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Rascal

4.07 of 5 stars 4.07 · rating details · 4,827 ratings · 243 reviews

Skunks, woodchucks, a crow named Poe, an absent-minded father, aneighteen foot, half-finished canoe in the living room—welcome to the North home! Nothing's surprising at the North residence. Not even eleven-year-old Sterling's new pet raccoon. Rascal is only a baby when young Sterling brings him home to join his unusual family. The mischievous raccoon and Sterling are part...more

Paperback, 192 pages

Published February 1st 1990 by Puffin (first published 1963)

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Jan 24, 2011 Jeanette rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography-memoir, books-little-me-loved, five-star-nonfiction, nonfiction, nature-outdoors, wildlife-and-birds

Rascal is a perfectly crafted book. It's entertaining and simple enough to appeal to youngsters, yet has enough complexity and fine prose to enchant adult readers. I loved it when I first read it at age eleven, and I loved it even more this second time through, when I'm old enough to...well, old enough...

This is Sterling North's account of 1918-1919, the year he was eleven and added a baby raccoon to his already large and unwieldy menagerie. He already had pet skunks, woodchucks, cats, a Saint B...more

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Aug 20, 2008 Dan rated it 5 of 5 stars

This one's for you Seethens.

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Mar 26, 2013 Pamela rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who has an interest in raccoons, Wisconsin, fishing, coming of age

Shelves: read-numerous-times

I first met Rascal (that is, read Sterling North's memoir) when I was 12 years old; quite a while ago. Since I have a group of raccoon visiting me nightly, I thought it would be fun to reread this cherished childhood book. Not surprisingly, the book now is very different from how I remembered it. Some of the incidents seem implausible; I have to wonder if the truth wasn't stretched a bit to make a better story. Still, I'm enjoying the reread and falling in love with the little Rascal all over ag...more

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Jun 27, 2012 SilverRaindrops rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: rating-5stars-fiction-nf, reviewstatus-reviewed, favourites-read-2012

"Rascal" is an American classic, telling the story of how the boy Sterling found a little raccoon in the spring of 1818, and took him on as a pet.

While it took me a while to get into, due to the very old language style, and the fact that an adult was writing down memories of his childhood - therefore not feeling very much like a child - , I can see why this is the perfect book for reading in school.

Due to the setting in 1918, and Sterling having a brother fighting in France, World War I and its...more

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Jun 26, 2008 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: animal lovers

Recommended to Amy by: Mom : )

Shelves: random

This follows a boy, Sterling, as he raises animals of all kinds. He and his dog, Wowser, sniff out raccoon kits, and Sterling names his Rascal. Follow the adventures of Rascal as: a mean boy hits him and gets bitten, Rascal and Sterling go camping, and many other fun adventures.The story ends with Rascal feeling the need to go wild, and he runs off with a beautiful female raccoon, and Sterling goes home.
I enjoyed this book, but I think its' ending was too sad. I wish rascal didn't listen to the...more

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Apr 01, 2009 Jerrit 811 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jerrit Schramm
4/1/09
8-1 LA
Rascal

The book Rascal is a classic story that was written by Sterling North, who is also the main character. Sterling lives on a farm in Wisconsin with his widowed father and their extended family of pets such as Poe the Crow. The story starts out when Sterling and his best friend, a German immigrant, Oscar Sunderland are hunting for a raccoon and come across the den filled with five tiny babies. Sterling decides to take one home and raise it himself like he did with s...more

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Mar 14, 2013 Julesmarie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens, autobiography-memoir, nature, newberry-books

What a delightful book! Sterling North's memoir of May 1918 - April 1919 follows an 11 year old Sterling's adventures with his pet raccoon, Rascal. Rascal is adorable and hilarious and I'm sure my students will come to adore him every bit as much as I did. My favorite scene was the first time Rascal is given a sugar cube and he tries to wash it in his bowl of milk. When the sugar dissolves, Rascal spends a few minutes trying to figure out where it went. So, so cute!

