Rascal (1963)

This is a fun book for 4th to 6th graders to read. It is a story about the adventures of a young boy with his friend/ pet raccoon named Rascal. They go on many adventures and become best friends. This book can teach wonderful lessons about friendship, adventure, loyalty, and an absentminded father relationship. ( )

I read this aloud to my five- and seven-year-old daughters. We loved it. My oldest is a big animal lover, so she especially enjoyed it. I thought the writing was really good and really enjoyed reading it at bedtime. My daughters also loved how it took place in Wisconsin. I would definitely recommend and would like to read more of Sterling North's work. ( )

The author recalls his carefree life in a small midwestern town at the close of World War I, and his adventures with his pet raccoon, Rascal.

A beautiful memoir. I loved this book as a child, and re-reading it was a bit of a reunion with an old friend. I also discovered depths that hadn't meant quite the same thing to me in those earlier reads, including Sterling North's references to the shadow cast by World War 1, and his worries about his big brother, who was fighting overseas. Just discovered that the book inspired a Japanese anime series, which inspired the person who wrote the following account of traveling from Japan to visit Sterling North's childhood home: http://www.gojefferson.com/rascal/shimbun.html ( )

One of my favorite books of all time! ( )