This is a great story for kids about 8 to 11 years old, and a great read-aloud. Roger is a sweet little boy who was transformed from a rat by someone's fairy godmother, and he doesn't quite have the hang of being human. I read this book to my son when he was 9, and I then kept it (he just started college this fall) to re-read it myself. Fans of fairy tales and Philip Pullman will love this book.