The orphan joey nuzzled my pullover and curled into a soft ball. It felt like his mother’s pouch. But the smoke from the burning canes drifted close and the joey tried to jump out of my arms. Smoke frightened him.
Brendon is working with his dad on their raspberry farm when they find an orphaned rat-kangaroo. Brendon takes it home and cares for it. Soon Ras (as he comes to be known) is part of the family, but Brendon and his sister Fiona both know that eventually they will have to return Ras to the wild, where he belongs.
Looking after Ras isn’t always easy, but it is very rewarding. Letting him go isn’t easy either. Brendon isn’t sure he’ll ever get over missing Ras.
Raspberry Rat is a chapter book for 8 to 10 year old readers. Part of the Breakers series from Macmillan Education, it is suitable both for classroom use and for private reading. Many children will be unfamiliar with rat-kangaroos and will enjoy learning about them as they read the book.
A good read.
Raspberry Rat, by Robert Moore
Macmillan Education, 2003