Great Middle Grade Reads discussion
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Where the Red Fern Grows
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BOTM for July/August: WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS
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This is part coming-of-age-story, part love story of a boy and his dogs. I couldn't help comparing this ax-wielding, tree-chopping, running- through-woods-filled-with-mountain-lions Billy to my own boys who are mostly worried about scoring to the next level on their computer screens . . . . anyone who is looking for more books like Hatchet will want to give this one a look. Would love to hear what everyone else thought about this book!
Waiting for the library to fill my order - no clue why it hasn't already....
Ok. I'm sorry for nominating this. I had no idea that this would not hold up well. Here's my review:Beautifully written. Almost makes me sympathetic to the pov. But not, because the pov is, imo, horrid. Hunting is all, even to a little kid who hunts opossums and frogs. No mention is made of eating all those coons - all that matters is the act of outwitting them and their hides. Cutting down a grandfather sycamore and killing the last mountain lion are seen as accomplishments. The mountain lion is seen as 'evil.' The womanfolks are seen as childish and trivial. And it's God's will that the dogs die.
I read this as a child and didn't remember it much, so decided to reread it. Glad I did, so now I can perhaps save you the trouble of catching up on this so-called classic. If you object to The Biggest Bear
by Lynd Ward you def. don't want to read this. If you do like this, you'll probably love that.
I'm glad you posted this, Cheryl, as I haven't read this book in many years, but might suggest it to a student from time to time. I understand why they would no longer be engaged the way readers once were. I am hoping to reread it, but with a different mindset. I suspect this will be a speed read.
Cheryl wrote: "Ok. I'm sorry for nominating this. I had no idea that this would not hold up well. Here's my review:Beautifully written. Almost makes me sympathetic to the pov. But not, because the pov is, i..."
I agree with a lot of what you say here, Cheryl. I'm a softie when it comes to animals. Never understood hunting, except for the obvious pragmatic needs of our ancestors -- they had to eat. And I tend to avoid most animal stories, because writers love to kill off their innocent furry characters at a rate that almost equals all those dead mothers of middle grade fiction. (The main reasons I hadn't picked up this classic until now).
But for the sake of discussion . . . . is it fair to judge a book written in a different time and history by our own cultural standards? Isn't reading about introducing us to "the other," to understand life from a different POV even if we don't agree? Hunting was part of life and people lived in a closer, different relationship with nature out of necessity. This young boy killed some coons. But couldn't we argue that our generation is killing more animals than his ever did, with our plastics and chemicals? We've just insulated ourselves from the death we're causing, rather than being honest about it.
Any other thoughts out there?
Well, I grew up with hunters and have no problem with it. We ate the venison, *and* sold the hides. We didn't kill for sport.We also didn't diss the women for being a little more squeamish. In fact, most of them *weren't* squeamish, and some hunted themselves.
And, yes, part of the reason I have no problem with hunting is that it's more honest, and, thus, in a sense, more honorable than factory farms and ecological havoc. Doesn't mean I'm ok with them, either.
I think your strongest argument in defense of this is that it can help us understand another POV. That's fair. My only counter to that is that "I don't want to." I don't want to read a book that preaches to me as if I should take it as inspiration, that I should look for God's plan while I'm out there chopping down trees, that I should let my kid hunt instead of helping the family or ... ok, I'll stop, I'm ranting, sorry.
I guess, if I were to have this in my classroom, I would totally emphasize that it is indeed of a different time & place and the reader should only take lessons that s/he thinks are useful for his/her self & situation.
Reading a book that reveals the customs of an earlier time is educational. I like for my students to read things like that so we can call on those references when studying, in Social Studies for example. Those little bits of knowledge accumulate and connect to eventually create a better understanding of time and circumstance. Students as young as mine don't yet take away a lot of lessons from independently read fiction. I love it when they do, but that skill is still developing.
Mod
ETA: this must be on summer reading lists. All the e-books in both library systems I use are checked out!
I'm intrigued. Going to get this tomorrow! Like Rebecca, I'm curious to find out where I'll end up on the POV/ hunting/ sexism questions.
Wow - some interesting discussion provoked...which is a good thing, because that is what makes us reflect on what we think and believe.I did not feel at all preached to by this book. I felt that the main character felt things strongly, and quite a conglomeration of heritages influenced his beliefs - God, Cherokee, and superstition. Clearly, his mother also had a strong belief in God, but his father was less sure. His understanding seemed more to be in a higher power. To me, this spiritual connection rang true in this story - whatever I might believe in my own life.
