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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
My mom read this book to me when I was little, and it is always so cute, endearing, and mischievous. Would definitely recommend to younger readers.
A sweet story set in Wisconsin during WWI about a boy and his pet raccoon.
More kids need to read this gem! It’s an old Newbery Honor about the author and his pet raccoon when he was a kid. I loved how it emphasized hard work and ingenuity. Of course, times have changed and you would get in a LOT of trouble if you caught and kept a raccoon as a pet. But it was still a delightful tale! (And no animals were injured!)
adventurous
slow-paced
Sterling is very confused here. He evokes his mother's teaching of God's creation yet mentions an old earth (millions of years) in several passages. Over done in some parts of description; gets dull and dry. And how is a raccoon not naturally aggressive?
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Some very humorous moments. Overall an interesting peak into a young boy’s like in 1918 with an interesting pet. Not a whole lot happened—just life.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Pros: this is a short, relatively easy read. I think the idea of a domestic raccoon is interesting and probably really appealing to kids. I grew to really like Rascal, who was quite cute.
Cons:
·Ultimately I just found this to be lackluster. It was a lot of nature talk, which I thought was boring. There also, in my opinion, just weren’t strong themes or anything to keep the reader’s engagement besides the idea of a cute raccoon.
·There were opportunities for interesting topics to emerge (he casually drops that two years later he’s in a wheelchair! -presumably polio; tell us more! The aftermath of the ending is probably really interesting too)
·He makes a point to talk about how he stopped trapping animals and made a peace treaty between himself and nature. Yet he actively invaded a mother raccoon’s nest to get Rascal. I understand how these two things go together, though I wish we’d gotten a bit more from him about the implications of his actions and whether he had any mixed feelings
Recommendation: I recommend for people who love animals and don’t need engaging plots or complex themes. This wasn’t bad, but it just really left me feeling bored and unsatisfied.
One of the best children's books ever. For adults too. It has taken on a special meaning for me now that I live in Wisconsin. Such a great period piece of childhood in 1920s America.
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Still one of my absolute favorites. The ending was rather abrupt though -- I was expecting a little bit more, and was surprised when it wasn't there. Maybe my childhood copy has a postscript or something?