Rasmus and the Vagabond by Astrid Lindgren - REVIEWED

About the Book:
After running away from an orphanage, nine-year-old Rasmus finds the world a cold and unfriendly place until he befriends an extraordinary tramp called Paradise Oscar. Together they meet more adventure than they ever imagined, solve a mystery, and catch the culprits. Rasmus dreams of finding a family and a home someday. But when he does, will he be able to part with his new friend and life on the road?

My Thoughts:

“These were summer smells and all his life they would bring back to him this summer day on the road.”  (p. 49)

Astrid Lindgren wrote the story of Rasmus and the Vagabond decades ago, but she has captured the timelessness of youthful adventure!  Young hearts will be captured by Rasmus and his adventures with Oscar for years to come!  I’m decades past the intended target age for this book, and I was spellbound from beginning to end.

I think what I appreciate most about this book is its honesty.  Rasmus has experienced a lot of hardships in his very brief time on earth, but the hopefulness of a young, innocent heart enables him to be brave enough to escape his fear and enter the open road with a virtual stranger.  Oscar and Rasmus become quick friends, and when they face danger, they do it together.  Not everyone is as fine and trustworthy as they appear, and although Oscar’s vagabond existence casts doubt his way. However, his constant honesty stands him in good stead and enables him to aide those who truly need help.

Rasmus comes to care a great deal about Oscar, and it turns out, Oscar has a few secrets of his own to reveal!  This is a tender, honest look at youthful innocence and adventure at its finest.  As many hardships as Rasmus had faced, his life was spared in the truest sense of the word.  I highly recommend this book for every young adult library!!

About the Author:
Astrid Lindgren, the creator of Pippi Longstocking, Emil, and dozens of other world-famous characters, has thrilled three generations of children with her storytelling. She is the only children’s author with a literary prize, a theme park, a museum, a satellite, and a minor planet named in her honor. (After this last honor, she suggested changing her name to “Asteroid Lindgren.”) A jury appointed by Swedish Radio’s Culture Department to elect the “Author of the Millennium” voted Astrid Lindgren second after William Shakespeare. She was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Medal and heaps of other awards and honors.