Rasmus and the Vagabond {Review and Giveaway}

A few months ago Lauren started asking to pick the books that I read aloud to her during our school day. We reached a compromise by alternating who gets to pick the book. This way she gets to pick whichever fun new book catches her attention and I still get to pick some good books that she might overlook. The one problem with this system is that I feel a lot of pressure to make sure that I pick good books -- books with a engaging characters and a captivating storyline.

When I heard about a review opportunity for Astrid Lindgren's book Rasmus and the Vagabond, I thought it would fit the bill perfectly. It's been a few years since I've read her famous books about Pippi Longstocking, but I remember the stories fondly.

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? (publisher's description) 

Our thoughts:

Rasmus and the Vagabond was a perfect read-aloud to add to our collection. It had lovable, real characters and plenty of action to us interested in reading the next chapter. Lauren's favorite part of the book was when Rasmus met Oscar and joined him as a vagabond. I preferred the action-packed chapters where Rasmus and Oscar were hiding from the gangsters.

Although it was a great book to share with my daughter, this book might be even better to share with a young boy. I remember when Brennan was younger and I struggled to find quality children's books with strong (but likable) male characters. Rasmus is the sort of character that boys can identify with, a character that tries to do the right thing but somehow gets mixed up in trouble.

Rasmus and the Vagabond is 180 pages long and is written at a third or fourth grade reading level (according to my calculations). It would be perfect for third or fourth graders and would also appeal to a slightly younger audience. I'd definitely recommend it for early readers who are having trouble finding age-appropriate materials written at a more advanced reading level.

Giveaway:

The publisher has offered to give a paperback copy of Rasmus and the Vagabond to one of my readers. To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment below. A winner will be randomly chosen from all comments posted by 10:00 pm (MST) on Friday, February 13th.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.