OMG! Gadget from Rescue Rangers is in this book, as well as Chip and Dale! Well, Chip and Dale are mentioned, not really a part of the action, but still....

There are so many reasons to like this book. First, Bernie is the smallest mouse compared to most. She has always been determined to join the Mouse Watch and learn from her hero Gadget, the founder of the Watch. She soon proves to those who doubt her, due to her size, that big things can happen from small mice. Second, Bernie learns that she needs to learn about a partner, if she can trust them or let her stereotypes take control when she is paired with Jarvis, a rat. Everyone knows rats can't be trusted, especially when a rat is the one who killed her brother.

I might not add this book to my syllabus, but definitely will encourage my students to read it because Bernie, like many of us, make snap judgments and get annoyed when others make snap judgments about us. She grows through the story and learns that she may need to look into the character, rather than what the image they give may be.

I can't wait to get my hands on the other books in the series and determine if they are as well written and enjoyable as this book was.

I was given the opportunity to read this by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This one is sort of "The Rescuers" meets "Danger Mouse". We have basic adventure elements at play: a protagonist with something to prove, partners at odds, and a sudden and elaborate villainous plot to destroy society that forces them to work together. The villain's plan is surprisingly detailed and the resolutions are seeded throughout the novel.

What can I say about The Mouse Watch? It was cute, it was fun, it had adventures!

Bernie was such a lovable mouse that wants to make her brother proud. However, she is also prejudiced against rats, and that can be a problem.

I like how the underlying theme to this book is to not judge others. Prejudices that you grow up with and that you should make your decision bases on the rat not on all of them.

Bernie was definitely flawed, but she grew as well and I loved that!

I’m certain middle grade students will love this story! I loved rescue rangers as a kid and this has that same daring adventurous feel to it. Plus it’s Disney. Students gravitate to what’s familiar to them and the Disney name will pull them in, the story will make them stay.

Dear Disney, please keep giving me books about cute small critters (like mice and chipmunks) going on adventures. This is my favorite niche category and I live for it. Sincerely, me.

This was so fun to read, I really enjoyed it. Gadget steps into the limelight as the best character from Rescue Rangers (We all knew it, I'm saying it) and starts her own organization. It has all the adventure you'd want in the cute trappings of animals - ala Great Mouse Detective (the movie, not the book.) But Bernie is a new character and a great precocious protagonist. It reminded me of Holly from Artemis Fowl - trying to prove herself and her worth through increasingly daring ways.

A fun read for middle grade, with familiar characters as background, and in an adventure setting worthy of a kid James Bond. I am so glad this is a series!

I really enjoyed this book. The mouse world the author created for this book was so fun to read about. I found the whole mouse secret agent thing to be very intriguing and I couldn’t wait to see what adventures they would be up to next!

The book is a fun spin off of the classic Chip n Dale Rescue Rangers. However, the reading level is lower than I would have liked for such a book. Chip n Dale is an older show, so making a spin off novel is going to appeal to adults more than children, so I think it would have been better as young adult reading level or middle grade rather than elementary chapter book. The plot was okay, but I didn't feel like there was enough of a callback to the original show. And it was weird that all of the gadgets that were invented by Gadget were not made from human parts; that is what Gadget is known for - turning human parts into mouse sized inventions.

This book was, no pun intended, a bit cheesy. I think kids will enjoy the sheer joy of wish fulfillment by all the fun tech, and be moved by the friendship story. But it will require a strong suspension of disbelief. The bad guy is very bad, so there is no gray area there, but there are some questions about the good guys and who is worthy of trust. There were a few somewhat dark scenes, but this will be good for upper elementary who don't mind a book that reads a bit young. I will probably purchase this for my library.

This was a fun read. It reminded me of Ralph and the motorcycle type story.

I can totally see this being a great read for a classroom. Definitely on my reading list for my class.

This is a fun, easy read for middle school readers. It is packed with the action of a superhero novel. The main character, Bernie, is intelligent, full of spunk, and determined. Throughout the story, she learns to be less judgemental, more trusting of her team members, and that working together is much more effective than doing things on your own. I would recommend this book for readers who like high action adventure!
Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This is a great children's story with fun and enjoyable characters! My 8 year old daughter and I read it together and we both thought it was full of adventure and funny at times with lessons about friendship mixed in.

Seems to follow the familiar Disney pattern of being able to achieve your dreams with no training or hard work whatsoever, but contains nice lessons on friendship and teamwork.

The Mouse Watch is described as "Mission Impossible" meets "Men in Black" which I suppose is fair although I think that discredits the most important parts of this story which are its many themes. Teamwork, selflessness, destiny, acceptance, alienation, all these (and more) help tell this heartfelt tale dressed up with a tech-heavy spy/adventure sensibility.