I do think it is hard to take a book out of its time, and judge it by another time. Mostly because of assumed knowledge - while we don't know that anything was done with the 'coon meat, we also don't know that nothing was done with it - it could well have been taken as read that it would be used. Having said that, I can think of a young man who would love this book. He hunts 'possums', a pest in New Zealand, and while his experience is somewhat different, I am sure he will find connections.
I was moved by the book, and the boy's connection with his dogs (he never demeaned them by calling them his pets) and his family. The generosity of spirit in sharing his 'riches' with his family was presented as just the way things are done in this novel. I challenge you to find this absolute generosity of spirit in many of us, or even in many modern books.
I agree that women and girls were fairly diminished in this story. They felt pretty much irrelevant, in fact I don't think we ever learned his sister's names! I found myself resenting the way he disliked his mother's kisses. But, it is a book of a time, and of a view in that time.
I don't think this is a book for everyone, but I do think it is beautifully narrated. I'm glad I read it. Thank you Cheryl, for nominating it.
Okay you guys, I am going to admit, I found this one to be tough going, for exactly the reasons many have raised. It was particularly difficult to sympathize/empathize with what the narrator himself called "blood lust", because the descriptions of the raccoons (the prey) were so intimate--so personal. It seems strange that a boy who could see the raccoons as intelligent, almost human adversaries could take such joy in destroying them.But it's the same emotional intimacy with animals that allows the boy to share such a special relationship with his dogs, which was beautifully described.
As others here have commented, it's not fair to judge that attitude from where we sit here in 2015, so I am not judging, just saying it was hard to settle into the story and love it because of the distancing effect of such a cultural divide.
Still, this is a well-written book, with deep emotional moments. Megan mentioned in her comment the boy's "generosity of spirit" and how he shared his riches with his family. I was struck by this, too.
I still love this book. I substitute in a sixth grade class that teaches it every year, so no need to reread what I read part of every year, but also I can't read it without choking on tears if I have to read certain portions out loud. It is a different era for most, button all of our students. we still have hunters and trappers and fishermen and crabbers in the community, and honestly those who love to hunt appreciate the outdoors like I do, and he animals they use for food have a much better life than mist of the ones who end up as the meat I buy at the store.
I remember loving this book as a middle grader some 35+ years ago and I do recall some tragic circumstances in the story but it's been so long since I read it. When my daughter was in fifth grade I handed it to her to read because I knew she'd love it. However, she is such a sensitive girl and I hadn't prepared her properly. When she came to me with this look of utter sadness on her face, it broke my heart as the story had broken hers.Still, I highly recommend it but know your child and maybe talk to them before you hand them this book.
I realize that this book is from a different era, but it is not my cup of tea. I also watched the movie (which is available on youtube). Treeing a raccoon and shooting it seems harsh.
I remember crying pretty hard when I read the book as a boy. That didn't mean I didn't like it; I thought t was a great book at the time.Shot my first deer last Thanksgiving, then I helped skin, process, and eat it. Great stuff. Don't know what the boy did with the coons, though. I know that people used to use coon grease as a cure-all, and that they used the skins. They probably ate the meat, as well. Why not, when they still eat squirrel today?
Watch this about re-introducing wolves back into Yellowstone Park to see that predators can have an amazingly beneficial effect on sustainability. Not that men are always responsible predators, but just a thought.
I am late to the party, but I wanted to add a thought. If you introduced this book as a period piece and talked to the students about the time and place the book was set/written it would be a very good read. Times have changed. I enjoy the book as a piece of historical text. My students had great discussions about how times have changed.
Good strategy, Emily.
Emily wrote: "I am late to the party, but I wanted to add a thought. If you introduced this book as a period piece and talked to the students about the time and place the book was set/written it would be a very..."I also like your strategy, Emily. Excellent way to frame this book for 21st century readers. Thanks.
Great Middle Grade Reads
Books mentioned in this topic
The Biggest Bear (other topics)Hatchet (other topics)
Because of Winn-Dixie (other topics)
Where the Red Fern Grows (other topics)
Funny how those favorite books come around again and again in our discussions. . . .after looking back through the archives I found that we'd picked Because of Winn-Dixie once before, as our BOTM back in February of 2014! Anyone who is interested can look up the discussion threads there. Huge apologies to everyone for not catching this earlier when I set up the poll. . . .
So this summer we'll feature Where the Red Fern Grows. With over 231,000 ratings, it seems like one of those books that any self-respecting middle grade aficionado has to have read at least once -- I'm embarrassed to admit that I haven't read it yet. So join me this summer in cracking open this great classic!
Here's the GoodReads description: 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.