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Where the Red Fern Grows

Wilson Rawls

4.07 · Rating details · 324,062 ratings · 10,594 reviews

A loving threesome, they ranged the dark hills and river bottoms of Cherokee country. Old Dan had the brawn. Little Ann had the brains, and Billy had the will to make them into the finest hunting team in the valley. Glory and victory were coming to them, but sadness waited too. Where the Red Fern Grows is an exciting tale of love and adventure you'll never forget.

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Mass Market Paperback, 272 pages

Published May 9th 2000 by Yearling (first published 1961)

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Jul 10, 2007 Melinda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: everyone who has a heart

I read this book in 4th grade. One day I was waiting for class when an obnoxious boy decided it would be a good idea to take it. I informed him that it was my favorite book in the whole wide world and if he didn't give it back that he'd be sorry. He then threatened to tear the book in half. With that I walked over to him, hit him over the head with my cast (I had broken my wrist a few weeks prior), took my book and calmly walked away.

I think that a book that inspires someone to violence in the ...more

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Apr 09, 2007 karen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kiddiwinx, les-animaux, favorites, roof

this is one of my favorite books in all the land. i read it at least a million times when i was little, and it holds such a special place in my heart, i can't even begin to review it. having said all that, there are those who have a problem with the ending, because let's just say it's fairly devastating. so, as a band-aid to the heart of monica!, i have rewritten the ending to make it a little more jolly. with all apologies to wilson rawls, whose ending i thought was spectacular, allow me to this is one of my favorite books in all the land. i read it at least a million times when i was little, and it holds such a special place in my heart, i can't even begin to review it. having said all that, there are those who have a problem with the ending, because let's just say it's fairly devastating. so, as a band-aid to the heart of monica!, i have rewritten the ending to make it a little more jolly. with all apologies to wilson rawls, whose ending i thought was spectacular, allow me to present THE WAY Where the Red Fern Grows SHOULD HAVE ENDED. AND NOW DOES.

(view spoiler)[ The fourth time they treed, they were on top of a mountain. After the long chase, I figured the animal was winded and would stay in the tree. In a trot I started to them.

As I neared the tree, Little Ann came to me, reared up, and whined. By her actions, I knew something was wrong. I stopped. In the moonlight, I could see Old Dan sitting on his haunches, staring up at the tree and bawling.

The tree had lots of dead leaves on it. I knew it was a large white oak because it is one of the last trees in the mountains to lose its leaves.

Old Dan kept bawling. Then he did something he had never done before. For seconds his deep voice was still, and silence settled over the mountains. My eyes wandered from the tree to him. His lips were curled back and he snarled as he stared into the dark foliage of the tree. His teeth gleamed white in the moonlight. The hair on his neck and along his back stood on end. A low, deep, rumbling growl rolled from his throat.

I was scared and I called to him. I wanted to get away from there. Again I called, but it was no use. He wouldn't leave the tree, for in his veins flowed the breeded blood of a hunting hound. In his fighting heart, there was no fear.

I set the lantern down and tightened my grip on the handle of the boombox. Slowly I started walking toward him. I thought, "If I can get close enough to him, I can grab his collar." I kept my eyes on the tree as I edged forward. Little Ann stayed by my side. She, too, was watching the tree.

Then I saw them - two burning, yellow eyes - staring at me from the shadowy foliage of the tree. I stopped, petrified with fear.

The deep baying of Old Dan stopped and again the silence closed in.

I stared back at the unblinking eyes.

I could make out the bulk of a large animal, crouched on a huge branch, close to the trunk of the big tree. Then it moved. I heard the scratch of razor-sharp hooves on the bark. It stood up and moved out of the shadows on to the limb. I saw it clearly as it passed between the moon and me. I knew what it was. It was the devil unicorn of the Ozarks.

The silence was shattered by one long, loud bawl from Old Dan. I'd never heard my dog bawl like that. It was different. His voice rang out over the mountains, loud and clear. The vibration of the deep tones rolled in the silence of the frosty night, on and on, out over the flats, down in the canyons, and died away in the rimrocks like the cry of a lost soul. Old Dan had voiced his challenge to the unicorn.

There was a low cough and a deep snort from the unicorn. I saw him crouch. I knew what was coming.

Dance-off.