Main character, Bernie Skampersky, is our strong-willed but imperfect lead mouse who is on the cusp of greatness. It's her protective but sympathetic parents who help her open the door to an adventure of a lifetime, and with the help of a rat named Jarvis, she'll learn the inherent value of friendship and teamwork, all while helping each other overcome trauma. This relationship in particular proves to be key as Bernie's most important attribute, courage, the will to act, not only makes her attractive to the Watch, it helps Jarvis break out of his shell.

With direct ties to Chip 'n Dales Rescue Rangers and inspired by The Rescuers, this middle grade story is sure to please a wide array of readers.

OMG this book was SO MUCH FUN to read! I read it in two sittings (it would have been one but I had to go to work the next day!). I am always on the look out for mouse or rat stories that give me the same feeling as Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH and this one comes extremely close.

Bernie Skampersky has wanted to be part of Mouse Watch since she was six years old. Mouse Watch is like a rodent CIA but with cooler technology. Bernie is small for her size but mighty in spirit. When her invitation arrives, she can hardly believe her luck! However, not everyone invited to Mouse Watch passes basic training but Bernie is determined to try and join her hero, Gadget Hackwrench of Rescue Rangers fame, to save the world one good deed at a time.

I grew up watching Rescue Rangers so I made the connection immediately. Kiddos do not have to be familiar with the show to love this book but millennial parents will have fun sharing Gadget's backstory with their children and how she was the gizmo genius on Rescue Rangers. This book was an absolute delight to read. I enjoyed the characters and Bernie's spunk and determination. JJ Gilbert is extremely clever at his utilization of people sized things in a mouse-sized society. The whole time I was reading this I thought it would make a fantastic movie. My only caution is even though the book is aimed at a younger audience, it might not be the best bedtime story for small kids because there are some scary parts but those are few and far between. I would be thrilled if this became a series and eagerly await the next adventures!

The Mouse Watch
by J. J. Gilbert
Disney Book Group
You Like Them
Disney-Hyperion
Children's Fiction | Middle Grade
Pub Date 03 Nov 2020 | Archive Date 03 Nov 2020

Thanks to Disney-Hyperion and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I think kids are going to love this book. Either as a read-along with their teachers or alone.

4 star

I had a great time reading this book. It looks like Gadget has started her own organization, and it is bigger than the Rescue Rangers ever hoped to be. All her life Bernadette has wanted to join, and it looks like she might finally get her chance. Shortly after training begins, something goes wrong. She will have to try and work with someone she instantly doesn’t trust. Yet as this mission moves along, they will have to find some way to work together. As this story comes to a close, it looks like the world might be in more danger in the near future. Fans of the Rescue Rangers will want to check this book out.

4 stars = Great! Might re-read.

This was delightful! The world-building is excellent (although distracting from the action of the story at times). There's a good balance between the character pieces and the action pieces. I loved Bernie and Jarvis. I would definitely read a sequel with these characters. I didn't catch the fact that this is a Rescue Rangers spin-off until I started reading, but that was a fun discovery. I think kids are going to LOVE this! It feels a bit like Mouse and the Motorcycle and a bit like Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. Don't miss this one - would be awesome for a bedtime or classroom read aloud!

A great middle grades book full of action and adventure. Gadget from Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers has started her own intelligence organization called Mouse Watch which recruits mice that are skilled in hacking, inventing, and bravery. Bernie and Jarvis are the two newest recruits to Mouse Watch, but their first day doesn’t go as planned. As the story unfolds, Bernie and Jarvis learn the importance of teamwork, not judging others, and how all parts are equally important. A great book that the whole family would enjoy. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Disney publishing for giving me access to the ARC.

Ok I love the concept and the plot was pretty great. I need more Jarvis. Hes such a fun sweet character that I honestly wanted to fight Bernie every time she was mean to him. The only thing is I wish the author didn't make the characters the same age as the audience. I struggled to get pass that a 12 year old was recruited as a spy even in the world of Rescue Rangers. But that aside there are themes of accepting those different from you and working as a team. Will definitely read the next book.

I received an electronic ARC from Disney Book Group through NetGalley.
Gadget from Chip and Dale's Rescue Rangers steps out of their shadow and forms her own group - Mouse Watch. Her agents battle for good all over the world. All Bernie Skampersky wants is to become an agent. Her invitation comes and she sets off on this adventure. Her commitment began after her brother was killed by an escaping convict rat. Ironically, she's paired with a rat who wants to be part of the Mouse Watch for reasons of his own. Together, they are the only ones who aren't captured by the R.A.T.S. when one of their own betrays them. They end up rescuing humans and mice before they've even completed one day of training.
Gilbert introduces the characters and environment and builds on this to spin a tale of adventure with just enough suspense for mid to upper elementary level readers. Parents will remember Chip and Dale but readers will pick up enough background from the story to make the connection and see this new direction. A few soft plot points don't change the overall effect. A cliffhanger ending hints at further adventures to come.