Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus Rattus. Other rat genera include Neotoma, Bandicota and Dipodomys.
The Pied Piper of Hamelin is the title character of a legend from the town of Hamelin (Hameln), Lower Saxony, Germany.
Jack Dawkins, better known as the Artful Dodger, is a character in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel Oliver Twist. The Dodger is a pickpocket and his nickname refers to his skill and cunning in that occupation. In the novel, he is the leader of the gang of child criminals on the streets of London trained and overseen by the elderly Fagin. The term has become an idiom describing a person who engages in skillful deception.
The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents is a children's fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, published by Doubleday in 2001. It is the twenty-eighth novel in the Discworld series and the first written for children. The story is a new take on the German fairy tale about the Pied Piper of Hamelin and a parody of the folk tale genre.
Biltmore Estate is a historic house museum and tourist attraction in Asheville, North Carolina. Biltmore House, the main residence, is a Châteauesque-style mansion built for George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895 and is the largest privately owned house in the United States, at 178,926 sq ft (16,622.8 m2) of floor space and 135,280 sq ft (12,568 m2) of living area. Still owned by George Vanderbilt's descendants, it remains one of the most prominent examples of Gilded Age mansions.
A rat-catcher is a person who kills or captures rats as a professional form of pest control. Keeping the rat population under control was practiced in Europe to prevent the spread of diseases, most notoriously the Black Death, and to prevent damage to food supplies. In modern developed countries, such a professional is otherwise known as a pest control operative or pest exterminator.
Maniyambath Mukundan is an Indian author of Malayalam literature and former diplomat. He worked as a cultural attaché at the Embassy of France in Delhi from 1961 to 2004, while concurrently working as an author. Many of his early works are set in Mahe (Mayyazhi), his homeland, which earned him the moniker Mayyazhiyude Kathakaaran. He is known to be one of the pioneers of modernity in Malayalam literature. Some of his best known works include Mayyazhippuzhayude Theerangalil, Daivathinte Vikrithikal, Kesavante Vilapangal, and Pravasam.
Brandon Winn Sanderson is an American author of high fantasy and science fiction. He is best known for the Cosmere fictional universe, in which most of his fantasy novels, most notably the Mistborn series and The Stormlight Archive, are set. Outside of the Cosmere, he has written several young adult and juvenile series including The Reckoners, the Skyward series, and the Alcatraz series. He is also known for finishing Robert Jordan's high fantasy series The Wheel of Time. Sanderson has created several graphic novel fantasy series, including White Sand and Dark One.
Gregor the Overlander is a children's epic fantasy novel. The book was written by Suzanne Collins and was published in 2003 as the first book of The Underland Chronicles. It was received well by critics, and was listed as one of New York Public Library's 100 Books for Reading and Sharing. It was featured by National Public Radio in 2005.
Judith Lewis, better known by her pen name Cassandra Clare, is an American author of young adult fiction, best known for her bestselling series The Mortal Instruments.
Goodreads is an American social cataloging website and a subsidiary of Amazon that allows individuals to search its database of books, annotations, quotes, and reviews. Users can sign up and register books to generate library catalogs and reading lists. They can also create their own groups of book suggestions, surveys, polls, blogs, and discussions. The website's offices are located in San Francisco.
Timothy Michael Federle is an American author, theater librettist, director and screenwriter whose best-known works include the novel Better Nate Than Ever, the cocktail recipe book Tequila Mockingbird, the Golden Globe Award and Academy Awards nominee Ferdinand, and Disney's High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
Tosca Lee is an American author known for her historical novels and thrillers.
Kwame Alexander is an American writer of poetry and children's fiction.
Sherri Browning Erwin is an American novelist, best known for literary mash-ups, paranormal romance, and historical romance.
Angie Thomas is an American young adult author, best known for writing The Hate U Give (2017). Her second young adult novel, On the Come Up, was released on February 25, 2019.
Serafina and the Twisted Staff is an American historical fiction and fantasy novel written by Robert Beatty and published in 2016. It is the second novel in the Serafina Series and the sequel to Serafina and the Black Cloak. This book continues the spooky adventures of twelve-year-old Serafina, Chief Rat Catcher of the Biltmore Estate, as she works with best-friend Braeden Vanderbilt to save the people and animals of Biltmore and the surrounding forests from a series of sinister attacks. In order to defeat this evil entity before it destroys her home and those she cares about, she must search deep within to discover and embrace the destiny that awaits her.
Serafina and the Splintered Heart is an American historical fiction, fantasy novel written by Robert Beatty and published in 2017. It is the third novel in the Serafina Series and follows Serafina and the Twisted Staff. Serafina, Chief Rat Catcher and protector of the Biltmore Estate, encounters a strange and unnatural force which threatens Biltmore with wicked storms and violent floods. While fiercely fighting a battle that seems impossible, Serafina also faces questions about the value of true friendship and the power of forgiveness.
Robert Beatty is an American technology entrepreneur and author of historical fiction, fantasy novels. He has published 6 books with Disney Hyperion, which have been translated to over 20 foreign languages. Robert Beatty is an executive producer for the television adaptation of Willa of the Wood, which is in the early stages of development.
Alexandra Pierson, known professionally by her pen name Alex Aster, is a Colombian-American young adult author. She is best known for the young adult fantasy series Lightlark, and the middle-grade fantasy series Emblem Island.
