Ratbags and Rascals

by Robin Klein

A collection of seventeen short stories, including The Anti Snore Machine, Parker Hamilton (about a family robot) and How Clara Bepps Put Strettle Street Properly on the Map. (Young Clara thinks her street is so boring but she soon rectifies this by adding stars on the footpath, a swimming pool inside a dissused house and a stage where you can bring something and take something.)

Genres: Short Stories, Humor, Childrens

170 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Winner of the Dromkeen Medal (1991).

Robin Klein was born 28 February 1936 in Kempsey, New South Wales into a family of nine children. Leaving school at age 15, Klein worked several jobs before becoming established as a writer, having her first story published at age 16. She would go on to write more than 40 books, including Hating Alison Ashley (adapted into a feature film starring Delta Goodrem in 2005), Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left (adapted into a television series for the Seven Network in 1992), and Came Back to Show You I Could Fly (adapted into a film directed by Richard Lowenstein in 1993).

Klein’s books are hugely celebrated, having won the CBCA Children’s Book of the Year Award in both the Younger Readers and the Older Readers categories, as well as a Human Rights Award for Literature in 1989 for Came Back to Show You I Could Fly. Klein is widely considered one of Australia’s most prolific and beloved YA authors.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars -- This collection of humorous middle grade stories written by an Australian author contained one brilliant one and several good ones, but they were only enough to allow the whole book to be rounded up to an average rating. My scores for each story are as follows: "The Kidnapping of Clarissa Montgomery" - 2, "Hey, Danny!" - 2, "The Visitor (Extra-Terrestrial)" - 1, "Parker Hamilton" - 2, "When Alice Jones Got Her Dress Burned" - 1, "Plover and Cuff" - 3, "The Seance" - 5, "Sitting Next to William" - 3, "The Room with Five Doors" - 4, "The Last Pirate" - 4, "Anti-Snore Machine" - 4, "Brother Ninian's Blot" - 4, "Irritating Irma" - 3, "Swapcard Season" - 2, "Jane's Mansion" - 4, "J. Roodie" - 1, "How Clara Bebbs Put Strettle Street Properly on the Map" - 2. With no checkouts & no other library having this title, #36 in the 2026 Search & Purge is weeded.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun collection! Random memory, my friend Penny always saying 'rascals' like a Sydneysider. Sounded so wrong. ;)