My hands felt hot and sweaty on the smooth handle of the boombox. With a blood-curdling whinny he sprang from the tree with limbs outspread and long, yellow horn bared.

Old Dan didn't wait. Rearing up on his hind legs, he met the unicorn in the air and busted out a smooth pop & lock. the groove rolled him over and over. He wound up in a fallen treetop.

The impact of his classic moves threw the unicorn off balance. Little Ann darted in. Her aim was true. I heard the snap of her paws as she deployed a full-out Harlem Shake.

With a squall of awe and rage, the unicorn spun around and began rocking his pelvis, performing some advanced booty-pops. His right hoof reached out and curved over his shoulder, in a "what you got??" taunt. Sinews tightened.

Little Ann executed a pas de beurre into a jazz square blowing his mind with this bizarre combo.

Old Dan, stunned for an instant from the impact of her footwork, fought his way from the treetop.

Bawling the cry of the damned, he charged back in.

I went berserk, and charged into the crew.

There in the flinty hills of the Ozarks, I fought for the honor of my dogs. I fought with the only weapon I had - the dance.

Screaming like a madman, with tears running down my face, I did the Running Man, the Cabbage Patch, the Humpty Hump at the big twerking unicorn.

Once, feeling the bite of my Roger Rabbit, the unicorn turned on me. His yellow slitted eyes burned with hate. The long, lithe body dipped low to the ground. The shoulder muscles knotted and bulged as it negotiated a textbook Worm. I tried to jump back, but my foot slipped and I dropped to my knees. I knew I was trapped. With a terrifying scream he sprang - in a death-spiral pirouette.

I never saw my dogs when they got between the unicorn and me, but they were there. Side by side, they rose up from the ground as one. They sailed straight into that horn of death, their small, red bodies taking the frantic krumping meant for me.

I screamed and charged back into the battle, swinging my arms, but I was careful not to disrupt the groove of my dogs.

The battle raged on and on, down the side of the mountain, over huckleberry bushes, fallen logs, and rocks. It was a rolling, tumbling mass of dancing fury. I was in the middle of it all, falling, screaming, crying and Crip Walking at every opportunity.

I had impressed the unicorn several times. Sweat ran through its mane, but as yet I had not busted that decisive move. I knew it had to be soon for my dogs were no match against the freestyle mastery of the unicorn.

The screams of the unicorn and the deep bellowing voices of my dogs echoed through the mountains as if the beat box of hell had been turned loose. Down the side of the mountain, the terrible competition went on, down to the very bottom of the canyon.

The unicorn had Old Dan by the balls. Figuratively. I knew he was looking to own him with the all-important move - the moonwalk. At the pitiful bawl of Old Dan, Little Ann, throwing caution to the wind, ran in and began an uprock sequence with burns that I had never seen from her before. With her claws digging into the mountain soil, she braced herself, and started pulling. The muscles in her small legs knotted and quivered. She was trying hard to pull off a routine that would end this once and for all.

In the rays of a bright Ozark moon, I could see clearly. For an instant I saw the broad back of the big unicorn. I saw the knotty bulge of steel-bound muscle, the piston-like jerk of the deadly hind legs, trying for the moonwalk that could disembowel a dog. Again, figuratively.

Raising the boombox high over my head, like John Cusack, I blasted a beat I knew would inspire Ann to funktastery. My aim was true. The beats cleaved through the tension. They seemed to hiss as they sliced their way through the dancers. Ann began to spin, faster and faster.

The unicorn broke eye contact with Old Dan. With a scream of pain, he reared up on his hind legs and started pawing at the air. But it was too late. Ann was in the zone. Her eyes were shut tight and her small feet were digging and clawing in the dirt. All of a sudden, she began to levitate, rising high in the air. Her long, red body sailed and twirled in between the hooves of the gasping unicorn.

The unicorn screamed again. Sweat gurgled and sprayed. In a rainbow-colored mist, it rained out over the underbrush and rattled like sleet on the white oak leaves.In a boxer's stance, he stood and clawed at the air. His slitted eyes turned green with hate. He seemed to be unaware that the battle was over, and kept staring at me. I stood in a trance and stared back at Little Ann's vertical ascent.

