Rascal Book Report
Reading Class 2015-2016
Information About the Book
Rascal was written by Sterling North. Rascal was published in 1963. The genre is realistic fiction. It is also a Newbery Honor Book.
Plot Summary
Rascal is a book about Sterling North, as a young boy. He keeps many animals in his house and yard. One day, he was in the woods, and his dog dug up a raccoon's nest. There was a mother raccoon and her kits. They all run, except for one, which he determines is old enough to take home with him.
Sterling nurtures the little raccoon, and eventually names him Rascal. Sterling takes his raccoon everywhere with him. That is until Rascal gets into the neighbor's sweet corn. The neighbors tell Sterling he must build a cage and keep Rascal in it. He also must get a leash and collar if he is going to take him out of the cage. Then school starts, and the war in France ends. Sterling's brother, Hershel, can come home soon. Hershel notifies Sterling that he is unharmed.
Setting
Rascal takes place during May 1918-April 1919, in Wisconsin.
How the Setting Affects the Plot
The setting is important to the plot because if he had never lived by a woods, he never would have found Rascal in the first place. The time affected how people did things. It also meant they would have acted different. The time also means that his brother is fighting in a war in France. This also means Sterling has more freedom to go and do things in the town than if he lived today.
Protagonists
Sterling, he is caring, he takes very good care of Rascal, he gives Rascal many luxuries, and he feeds Rascal foods Rascal likes.
Rascal, curious, Rascal tries many different foods, likes to touch and feel shiny objects, and he likes to adventure in the woods.
Antagonists
Sterling's neighbors, bossy, they force Sterling to build a cage for Rascal, they make him get a leash for Rascal, and they try to shoot down his pet crow.
Point of view and Why it is important
First Person (From Sterling's point of view)
The point of view is important because if it were from anyone else's point of view, the story would be very different. If it were from Rascal's, he would probably talk about what he thought about everything, and we probably wouldn't know why he was put in a cage. If the point of view was from another person, they probably wouldn't understand why he has a pet Raccoon, or what he is going through.
Conflicts
1. External, Sterling finds Rascal in the hole, Rascal climbs a tree, and now Sterling must get him down.
2. Internal, Sterling does not want to put Rascal into the cage he was forced to build.
3. Internal, Sterling must decide if he is going to let Rascal free in the wild, or try and keep him.
Theme
Don't get to attached to your pets because things happen.