CCBC booklist are compiled from books we have recommended in various editions of CCBC Choices. Most of these booklists are updated annually. You can also select books from one or more booklists to create a custom list, which can also include additional books from the CCBC-Recommended Book Search.
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Rats to the Rescue: The Unlikely Heroes Making Cambodia Safe
CCBC Review:
“This work is too difficult … It’s not meant for women … You might get hurt.” Malen knew that working as a deminer would be challenging, but she was determined. Growing up, Malen stuck to the familiar paths and plowed fields of her village, knowing that—unlike many parts of Cambodia—they concealed no dangerous landmines left over from a past war. Initially Malen learned to locate mines using a metal detector, but soon a more efficient method arrived all the way from Tanzania: giant African pouched rats. Light enough to walk across mines without setting them off, the rats were trained to scurry back and forth across a marked area, sniffing out TNT. One rat, named Magawa, excelled at his job, clearing fields faster than any other rat. Along with his human teammates, Magawa “found hundreds of mines and cleared dozens of fields.” It is hoped that, due to the courageous work of deminers, Cambodia will one day be “free of secrets,” a place where “all Cambodians can live, farm, and play without any fear at all.” Authors’ and illustrator’s notes, information about HeroRATs and rat training, and a timeline follow this fascinating and moving account. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 8-11
Age Range:
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
Animals (Informational)
Cambodians and Cambodian Americans
Girls and Women
Work and Labor
Diversity subject:
Asian
On CCBC Booklist:
Global Reading: Selected Books for Children and Teens Set in Other Countries
Publishers:
Lerner, Millbrook
Publish Year: 2024
Pages: 40
ISBN: 9798765607985
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 636 Riley
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Our Recommended Book Search includes access to CCBC-recommended titles based on subject headings created by our staff.
Please send questions or comments about CCBC booklists to ccbcinfo@education.wisc.edu.