The expectation of triumph was slowly leaving him. He had been schooled but was refusing to go down. My boombox continued to churn out fat beats. A shudder ran through his body. He tried once again to moonwalk. But it was too late.

It was the end of the trail for the scourge of the dance. No more would he scream his challenge from the rimrocks to the valley below. The small, harmless calves and the young colts would be safe from his Boogaloo.

He fell toward me. It seemed that with his last effort he was still trying to step to me.

And then, abruptly, his hooves struck the ground. With a final snort, he tossed his mane in defeat, and slitted his eyes at the still-spinning, still-levitating Little Ann. Scowling at each of us in turn, he whinnied as if to say, "You win this one, but this is not over! For realz," and galloped off into the frosty darkness.

Ann's rotations began to slow as she corkscrewed down to the ground again. Panting, Old Dan ran to her and sniffed her all over, his tail wagging furiously. I lowered the boombox, pressed the "Stop" button, and the sounds of the forest returned in the ensuing calm.

"Well, that was close!" I declared as Little Ann and Old Dan wrapped up their olfactory celebration. They turned to me with great doggie grins, their tails red blurs behind them.

"Who wants kibbles?" I asked my beloved pets.

And then the three of us lived forever and ever and ever the end.

(hide spoiler)]

come to my blog! ...more

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Aug 25, 2007 Rebecca rated it it was amazing

I read this book in sixth grade and cried my twelve-year-old heart out. Another book I share with my sixth grade students. What I find is that this book in particular allows the boys in my class to get emotional about a story and be able to talk about it together and normalize it. It is almost a contest for them of who got most upset. One student said he finished it on a plane ride home and that the flight attendant kept coming up to him asking him if he was alright. I've had many students tell ...more

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Dec 29, 2009 Mike (the Paladin) rated it did not like it

Let me say first that some love this book and to be fair I never read it except to get an idea of the story.(updated:please read what I actually said there. Any book I don't care for enough to finish will usually get a 1 star or at best a 2.) You will find in my books low ratings for Black Beauty, The Yearling, Old Yeller and any books that have the "pain of life motif" in common. By the way this includes Cold Mountain. Look up my review and you'll see I try to give recognition that it's well ...more

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Aug 05, 2016 Cheri rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: animals-dogs, 2016, boy-and-his-dogs, childrens-classics

Wilson Rawls’ classic, timeless story of a young boy’s coming-of-age is heartbreaking, sentimental, and utterly charming. An ode to love, family and the beauty of nature. Set in the Ozarks, northeastern Oklahoma, Billy wants nothing more than to have a puppy, or to be more specific, two puppies. He wants to train them for hunting, although his mother has forbidden him to use or own a gun until he is 21 or older. For two years he waits, collecting enough money doing whatever jobs he can, he ...more

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May 18, 2016 Amanda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: children-literature, 2016-log

"I knelt down and gathered them into my arms. I buried my face between their wiggling bodies and cried. The stationmaster, sensing something more than two dogs and a boy, waited in silence."

Woodrow Wilson Rawls' timeless coming-of-age Classic is a beautifully heartbreaking story and sentimental favorite. Where the Red Fern Grows explores the love between a boy and his dogs and the bond between two dogs. The Disney movie was a staple of my childhood, but I'm still unsure of whether or not I'd "I knelt down and gathered them into my arms. I buried my face between their wiggling bodies and cried. The stationmaster, sensing something more than two dogs and a boy, waited in silence."

Woodrow Wilson Rawls' timeless coming-of-age Classic is a beautifully heartbreaking story and sentimental favorite. Where the Red Fern Grows explores the love between a boy and his dogs and the bond between two dogs. The Disney movie was a staple of my childhood, but I'm still unsure of whether or not I'd ever read the book until now.

Ten-year-old Billy grew up in the Cherokee country in northeastern Oklahoma in the rugged Ozarks. He is infected with the wonderful yet terrible disease of puppy love- not the kind a boy might feel for a pretty girl but the "real kind" for a furry, four-legged friend. Billy's unshakable desire to obtain two hound dogs for coon hunting dominates his existence. His desire is all-consuming, and he works incessantly for two years to save the exorbitant amount of fifty dollars needed to purchase the pups.