But beneath the layer of adora...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Ivan Gaikowski rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was surprised to find this book setting off all sorts of red flags in the social and environmental responsibility sectors of my mind. Especially since it is a children's book, and one from the area I was 'born and raised' and the cultures that appear in this story are the same ones that defined the cultures that I still live in.
What perturbed me were the notions of the main character's perspective of the land around him. He seemed to think that Nature was there for him and his pleasures. He...more

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Feb 09, 2012 Rebekah added it

Shelves: near-and-dear

I love this poetic memoir but my EL510 kids struggled with the book. Class itself was fine, but I think the level of description (depth and vocabulary) hindered them in accessing an already unfamiliar setting (Wisconsin during WWI). The lengthy descriptions of nature and fly fishing, the anecdotes with multiple minor characters, they just could not keep track of everything. The surface things that make the novel fun were harder for them to enjoy.

I also think they're a bit young to connect with t...more I love this poetic memoir but my EL510 kids struggled with the book. Class itself was fine, but I think the level of description (depth and vocabulary) hindered them in accessing an already unfamiliar setting (Wisconsin during WWI). The lengthy descriptions of nature and fly fishing, the anecdotes with multiple minor characters, they just could not keep track of everything. The surface things that make the novel fun were harder for them to enjoy.

I also think they're a bit young to connect with the more subtle things going on. Sterling is acutely aware of his environment and the changes that take place over the course of one year. Things like fishing with his father, lazing around with his pet raccoon, or simply remembering what his older sister was like are both idyllic and sad, as the author writes knowing that all of these things are gone. I'm not sure my 3rd and 4th graders really felt that overall struggle to comprehend and accept the losses and gains of growing up. And I wouldn't expect them to, you know?

However, considering that they could barely remember anything from the reading, class went amazingly well. There are numerous close reading passages that can really drive a discussion. The observation-question-theory technique was pretty successful with this book. I think the kids liked talking about animals and the relationships you have with pets in general. They were also able to have pretty good debates about desirable parenting styles (Sterling's father is pretty hands off, while Sterling himself is a bit of a helicopter parent to Rascal). There are good opportunities for research projects as well.

Overall, the book reminds me of Sign of the Beaver and The Ghost Belonged to Me. Coming of age stories where the important events are more internal than external. The kids like talking about animals and ghosts, but the setting and vocabulary does hamper them and they feel so-so about it at the end. I'd recommend Rascal for an advanced EL510 class, the end of an EL510 year, or maybe even an E610 class. And any adult haha, I think this is one of my favorites from the EL510 booklist.

(less)

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Oct 05, 2011 Mitchell added it

Rascal

I had my old dog Teddy for 6 years; he came across the county with me, California to Massachusetts to Rhode Island. I happened to be 10 or 11 years old when I had to let him go. After all those fun times with a great dog I just had to leave him. I had to move were there were no pets allowed. We gave him to my Papa but he already had 2 dogs so it was hard on him. After a year he couldn’t take it any more, he gave him to his Nabors. They lived on the same road; we know them very well, for...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 27, 2010 Caren rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children

This book, published in 1963, was a Newbery Honor book for 1964. Although published as fiction, it is an autobiographical account of one year of the author's childhood, 1918, when he was eleven years old and adopted a baby raccoon. He lived in Edgerton, Wisconsin, which he faithfully recreates as Brailsford Junction in the book. It was the last year of World War I and his older brother was fighting in Europe. His mother had passed away several years before. His two sisters no longer lived at hom...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 23, 2009 Shanna Gonzalez rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-12

