I consider to myself to be a self-proclaimed bookworm. I do enjoy gnawing my way through a juicy story; in fact, I often revel in that. So, I always find myself searching for new stories, new writers, and something a bit different than what I previously devoured. I was lucky enough to stumble upon a book called The Tale of Despereaux, written by Kate DiCamillo, a little while ago. This was one of those stories that I had somehow overlooked. Someone had probably mentioned it to me along the way, but I hadn't listened, and so I was destined to find it on my own, albeit much later than a lot of other readers had.

This award-winning story is about a little mouse, with a lot of unmouse-like tendencies. It is the story of true love and following your heart. I found Despereaux an incredibly charming story; it was unique and delightful. I love when a story stretches your imagination and teaches you something in the process of taking you on an adventure. Though this is a Love story, it is also a quest for Freedom (in several ways) so it can be a bit dark in places. Things won't always turn out as you suspect they might, but that just adds to the enchanting nature of the story. I highly recommend opening the pages to take a peak at the adventures of this tiny mouse.

I also rushed to see the movie after reading the book. As well as being a bookworm, I am a big fan of going to the movies! As usual, I must admit that I prefer the book over the movie. There is some amazing animation and you may recognize the Princess' voice as that of our beloved Hermione (Emma Watson). However I thought the movie lacked a lot of the charm that the book had. Maybe the darkness of the book came across more vividly in the movie theater, but I just didn't find the experience as enjoyable as actually reading the book. The movie will be released on DVD in April, so if you missed the chance to see it on the big screen, I recommend renting it after reading the book.