I was most moved by the authenticity of the narrative. There is no doubt that many of the aspects of the story are autobiographical including the setting, the knowledge of hunting, and incorporating homeschooling and farming into the plot. I also enjoyed the beautiful description of the natural world that Rawls provided.

I heard the "Bam, bam, bam" of a woodpecker high in the top of a box elder snag. The cry of a kingfisher and the scream of a bluejay blended perfectly with the drumlike beat. A barking red squirrel, glued to the side of a hackberry tree, kept time to the music with the beat of his tail.

I highly recommend this novel to children of all ages, including grown ones, who have ever loved a dog or been inflicted with the "dog-wanting disease." Billy is a wonderful example of character, especially for young children. Among his admirable qualities are humility, determination, generosity, and deep love for his family.

Excerpt:
"Men," said Mr. Kyle, "people have been trying to understand dogs ever since the beginning of time. One never knows what they'll do. You can read every day where a dog saved the life of a drowning child, or lay down his life for his master. Some people call this loyalty. I don't. I may be wrong, but I call it love- the deepest kind of love."
"It's a shame that people all over the world can't have that kind of love in their hearts," he said. "There would be no wars, slaughter, or murder; no greed or selfishness. It would be the kind of world that God wants us to have- a wonderful world."

Almost equally as interesting was the life story of the author. Rawls was born in 1913 in Oklahoma. He had little interest in reading until he was introduced to Jack London's The Call of the Wild. He decided then to become a writer and wrote on any scraps of paper he could find. The family left Oklahoma and headed for California in 1935 during the Depression and ended up settling in New Mexico after their car broke down. In 1958 when Rawls became engaged, he burned all of his manuscripts because he was ashamed of his writing and lack of formal education. When his wife Sophie learned of his dream, she encouraged him to rewrite his story. She corrected his grammar and punctuation, and Where the Red Fern Grows was published in 1961.

...more

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Oct 15, 2008 Kendra rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: everyone

We finished it! I read this aloud with my kids and as I read through the final sentences, we were all in tears. I am not talking teary eyes, but body rocking sobs. My six year old did not stop for almost twenty minutes. When he was finished he said it was the greatest story he had ever heard. My eight year old wanted to meet the author and thank him for such a great book. I loved this book and recommend it to everyone. Just read it with a box of tissues nearby.

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Oct 07, 2014 Jonathan Ashleigh rated it really liked it

I read this book when I was in grade school and it always stuck out as an effortless read. I still remember the storyline and the characters and the ending was magical.

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Aug 30, 2017 Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: a-own-book-form, drama-gen-fiction, sad, didnt-like-ending, classics, dislike-protagonist, 2-star, movie-havent-seen, small-town, reviewed

A young boy dreams of having pets of his own – wait, scratch that to mean dogs of his own because technically they already have a pet cat Sammy. I’m thinking Sammy doesn’t matter much to the family since the dad laughs at the cat limping with injured paws when he accidentally keeps getting his paws injured from Billy’s trap. At least he gets bandaged, but Sammie soon abandons the family when he develops a fear of people (go figure).

The first part of the book is Billy saving up money and working A young boy dreams of having pets of his own – wait, scratch that to mean dogs of his own because technically they already have a pet cat Sammy. I’m thinking Sammy doesn’t matter much to the family since the dad laughs at the cat limping with injured paws when he accidentally keeps getting his paws injured from Billy’s trap. At least he gets bandaged, but Sammie soon abandons the family when he develops a fear of people (go figure).

The first part of the book is Billy saving up money and working hard to get dogs – not for companionship at first, but hunting partners – and eventually he succeeds in getting both of his goals met – dogs and training them to be strong hunters. Seriously the book has so little plot that I was bored most of the time. It’s an endless cycle of Billy and his dogs hunting down poor raccoons and other animals in the valley. Besides disturbing, it doesn’t hold the interest.

Throw in two tragedies and an unrealistic reward of money that fits the parents goals, and you have this book. Plotless, it isn't a coming of age story, it's a boy who wants dogs so he can hunt raccoons.

There isn’t character development. The mother’s role in the book is to worry about her son being placed into so many dangerous situations while still letting him go into more dangerous situations. The “sisters” are mentioned all the time as being backdrops to cry on demand when they’re upset – but they don’t earn the respect of getting any names or individual personalities. I guess the girls are too alike to bother.