Rascal is an autobiographical story about a year in the life of a boy growing up in a small American town during World War I, in which young Sterling takes in a young raccoon as a pet. It is exceptionally well written, receiving a Newbery Honor award in 1964. North's wonderful depictions of outdoor experiences, detailed descriptions of Rascal's behavior, and the warm affinity that grows between Sterling and Rascal have earned this book its classic status. It is a wonderful boy book, with many co...more Rascal is an autobiographical story about a year in the life of a boy growing up in a small American town during World War I, in which young Sterling takes in a young raccoon as a pet. It is exceptionally well written, receiving a Newbery Honor award in 1964. North's wonderful depictions of outdoor experiences, detailed descriptions of Rascal's behavior, and the warm affinity that grows between Sterling and Rascal have earned this book its classic status. It is a wonderful boy book, with many companionable scenes between Sterling and his loving father.

For parents and teachers who wish to cultivate a Christian worldview in their young readers, the story should be considered with some caution. Several elements of the story reveal an underlying view of the world that is at odds with biblical teaching.

First, there are no whole and healthy families depicted in the story. Sterling's widowed father, though kind, seldom offers guidance, but indulgently allows him to stay out until all hours, build his canoe in the living room, and lead a rather bohemian life. Sterling's best friend, in contrast, lives in perpetual fear of his own father's abusive anger. The only marriage depicted in much detail is between Sterling's aunt and uncle. In this family his hardworking, saintly aunt, in worn but neatly mended sweater, quietly bows her head under the weight of her husband's cruel joking. None of these families represent God's design for loving family life with a father and a mother.

Not only is the family not modeled well, but North shows religion in a negative light through his hilariously colorful depiction of the local Methodist pastor, a foul-mouthed, "terrible-tempered minister of the Gospel." The stories about Reverend Thurmond are undoubtedly based on true events, but readers may interpret Thurman's hypocritical behavior as representative of genuine Christianity.

The story unfolds in the shadow of World War I, and near the end of the book Sterling compares the war to his practice of trapping animals. He makes a "truce" with the animals of the forest, promising never to hunt them again. This boyish gesture seems to reveal an underlying belief that humans and animals have equal status. This view is at odds with the biblical teaching that God created humans to be the caretakers and rulers of the rest of creation (Genesis 1:27-28; Psalm 8:4-8).

North's view of human equality with animals is not surprising, given the fact that elsewhere he expresses his support for evolution. At the romantic high point of the story, while Sterling roams the woods alone with Rascal while camping near the beautiful Lake Superior, he recalls a time when his dearly departed mother had

tried to explain the story of creation in the Bible as a means by which a primitive and poetic people sought to record the beginning of things... plants and animals had evolved from the simpler forms of life to the wonderfully complex flora and fauna of our present era. And I had thought there was no one more gracious or knowing than my mother, and nothing more pleasant than the sound of her voice. She seemed very close to me now as Rascal and I made our way up the branch of the Brule (92-93).

Later, Sterling asks his teacher wistfully if raccoons might evolve into humans someday, and she doesn't laugh at his question. This makes him feel she is "a very special person" (139). These two highly-charged, emotional encounters with important women in Sterling's life present the reader with an unsubtle, positive appeal for the theory of evolution, made more powerful because the appeal is emotional rather than rational.

The story is very well written and will be enjoyed by anyone who loves animals and the outdoors. It will be especially attractive to boys, with its masculine-romantic view of nature and his bohemian life with his father. However, North's depiction of families, religion and the created order (especially the origin of life) are sometimes at odds with a biblical worldview. For this reason, although it is written at an 8-12 reading level, Christian parents may want to wait to introduce this book until readers are old enough to read it with discernment.(less)

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Mar 12, 2013 Stacey rated it 5 of 5 stars

I decided to revisit this book, it was a favorite that my Mom used to read to me as a child. Although I couldn't remember any of the specifics, I remembered loving it.
So I bought the book in the hopes that I could read it to my daughter since she loves learning about animals. We read the first chapter together, but she quickly got nervous that something would happen and she wouldn't like it. I wasn't able to relieve her of her fears because honestly I couldn't remember what happened in the end,...more

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Mar 23, 2011 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: children 3rd-8th grade, naturalists

Listened to this book in CD format while driving. Personally loved the descriptive narrative of a much simpler time. This is a calm, sometimes funny book about a year in Sterling North's life @ 1918, particularly about his experiences raising a baby racoon. I loved his naturalist descriptions of the flora and fauna with which he spent much time. I marvelled at how his father apparently left him alone for weeks, and their "vacation" to the North Woods. I feel this book is very different from the...more

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Jul 20, 2009 Mombear added it Recommends it for: EVERYONE!

