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

Some audiobooks have star narrators. Others let the narrative itself be the star. RASCAL falls into the second category, and the Newbery Honor book’s down-home narrative is as warm and compelling as a long conversation with your best friend. This first-person account tells the story of North’s boyhood and his relationship with a raccoon he discovered as an abandoned kit. North, Rascal and North’s good-natured St. Bernard, Wowser, bounce from one adventure to the next. Sala could easily be North; his no-nonsense Middle American voice brings this charming animal story to life. M.C. © AudioFile, Portland, Maine