WATERSHIP DOWN by Richard Adams (1972)

Scribner/Simon & Schuster; 474 pages; fantasy; ages 13 and up; ISBN: 978-0-7432-7770-9.

Fiver is a rabbit who has visions of the future, and one day he has a vision of his home being destroyed. Home, in this case, is a warren, or network of interconnected rabbit holes, which Fiver shares with his big brother, Hazel, and other rabbits as part of a distinct social order. Hazel and a band of fellow rabbits heed Fiver's vision and escape from the warren before it's bulldozed by land developers, but now they must find a new home, hoping that Fiver's vision of a "high place" can be reached with all of their numbers intact. On their journey they must evade predators, including hombas, or foxes, and deal with other wild rabbits outside of their clan. It all adds up to one unforgettable story.

I wasn't eager to read Watership Down when it was assigned in eighth grade — 474 pages about rabbits?! — but by the middle of Richard Adams's epic tale I was enthralled, praying that Hazel and Fiver would reach their destination. And after seeing the Lord of the Rings movies a decade later, I thought, "Those were fine, but they're no Watership Down." Adams does a mind-boggling job of world building, providing his rabbits with their own culture, folk tales, and language; there's even a glossary of lapine terminology at the back of the book. For reluctant readers who like to be told a gripping story but aren't intrigued by fantasy yarns of the Harry Potter or Percy Jackson ilk, I'd highly recommend Watership Down. You'll never look at rabbits the same way again (not English natives, anyway).

For further reading, check out Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien (1971), winner of the 1972 Newbery Medal.