Recommended to Mombear by: Probably a librarian

This is one of those books you can tuck into a pocket for reading in odd moments (although you may find yourself finishing it in one sitting). It's a classic, a delightful and funny story. The text is particularly rich language and evocative enough that in places it's like paging through a photograph album.

"Rascal" is a classic, and I"m hoping it's still being read in elementary schools everywhere. If it ISN'T, shame on the teachers! I have a copy handy so that I can tuck it in to my bag for lon...more

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Jan 20, 2010 Brianlion added it

This book was probably the best written book out of all th ones I've read so far in Reading class. It's well written and many variable lessons you can pick out easly in on each page, wel, maybe not on every page, but. It also includes some really good words that you might want to look up in the dictionary even if you probably already know some of them.
Rascal, a masked pet, is Sterling's friend since Rascal was snatched by him in the beginning of the book and lets him go in the end. Now that's al...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Millshark rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 06, 2013 Cheryl rated it 5 of 5 stars

The reading group I work with was reading this and I just finished it. I have to say that this is a beautiful story. Sterling North ability to draw a picture for you was just brilliant. It spans over a period of one year, in 1918, when Sterling was twelve, and he adopted a baby raccoon. The story is heartfelt and funny and each chapter tells the highs and lows of each month. Sterling basically was alone, his absentminded father was a lawyer and was gone on business most of the time. His father w...more

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Feb 01, 2013 alana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrenslit

Rascal the raccoon is everywhere in his cartoon form here in Tokyo. I won a plush version of him from a UFO catcher -- adorable! Imagine my surprise when I find a copy of Sterling North's Rascal and discover Rascal was real! My students are so excited to learn that Rascal was really owned as a pet by a little kid and that they had all manner of adventures. I'm excited they'll be learning more about the life cycle of animals and the meaning of animal behaviors. Additionally, the book is set state...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Boys age 8-12

Recommended to Kim by: Judy

Shelves: edes-546, ages-8-12, childrens-books, newbery-honor-award, realistic-fiction, nonfiction, stacs-bookshelf

North, S. (1963). Rascal. Scholastic Inc. New York, NY. 189 pages. ISBN 0-439-16570-9.

A heart-warming story about the friendship between a boy and a racoon. The joy Sterling North experiences with his masked companion draw the reader into various excursions and moments which bring a smile to your face. Children and adults can find simple pleasure in the life of Sterling and the one year he spends raising and growing with Rascal. The ink sketches which appear throughout the novel provide visuals...more

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Apr 06, 2010 Jmkern rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rascal by: Sterling North

SUMMARY:The book is about Sterling and Rascal meeting, then taking a long adventure together, until one spring day everything changes.

(page 185 paragraph 6)
PASSAGE:Moreover, now that he had grown to young adulthood, he was not entirely happy as a domesticated pet. I realized that I was being selfish and inconsiderate to keep him from his natural life in the woods.

WHY I CHOSE MY PASSAGE:I chose my passage because this is when Sterling realized that it was time to let Rasc...more

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May 10, 2009 Beth A. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Beth A. by: Library book club

Shelves: middle-grade

Young Sterling's mother has died, his father is often out of town and often distracted when he is home, and his siblings have grown up and gone away. He finds company in the various wild animals he tames and raises. He has Poe the crow, skunks, woodchucks, numerous cats, and Wowser the Saint Bernard. He's also building an eighteen foot canoe in the living room.

