The Moffats

In The Moffats, Rufus, Joe, and Jane have everyday experiences that help them learn and mature. By describing how the kids explore, test their limits, and encounter unexpected consequences, the author develops a theme on how daily life provides many opportunities to learn.

Estes’s work focuses on the Moffats’ regular life in the small-town US, and the children’s adventures usually begin with a realistic misunderstanding that sends them off course. For instance, when Mr. Pennypepper instructs Rufus to supervise his stubborn neighbor, Hughie Pudge, Rufus takes these instructions a bit too seriously. When Hughie runs away from school and hops aboard a nearby freight train, Rufus naively follows him onto it and tries in earnest to persuade Hughie to become an obedient pupil like himself. When the train leaves the station, however, Rufus realizes that he must think quickly or he could end up alone in Boston. This misadventure teaches five-year-old Rufus some common sense—and the importance of respecting Mama’s rule to not play in the train yard. Rufus also learns to think more carefully about his actions when he’s told to keep his Sunday suit clean. He wanders around the garden absentmindedly pocketing grapes, until he realizes that this was not the best idea: “Suddenly Rufus [becomes] aware of a damp feeling spreading down his legs.