Gregor the Overlander

Gregor the Overlander, by Suzanne Collins, is the first book in the Underland Chronicles series.

It follows the title character, Gregor, as one day, in a strange incident involving laundry, roaches, and a complex ancient poem, he finds himself and his two year old sister far underground. To make worse, they've unintentionally triggered a war, between the humans (and their mounted bats) of the Underland, and a vast army of rats.
As fate would have it, according to The Prophecy of Gray, Gregor is supposed to be a great warrior, destined to save the Underland from being run down by the vicious army of rats.
There is, however, a problem; Gregor is not interested in fulfilling this prophecy; in fact, he'd like nothing more than to grab his sister and leave the Underland. But, upon hearing that his long lost father has been taken prisoner by rats, he realizes that he must take up the quest if he is ever to see his father again, and thus begins his quest.
I found this book to be excellent, and though it was geared towards younger readers than Collins more recent books (THG and CF) it was still briliantly written, and a still has that element Collins consistenly seems to deliver: surprise!
As usual, she's managed to capture my attention with yet another brilliant book. I think that readers both young and old will be able to enjoy this book. I recommend it!