugging tale of a genius mouse, secretly freed from a lab, who's in search of a real home--and a way to free her old friends.
Clementine is different from other mice: she can calculate the speed of light and she dreams in Latin. The scientists say she's a genius and put her through test after test. Clementine is proud of being a good lab mouse, but she's lonely. Her only snatches of friendship occur during her late-night visits with a chimpanzee named Rosie. When a compassionate lab technician frees Clementine, the mouse discovers an outside world full of wonders: Brussels sprouts, games of speed chess, television fame, and a chance for a real home. But for Clementine, it's not enough to be free when she knows that Rosie and the other mice are not.
This tender, lively adventure story, narrated in letters from a mouse to a chimpanzee, shows us that goodness is something we have to define for ourselves--and that courage and wisdom aren't proportionate to size.
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Publishers Weekly
Genius rodent Clementine finds her purpose with the help of friends and the game of chess in Sorosiak's (I, Cosmo) heartfelt, adventure-filled tale. Due to altered DNA, Clementine shines in the lab, where researchers posit that she "could be the smartest mouse in history." She dreams in Latin, solves mathematical equations, and understands humans' speech. She also makes her first friend, fellow caged lab denizen Rosie, a gentle, curious chimpanzee. Clementine's life is upended when a compassionate junior researcher stealthily liberates her and another mouse, Hamlet, to the nearby mailbox of Pop, the kindly host of local TV program Pop's Hobbies. That's where she's discovered by 11-year-old Gus, Pop's lively and thoughtful grandson, who earnestly promises his protection. Via a series of sensorially written, stirring, and by turns funny and suspenseful imaginary letters to Rosie, Clementine relates her experiences out in the wide world, where Gus, Pop, and a televised game of chess stand to save her from a grim fate back at the lab, which has offered a reward for her return. Maintaining a strong emotional core through Clementine's voice, Sorosiak explores themes--including animal cruelty, duty, empathy, and intelligence--with a deft, light touch. Human characters largely read as white. Ages 8-12. (Sept.)
Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
JUV002180 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Mice, Hamsters, Guinea Pigs, etc.
JUV039130 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Runaways
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