Little Rascal

"Rascal" is one of the truly classic animal stories; one that equals "Ring of Bright Water" and "The Incredible Journey." It's not just a story about a boy and a raccoon, it is a story about growing up. Sterling North did a grand job of recreating his boyhood days in smalltown America and his wonderful pets - a dog, a crow, and Rascal.

Sterling raised Rascal from a kit, feeding him at first with warm milk through a straw. As Rascal grew, he and Sterling became inseperable. Rascal loved to ride in Sterling's bike basket and learned to drink soda from a bottle. But as Rascal got bigger, he became a big problem. The neighbors became understandably upset when Rascal raided their gardens, cornfields, and chicken coops. Desperate to keep his pet, Sterling resorted to caging him, but ultimately realized that Rascal needed and deserved his freedom.

This is a delightful tale, though bittersweet. Sterling and his father, two men on their own (until nosy sister Theo shows up) care little for keeping a tidy house, and Sterling is even allowed to construct a canoe in the living room. It is in this canoe that Sterling takes Rascal on their last adventure together, when Sterling sets him free and, in the last line of the book, paddles away without looking back. I remember how hard I cried the first time I read this book, but the message is clear: wild animals should be free. We never know what became of Rascal, but I wish him well.