This is really two great stories. The first is about Rascal, the raccoon who is rescued by Sterling, the young narrator, and who becomes a member of the family. The second story, which is no less entertaining, is about a year in the life of a country boy, circa 1918.

The book is organized by chapter, with each chapter usually covering a single month in the life of Sterling.

Rascal has earned it's status as a beloved classic, by presenting an unforgettable tale of a boy who falls in love, and then must do the right thing. This is the same formula that makes other books tick, but it's hard to imagine anyone doing a better job than Sterling, who brings us into young Sterling's head so intimately that we share his joy, frustration, and sorrow as he rides an emotional roller coaster powered by Rascal.

The intricately drawn black and white illustrations by John Schoenerr are also very good, capturing the classic spirit of the book with ease and style.

This story has an amazing hook for young readers. What youngster hasn't dreamed of owning a pet raccoon, or some other exotic pet? Readers will learn important lessons about nature and the human spirit. This is a terrific book, and I highly recommend it.

I enjoyed this book greatly. I read a chapter each night to my grandchildren and they absolutely loved it. They didn't want me
to stop reading.

Eleven-year-old Sterling North had always been an animal lover. A crow named Poe, skunks, woodchucks. You name it, and at some point in his lifetime, Sterling had it as a pet. Rascal the raccoon is just a baby when Sterling comes across him in the woods and decides to take him home to join his crusade of pets. However, unlike Sterling's other pets, the little raccoon loves nothing more than following Sterling in his every activity, and soon Rascal is accompanying Sterling on camping excursions, and daily fishing and swimming trips. Boy and raccoon are inseparable for a full year, until the springtime arrives, and everything changes.

As an avid animal lover, I knew that I had to have Sterling North's RASCAL, when I spotted it in the bookstore, and am I ever glad that I purchased it. RASCAL is one of those books that is extremely hard to put down, that pulls at your heartstrings and makes you laugh at the very same time. Filled with wonderful adventures involving Sterling and his loving raccoon, RASCAL is a winner that will put a smile on every reader's face.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

I read this book in about 3 days, and that was even easy. It was a really good book and I really enjoyed it. But what made it good wasn't the suspense, or drama, like most books. It was the relationship that the boy and his new found best friend, Rascal the raccoon, have throughout the story. A raccoon isn't normally the first animal you'd think of for a nice cuddly pet, but Sterling isn't your normal boy either. He had skunks, woodchucks, a crow named Poe, and several cats, not to mention a half finished 18 foot canoe sitting in the middle of his living room. So Rascal was easily looked at as part of the family. It's really neat how much Sterling loves Rascal, especially when Rascal starts to get into trouble with the neighbors and costs Sterling all of the money he has saved, to finish his canoe, for repair costs. I think that if you read it, you will enjoy it too.