A Review: "The Tale of Despereaux"

What a phenominally enjoyable book to read. I didn't have the opportunity to see the animated movie when it was at the theaters but I am pretty sure that it couldn't have been any better than reading the book. The suggested age for readers is 7-12. Having a 7- (almost 8) year old granddaughter, I wanted to see how this would read for her. I think that it might be on the more difficult side for her to read but it would be an excellent story for her mother to read TO her. It's not just the level of difficulty but there are some areas that conjure up some pretty dark and dreerie images.
It's full of life lessons explained from the story-teller's point of view (i.e., meaning of words, actions and consequences) as well as an unlikely hero and a princess.
This is a story that I want all three of my granddaughters to have in their own library and I'll make sure that they have it, though it may be a few years before each of them will be of age. I don't want it to not be available when they're ready.