The Infamous Ratsos

This children's chapter book follows two brothers, Louie and Ralphie Ratso, who live in the Big City with their father, Big Lou. Louie is in fifth grade and Ralphie in third. Big Lou drives a truck, a forklift, and sometimes a snowplow, and he divides the world into two kinds of people: "those who are tough, and those who are soft" (2). Big Lou is tough. He hardly ever smiles and rarely speaks, preferring action over words. Each morning he grumbles "Hang tough" and slams the door on his way to work. The brothers' mother, Mama Ratso, has been gone for a little while, and the loss is painful for the whole family. None of them like to think about her.

Louie and Ralphie want to prove they are tough, just like their father. They walk to school every day because taking the bus is for softies. At recess they lean against the wall, glare at everyone, and take turns spitting rather than playing. One day, Louie, who considers himself the smart one, notices a bigger student named Chad Badgerton wearing a new red hat that is too small for his head. Louie proposes they steal it. Ralphie distracts Chad while Louie snatches the hat. Before Louie can put it on, a smaller student named Tiny Crawley runs over with Miss Beavers, the third-grade teacher. Tiny claims the hat is his; Chad had taken it from him on the bus. Miss Beavers praises the brothers for standing up for Tiny, and the entire playground treats them like heroes. Chad is sent to the principal's office. Louie insists they are tough, not nice, but nobody listens. Ralphie wishes they were the ones being sent to the principal's office, and Louie decides they need to step up their efforts.

When a heavy snowstorm closes school, Big Lou leaves to do snowplowing. Louie comes up with a new plan: They will shovel all the snow from the sidewalk and pile it in front of Mr. O'Hare's store so the shopkeeper cannot open his door. The brothers bundle up, grab their shovels, and head outside. The snow falls so heavily they can barely see. They argue about which direction to shovel, with Louie pulling rank as the older brother. Exhausted, they collapse onto a snowdrift and fall asleep. They wake to Mr. O'Hare standing in his doorway, tears in his eyes, thanking them. The brothers had gotten turned around in the blinding snow and shoveled the sidewalk clear instead of blocking it. Mr. O'Hare vows to tell all his customers how thoughtful they are. Louie insists they are tough, not thoughtful, but the shopkeeper is already cheerfully open for business. The defeated brothers trudge home and spend the rest of the day shivering in their long johns and drinking hot chocolate.

Their next scheme arises when Louie's teacher, Mr. Ferretti, introduces a new student named Florinda "Fluffy" Rabbitski, who has just moved to the Big City. Chad Badgerton mocks her name and appearance, and nobody sits with her at lunch. Louie observes that she seems like a softie and hatches a plan. That night, the brothers make a sandwich piled high with the worst foods they can find in the refrigerator. At lunch the next day, they invite Fluffy to sit with them and present her with the foul-smelling "Fluffy Special." Ralphie braces for her reaction, but Fluffy takes a huge bite and loves it. The pickled mushrooms, beets, and eggplant remind her of her nana's cooking. She tells the brothers they are the first people to make her feel at home since her move and promises to tell everyone how generous they are. Louie protests that they are tough, not generous, but Fluffy is not listening. Tiny Crawley slides in to join their table, further expanding the brothers' unwanted circle of admirers. Ralphie suggests that he should come up with the next idea.

On the walk home from school, the brothers pass the house of Mrs. Porcupini, a neighbor who leans on a cane and stares out her window with a permanently sour expression, reserving her sourest looks for them. That night, after Big Lou falls asleep, Ralphie reveals his plan: They will sneak out with bars of soap and rub them all over Mrs. Porcupini's windows so she cannot see out in the morning. The brothers creep outside and cover every window in the house. By the time they finish, the sun is rising. Louie yawns loudly enough to wake Mrs. Porcupini, who yelps in surprise and calls them back. The brothers expect trouble, but Mrs. Porcupini's sour expression has been replaced by one of delight. She explains that a knee injury has prevented her from washing her own windows, and looking through dirty glass has pained her. She praises the boys for seeing someone in need and acting on it. Ralphie insists they are tough, not helpful, but Mrs. Porcupini is already directing them to the garden hose. The brothers spend the rest of the morning rinsing off the soap until her windows sparkle.

When the exhausted brothers arrive home, they find Big Lou waiting in the kitchen with an open letter from school. The letter, written by Mr. Ferretti and Miss Beavers, commends them for welcoming the new student, making her lunch, and stopping a bully. Big Lou adds that Mr. O'Hare told him about the shoveling. The brothers each point at the other and say, "He did it." Ralphie calls all the good deeds accidents, and Louie agrees. Louie admits the truth: They just want to be like their father, tough.

Big Lou looks at the photo of Mama Ratso hanging on the wall and hangs his head. He tells the boys that the last thing they should want is to be like him. He acknowledges that losing their mother has been hard on all of them, but says the boys have found a way to take care of themselves and be good to others. He should try to be more like them. Louie and Ralphie look at Mama's photo too and remember how soft, warm, and good she was. Big Lou wraps his arms around both brothers and admits that "Being tough all the time is so . . . so . . . tough" (49). Louie claims he has something in his eye, and Ralphie says the same. Before long, all three Ratsos are crying, Big Lou loudest of all.

The closing chapter mirrors the book's opening, reintroducing the family with Big Lou now alongside his sons. Everyone in the Big City knows the Ratsos and stays out of their way, wondering what they might do next. Their activities now include raking and bagging leaves on windy days, fixing broken fences, and pushing kids on the playground swing. Big Lou adopts a new outlook: "Life is tough enough. We might as well try to make it easier for one another, whenever we can" (55). Louie, still considering himself the smart one, an opinion Fluffy shares, announces he has big plans. Fluffy eagerly volunteers to join in, Tiny Crawley expresses his delight, and Ralphie agrees.