The end tragedy is of course sad but hardly a surprise. What happens is a realistic consequence of having hunting dogs that you keep placing in dangerous situations. What bugged me is the author took the religious tones of the books to an unhealthy level with the father being especially annoying - Spoilers for the end - (view spoiler) Of course we get the "man speech" too, which grates me.

Not seeing why the book is a praised classic. I'm leaving it two stars over one because the writing style is actually good and I enjoyed the sense of nostalgia during the opener. Two thumbs down from me.

...more

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Jun 06, 2018 Loretta rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: classic, favorites, five-star-reads, children, animals, my-2018-reading-challenge, the-great-american-read

Excellent story! Heartwarming and spiritual! ...more

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Nov 07, 2013 Sh3lly rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: children-books, read-more-than-once, read-2016, dis-is-a-rully-good-lurv-story, 5-stars

“Men,” said Mr. Kyle, “people have been trying to understand dogs ever since the beginning of time. One never knows what they’ll do. You can read every day where a dog saved the life of a drowning child, or lay down his life for his master. Some people call this loyalty. I don’t. I may be wrong, but I call it love – the deepest kind of love.”

“It’s a shame that people all over the world can’t have that kind of love in their hearts,” he said. “There would be no wars, slaughter, or murder; no greed ...more

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Jan 19, 2019 Melki rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classic-fiction, middle-grade-readers, audio-book

"I'll never forget you; and this I know - if God made room in heaven for all good dogs, I know he made a special place for you."

This is my first go-round with this fine, and affecting classic. I thoroughly enjoyed it, though I hope to never again hear the word entrails repeated so many times . . . particularly in a book aimed at younger readers.

description

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Feb 23, 2019 Johann (jobis89) rated it liked it · review of another edition

“You can read every day where a dog saved the life of a drowning child, or lay down his life for his master. Some people call this loyalty. I don’t. I may be wrong, but I call it love - the deepest kind of love.”

A story of a young boy and his two dogs who become the finest hunting team in the valley.

And the crying continues..... As I made my way through this one, I felt like I wasn’t THAT attached to the characters and that everyone who told me I’d bawl my eyes out was wrong... but y’all were “You can read every day where a dog saved the life of a drowning child, or lay down his life for his master. Some people call this loyalty. I don’t. I may be wrong, but I call it love - the deepest kind of love.”

A story of a young boy and his two dogs who become the finest hunting team in the valley.

And the crying continues..... As I made my way through this one, I felt like I wasn’t THAT attached to the characters and that everyone who told me I’d bawl my eyes out was wrong... but y’all were right. I was crying my goddamn heart out by the end!

I’ve never had a dog. I love Barney like he is mine, but boy do I want my own dog... and so when the book opens with our protagonist Billy yearning for some puppers, I felt that on a deep level. He works his butt off and saves up every cent he gets to be able to buy his own dogs, the specific breed of dog he wants, and the moment when he first meets them... my heart!!

And the dogs themselves are so sweet! Old Dan and Little Ann, with their own personalities and traits. Gah, so cute. However, this is the point in the book where I kinda lost interest every now and again - there’s only so much I can read about hunting for raccoons. Descriptions of landscapes and running through the woods just becomes tedious after a while. Sorry! However, there are some parts interspersed throughout that are quite tense and one event in particular really took me by surprise! So it was a mixed bag I guess.

But it all culminates in one of the most heartbreaking endings I’ve ever read. I had sent Matthew a photo of my red, blotchy, tear-streaked face when I finished, and the next day when I was filling him in on what happened, I could feel myself choking on my words, as the tears brimmed in my eyes again. So yeah. This book rips your heart out!

Oh, and the story about the red fern and how it ties into the story is fucking BEAUTIFUL. Some of the most stunning imagery I’ve read in a book.

Teachers who teach this to school-age children - you are goddamn masochists!!

