By: Wilson Rawls
I was recently going through my Goodreads shelves, looking at what I had shelved as "Books From My Childhood." And, one that often comes to mind is Where the Red Fern Grows.
Have you all read this book? I think that this book is just so much a part of me that I believe every child read this book on their summer break and wished for a pair of coon dogs. This is also one of my mother's favorite books. I'm also a little partial to it since the main characters last name (Colman) is similar to my maiden name (Coleman).
So, the story goes that Billy sees an advertisement in a magazine for two Redbone Coonhounds for $25. He saves his money and works for 2 years to buy them. After seeing a carving in a tree, he names the puppies Old Dan and Little Ann. Billy trains the puppies and the book details their adventures, including: chopping down "The Big Tree," hunting down the "ghost raccoon," and entering a champion raccoon hunt.
Billy's relationship with his dogs is so sweet, and their adventures are exciting and often funny. This book is timeless and resonated as well with me I think as any other child would.
The ending is incredibly sad. Every time I read it, I weep.
Does Where the Red Fern Grows hold a special place in your heart too? What's your favorite part?
I'm participating in Angieville's Retro Friday meme.
This book made me weep buckets! BUCKETS! Seriously, humans can die and I'm like, aww, that sucks. Kill an animal and I will cry forever.
ReplyDeleteI loved this book too. My dad hunted with hounds (mtn. lions not coons) so we had a lot of hounds that I loved. This book was so sweet and tender and one that stays in the heart.
ReplyDeleteI love this book. I treasure my little old paperback copy very much. And yes, I cry every time. Have you watched any of the movie versions? They are done pretty well.
ReplyDeleteI think this is an awesome feature btw :)
Oh my goodness! My fifth grade teacher read us this one aloud in class. Once we got to the ending the girls were all huddled up in a ball crying into each other and the boys were working as hard as they could to keep their 10-year-old faces as stoic as possible (a handful of them definitely leaked out some tears). That's such a vivid memory of mine =).
ReplyDeleteSooo sad! So good.
I adore Where the Red Fern Grows, I always read it and Summer of the Monkeys with my fourth/fifth graders!
ReplyDeleteLike Christina, I cried buckets as well. I am sad when people die, but when something happens to an animal I can't help but be broken hearted!
ReplyDeleteI remember my teacher read this book allowed to us in school. She never finished it, so I got it from the library and I did NOT see that ending coming.
ReplyDeleteWasn't there also a movie ?
I believe I read this book in fourth grade. Im pretty sure it's the first book that made me cry! ;)
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