The Blogging Rat

This is Ratson Rat. He keeps a blog.

He's a funny little rat. A bit obnoxious. A lot sarcastic.

He blogs so that school kids here in the Minneapolis metro area can go to the computer lab, hop online and spend 30 minutes learning how to interact in an Internet way.

In his most recent post, Ratson Rat wrote about his attempt to become a vegetarian. So far, only 2 kids have posted comments about his veggie transformation, but if this post is anything like all his other posts, Ratson Rat can expect upwards of 70 comments.

He doesn't just blog for fun. His creator, Lynn Jonell, wrote a middle-grade novel called Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat. Ratson Rat is the star of the book. By taking his act online, author Jonell is introducing her enthusiastic young readers to a virtual arena.

Jonell is from the Minneapolis area and thus far only a handful of nearby schools are participating in the blog. But a school in Ohio recently signed on and Jonell is hoping the rat blog will catch on in other states, too.

Want to see what a rat blog looks like? Take a peek.

Want to read more about the project? Read my article.

Photo © Lynn Jonell