3.5 stars. ...more

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Sep 12, 2018 Calista rated it liked it

Shelves: classic, genre-fantasy, genre-drama-tragedy, award-various, bage-middle-grade, 1960s, nature, genre-coming-of-age

Let me get out of the way my biases. I grew up in Arkansas on the east side in the flat farm lands. This story is set in the west side of the state in the Ozarks. I am not overly fond of the local accent and Wilson Rawls does a fantastic job with the dialogue. It made me feel like I was back in the area. The other Bias I have is against the word 'coon. I can't stand that for some reason. I mean it makes my skin crawl. The proper word is Raccoon. That is the name. This book spends the entire book Let me get out of the way my biases. I grew up in Arkansas on the east side in the flat farm lands. This story is set in the west side of the state in the Ozarks. I am not overly fond of the local accent and Wilson Rawls does a fantastic job with the dialogue. It made me feel like I was back in the area. The other Bias I have is against the word 'coon. I can't stand that for some reason. I mean it makes my skin crawl. The proper word is Raccoon. That is the name. This book spends the entire book talking about 'coons. I wanted to drop kick it at points if I had to hear that word again.

My final bias is, if you didn't know, I am a tree hugger. Yes, I love the glories of a beautiful tree, especially a giant tall beauty that holds hundreds of years of the Earth's memories in it. One of the first hunting scenes with the dogs is a raccoon was treed in the giant and biggest sycamore tree in the valley. It stood above them all. This is the moment Wilson decides to make Man vs Nature and Billy decides he made a promise to his dogs so of course he has to cut the tree down. There is a whole chapter devoted to him chopping this tree down. It caused me physical pain. All because his boy wants a silly raccoon. He can't tree it later. I was rip-roaring mad. I spit and I was cursing during this scene. I mean it. My blood was boiling and I almost quit the book.

The tree falls, the dogs rip apart the raccoon and that's it. Billy feels guilty about it, well whoopty-do. They didn't try and use the wood or sell the wood, oh no, they left the thing to rot. I could see cutting down a small tree, maybe since they live in a wood, but cutting down the giant - oh, I wanted to do something. I know this happens everyday and I can't be around it. I also know a tree has consciousness of it's own and it's sad to cut them for no reason and nut honor them in some way. It was sacrilege. It was because it was such a huge plot point that it really colored the story for me.

OK, that is now out of the way. So, the characters were very well done for who they were. Billy's mother needed to have more control over him. Letting Billy roam the woods all night long with mountain lions around - crazy.

I did love the legend of the Red fern from the Indians.

The book sets it up well, so that the reader connects with the dogs and Billy and cares about them in my opinion. The end really rips your heart out.

I like the theme of belief and doubt that is going on. About the pains of life and searching for understanding in things we don't understand and aren't fair. I do think this was very well written with a strong story arch. Billy learns a lot about life during this time of his life. It's a very well written book I think, even if it drives me crazy. I am surprised it didn't win the Newbery. I don't get how it works.

I was so caught up in the story at the end that I didn't even notice the word 'coon. It is a great ending. I don't really get why people would want to hunt raccoon's, but I guess they did and ok. Just don't cut down the big trees.

I think this is an excellent work of fiction for middle grade readers and above. My biases get in the way of more stars. It really is a story for boys or anyone who likes hunting. It's not a story for me, although I can appreciate Billy's journey. It should have more stars, but I can give it 3. There are too many buttons pushed for me to give it more at this point.

I did see the movie in my childhood, so I did know this was going to tug at my heart. It still has the power to do that, so it's still doing something right. It is a timeless tale in many ways. ...more

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Jul 03, 2008 Marci rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens-chapter-books, young-adults

There are a handful of books we read as children that so completely capture our hearts we cannot and would not ever forget them. Where the Red Fern Grows is such a book. An elementary teacher read this book to my class when I was in about third grade, beginning for me a love that has seen me through many personal readings, with even more readings to my own students through the course of my career as an elementary teacher.

What most people do not know is that this classic tale of a boy and his ...more

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Oct 24, 2018 Ron rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: four-legs

The bug that is called constantly reading didn't hit me until 6th grade/junior high school (note: they call it middle school these days - I was recently schooled on that point by my friend's son and the glazed look that came over his face). Anyway, when I really started reading for pleasure it was The Call of the Wild that I read, followed immediately by White Fang, and then back to Old Yeller again – because my search for another book about man's/boy's best friend in my small school library had ...more

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Sep 20, 2014 Edward Lorn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Dog Lovers/Cat Haters

If there's one thing I learned from this book it's this: Fuck cats. Big or small, cats are the source of all evil. Hell, even Billy's family left their cat behind when they moved. Yeah, man, cats suck.