This story is about how he found Rascal the raccoon as a baby, and how the time they spent together. While the stories of Rascal and all...more

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May 25, 2013 Laurie marked it as to-read

Shelves: the-arrow

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....more

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Nov 12, 2012 Delicious Strawberry rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sterling-north, autobiography

So many people consider raccoon vermin, but in this story a boy shows compassion towards a young raccoon and a powerful friendship is formed. It was fun to read about how Sterling raised the raccoon and figured out how to do things with him, such as tricks and the like. He shows that he truly cares for Rascal - kindness to animals is not new or silly.

One of my favorite parts was when Sterling was in a pie-eating contest, and Rascal jumped up and started eating the pie too - against the rules, bu...more

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Nov 07, 2009 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: newbery-honors

It took me awhile to get into this book. I think I made the mistake of trying to read it all in one sitting, when it really is a good little book to read each night. About halfway through, I really began to enjoy this true story about a boy and his pet raccoon, Rascal.

Sterling finds his family in the wild animals he adopts as pets. His mother died at an early age, his father is constantly away on business, and his two sisters are off living their adult lives. When Sterling's Saint Bernard, Wows...more

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Mar 10, 2013 Drew Holland rated it 4 of 5 stars

Would you consider a raccoon to be an exotic pet? Well back in the 1920s, raccoon's were not that exotic. It was socially acceptable to walk around town with a raccoon on your shoulder and have people think nothing of it. People were not surprised at this action. Rascal, by Sterling North is a kind of memoir that demonstrates the life with a raccoon and also showing you society back in 1920.
Sterling wants to have this pet raccoon he found as his pet and he is able to do this, but a wild animal i...more

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Dec 23, 2011 Trace rated it 5 of 5 stars

One of my family's favorite read alouds yet. I would even go so far as to suggest that every boy needs this book in his library. I'm certainly purchasing this one for my son's library. This will be one that we'll be rereading a few times over the years. Quite a bit was over his head - but as mentioned in a recent blog post - when we watched the film version, it was apparent that my 5 year old son absorbed QUITE a bit from the book and kept pointing out areas where the book differed. He really e...more

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Mar 26, 2013 Lewis P rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book Rascal is a heartwarming story of a boy and his pet raccoon named Rascal. I feel that Sterling North did a great job with the setting in this book; I enjoyed reading a book that did not take place in present time but in the past. The only thing about this book that I wasn’t fond of was that some parts of this book were very slow, but other than that this was a great book. I think the part I enjoyed the most in this book was when the boy was in a pie eating contest and Rascal (the boy’s...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Erickl6 rated it 3 of 5 stars

The book was okay. I would recommend this book to someone who lives in the country side in America. I mostly think about the people in the book as rednecks. What I think is odd is that Sterling kept a raccoon as a pet. Now and days people prefer dogs and Persian cats. And whenever people make contact with a raccoon, they leave with a scratched face. But I realize that Sterling, (author) made Sterling, (character) out of the ordinary. He's different from the others, and that is what I like. I sor...more

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Mar 14, 2013 XxForeverXx_Xxvampire_diariezxx rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this for a book club in my class in fifth grade and I really liked it. Even after three years, I still love the characters and Rascal of course!!! This was a heartwarming and sweet memoir about a young boy and his friendship with a wild animal until the day he has to let go. I love all their adventures and funny and sweet moments they had together. This is a true example of a boys great friendship with an animal. Its true when they say your pet is your greatest friend, because they will b...more

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About Sterling North

Thomas Sterling North was an American author of books for children and adults, including 1963's bestselling Rascal. Surviving a near-paralyzing struggle with polio in his teens, he grew to young adulthood in the quiet southern Wisconsin village of Edgerton, which North transformed into the "Brailsford Junction" setting of several of his books.

For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.or ...more

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