Twelve-year-old Marie is not looking forward to her life as maid to the haughty Josette. It is a highly sought-after position, and Marie is lucky her mother, the Duke’s seamstress, was able to arrange it. But as much as she did not want to be a maid, Marie does not want to be a rat-catcher’s apprentice even more. And unfortunately, this is the fate that awaits her after she accidentally ruins a wedding dress her mother is working on and her family falls into debt.

However, Marie finds that becoming a rat-catcher’s apprentice isn’t so bad after all. As she learns the skills of the trade, Marie’s life is actually good, until the fingers of the plague slowly reach across her town.

The Rat-Catcher’s Apprentice is set in 1665, when fear of witches (women who spoke their minds), the plague and poverty ruled the lives of all. It’s a fantastic and sadly still very relevant book for kids ages 11+.

Dani solomon is the manager of Readings Kids.