Now that I've made plenty of enemies, I will try and express my true feelings about this book.

I laughed. I cried. I did a number of cliched things while reading Where the Red Fern Grows. Mostly, I had fun. I dug running around with Billy and Little Ann and Old Dan, and I hate that I was one of ...more

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Jun 17, 2007 RachelAnne rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens, adventures, animals

(view spoiler) ...more

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May 08, 2019 Ashley Daviau rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I wasn’t expecting this book to hit me so deep in the feelings but it absolutely did. It’s just such a beautiful and touching story, you can’t help but feel the determination and the pain and everything the main character goes through as if you were going through it yourself. It felt like my heart was being torn to shreds multiple times and I wasn’t sure I’d ever recover. And I mean that in the best way possible of course! This book is an absolute treasure and definitely one that I’ll revisit ...more

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Jan 29, 2015 Ian rated it really liked it

Shelves: g-young-adult, a-audiobook, g-young-readers

Well. This book is terrible! I was told it had positive message and was filled with life lessons. Life lessons? Life Lessons!!! Why that boy and his dogs chased us all over the place and you don't want to know what happened when he caught us. No siree.

Ricky.

description

My cousin Rocky in the minutes before he was caught by Billy. (hands clearly up in surrender)

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Mar 30, 2019 Chantal rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook-en

I am not a big fan of hunting, still I liked the story. Easy to read and right from the start you get sucked into the story of a young boy and the love he has for his dogs. The book is full of adventure and loyalty. A man's best friend is still a dog.

By now I have seen the movie, well the book is way beter.

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Nov 25, 2015 Jim rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 3classics, 2fiction, ya-and-kids, animals, 1audio

Fantastic emotional roller coaster ride that was as good now as when I read it more than 40 years ago. I haven't read it since then because I remembered it pretty well & knew it came with a TJ (Tear Jerker) rating. There are tears of joy & sorrow, triumphs & defeats - a lot of life in such a few pages. Billy's grit & determination are something for every child to aspire to.

In this read, I found the background of the times most interesting. I guess it took place in the 1920's ...more

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May 23, 2009 Spider the Doof Warrior rated it it was ok

Shelves: books-i-liked-better-when-i-was-you, i-hate-this-book

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is one of those books I liked so much better when I was a kid. Reading it in junior high school it was the story of a little boy who wanted hunting dogs so he can hunt raccoons. He worked hard, saved up money, got his dogs, encountered a wild cat, taught the dogs how to hunt, and you had a poignant tender story of a boy running wild and happy in the Appalachians until tragedy strikes. I liked it when I was a kid.

Reading this book as an adult on the other hand, there were several things that This is one of those books I liked so much better when I was a kid. Reading it in junior high school it was the story of a little boy who wanted hunting dogs so he can hunt raccoons. He worked hard, saved up money, got his dogs, encountered a wild cat, taught the dogs how to hunt, and you had a poignant tender story of a boy running wild and happy in the Appalachians until tragedy strikes. I liked it when I was a kid.

Reading this book as an adult on the other hand, there were several things that annoyed me. First of all, the fact that the father would have taken the money his kid worked hard for to buy a donkey when he earned the money himself with no help from his father. There's the fact that his sisters aren't named in the book. His cutting down of an old beautiful sycamore tree just to catch a raccoon.
But the main thing that bothers me, besides a kid being killed with an ax was the gruesome way the dog's died and the mother's explanation for it.
Now, if the dogs had to die so the family could stay together in the city, was there any reason for the dogs to die so horribly? One dog had his guts ripped out, the other dog died of grief. Couldn't they have just gone in their sleep or something?
Now before I get a Greek chorus of people talking about what a bleeding heart liberal I am, I still can't understand for the life of me why in so many books a child's beloved pet has to die in order for the child, especially a boy to grow up. I'm still traumatized from losing my rabbit several months ago, and that was a deeply depressing death. If I had a child who had to watch our pets pass away there's no way I'd say "God took them." even if I was religious because you'd just turn a child against God and with good reason.
All that ranting aside, as an adult, I really don't like this book as much as I did when I was a kid. It's just too hokey for me.
Plus I just hate the idea of killing those raccoons. I just know a bunch of folks will go, you're a tree hugging liberal hippy, America hating, down home country loathing Communist, terrorist supporting swine for not liking this book, but what can I do?
I liked it when I was younger. ...more

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Mar 10, 2010 Engineous rated it did not like it

Shelves: childhood-revisited

The synopsis: a boy gets two purebred hunting dogs, goes around hunting animals. Usually succeeds in killing them, although occasionally it stops at mutilation. Ends up getting his dogs killed because he's too selfish to rethink his actions and ethics. Other stuff happens too, but mostly torturing animals. Often given to kids. Unless you like sociopaths, don't.

