Rascal

Rascal is only a baby when young Sterling brings him home. He and the mischievous raccoon are best friends for a perfect year of adventure—until the spring day when everything suddenly changes.

A Newbery Honor Book

School Library Journal

Gr 2-6-At 11 years of age, Sterling North found himself the caretaker of a baby raccoon. His long-enjoyed Newbery Honor book (Dutton, 1963) provides the details of a year in the life of a boy and a raccoon. Set in 1918, Sterling's father is often absent and perpetually involved in research for a novel about Fox and Winnebago Indians. Sterling's mother is deceased, and he is often left to his own devices. Rascal therefore enjoys such comforts as sleeping in Sterling's bed and attending the county fair. As Rascal ages, Sterling is aware that the raccoon is having normal springtime urges and is not happy residing in the pen Sterling was forced to construct. Storyteller Jim Weiss narrates at a leisurely pace without sound effects or musical accompaniment. His very slightly stilted inflection delivers the story as a reminiscence rather than events related by a young boy. The audio rendering of this beloved animal story will please the tale's admirers and win fans new to the timeless adventure.-Fritz Mitnick, Shaler North Hills Library, Glenshaw, PA

Sterling North was born into a family of poets and was himself first published at age eight. He went on to have a career as a journalist and literary editor of several well-respected newspapers. After writing the autobiographical Rascal, he won a host of literary awards.

Jim Weiss is a nationally acclaimed storyteller and recording artist. He is the recipient of over 31 major awards from the American Library Association, Parents' Choice Foundation, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio and more.