God, what an awful book. I read this when I was nine for a school assignment - I remember loving it. I revisited it several years later, ...more

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May 09, 2017 jv poore rated it really liked it

Shelves: middle-grade, library-book, animals, student_appropriate

My 6th grade son told me that I needed to read this book. He said that I would love it. He added, as a slightly sinister second thought, "....and you'll weep."

I think you know that he was right.

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Nov 28, 2007 jo rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kidlit

I was chatting over email with Amy Schimler about her dog Beans, and it got me thinking about my favorite dog book of all time. We had to read Where the Red Fern Grows in 5th grade, and I have to admit I was completely dismayed that we had to read a "boy book." I struggled the whole time to distance myself from Billy, Old Dan, and Little Ann, probably flipping my permed hair and muttering "this is *so* stupid" and "who cares about a couple of dumb dogs?" under my breath about 20 times. But I ...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Ashley Buhrke rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Anyone Who Enjoys A Great Read And Needs A Good Cry

Recommended to Ashley by: My Mommy <3

Shelves: need-to-re-read, favorites, reviewed

This was the first book ever that made me realize how cruel books can be.. the first book that made me sob and cry and wail and wanna chuck it against the wall and question WHY?!

But this was also the first book that I truly learned to cherish. This book will always have a spot in my heart. I need to own a copy. I haven't read this book since around 2000 and I think I'm ready to reread it now. BRING ON THE FEELS!

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Feb 19, 2019 Lisa Wolf rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s, will-make-you-cry, animal-stories, children-s-classic, great-american-read

Sweet, funny, sad... what do you expect in a story about a boy and his beloved hounds? I mean, sure, I could do without the hunting, but appreciating it for the time and place in which it's set, it's a lovely story about growing up, loyalty, and adventure. Read as part of my attempt to experience some of the Great American Read books that I missed in my youth!

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Jan 23, 2020 Tatevik Najaryan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: format-audiobook, i-need-a-shoulder-to-cry-on, age-coming-of-age, 2020-challenge-with-sosi, read-in-2020, about-dogs

The way you see the world when heavy rain is pouring down on the window blocking the view. I had a blurred view for a while, and there was no rain...

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Jun 18, 2016 Jessaka rated it liked it

Shelves: children-preteen, oklahoma, no-page-unturned-book-group

I live in the town where this book was written, and in the movie they filmed a scene in the old hardware store that the boy's grandfather owned. Now it is a restaurant named Jincy's Kitchen. Great food. It is decorated as the movie crew left it. Those things are kind of neat, and it is even nice that we have a Red Fern Festival.

What isn't so nice is that during this festival they have coon hounds chasing a coon skin to a tree, and then the dogs get to that tree and bark up a mighty storm, for ...more

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About Wilson Rawls

Wilson Rawls

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Wilson Rawls was born on September 24, 1913, in the Ozark country of Scraper, Oklahoma. His mother home-schooled her children, and after Rawls read Jack London's canine-centered tale Call of the Wild, he decided to become a writer.

But the Great Depression hit the United States in 1929, and Rawls left home to find work. His family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1935, and he came home each ...more

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“After the last shovel of dirt was patted in place, I sat down and let my mind drift back through the years. I thought of the old K. C. Baking Powder can, and the first time I saw my pups in the box at the depot. I thought of the fifty dollars, the nickels and dimes, and the fishermen and blackberry patches.

I looked at his grave and, with tears in my eyes, I voiced these words: "You were worth it, old friend, and a thousand times over.” — 137 likes

“I buried Little Ann by the side of Old Dan. I knew that was where she wanted to be. I also buried a part of my life along with my dog.” — 108 likes

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