I just finished this book 30 years after reading it for the first time as a young teen. It was wonderful to me then and it was wonderful to me now. I know that kind of Dog Love, and the heartbreak that comes with it. It's just a beautiful story.

My son had to read this book for class, and he really didn't like it. He said it was too sad at the end. He mostly liked the book, but the ending ruined the story.

I purchased this for my son. Someone had read it to him years ago and he thought he would like to read it. He finished the book and found it just as enjoyable the second time.

We read Where the Red Fern Grows in class when I was in school (7th grade?) and I really loved this book. After reading it again many years later I loved it just as much. I do have a lot of bias involved because my dog is a Redbone Coonhound (possibly the only one in Scandinavia) and before moving over here I spent many a night tracking and treeing Racoons. Besides that I've always been a sucker for a dog story of any kind. The tree hugger in me isn't exactly fond of the part where the kid chops down the biggest tree in the area just to get to a single Racoon but I don't know if any other book that I've read better illustrates the love and deep bond that exists between dogs and humans. I have to warn you if you haven't read it that this book is a real tear jerker but I think dog lovers of all ages would find this a great entertaining read.

Where the Red Fern grows is an exciting story of a boy named Billy who lives in the Ozark Mountains in Oklahoma with his mom and dad and his younger sisters. Billy has always wanted Dogs so one day he finds an ad where there are pups for sale. Billy really wants some of his own pups but doesn't have much money. The pups are fifty dollars which is a lot of money to come up with. Billy works every day for a long time trying to earn enough money to get the pups. Once Billy earns enough money he gives the money to his grandfather who orders them for him. Billy has to travel all the way to Tahlequah where the pups are to be picked up the pups he has to travel by him self to pick the up. He finally gets the two dogs and decides to name them Old Dan and Little Ann. As the two dogs grow up Billy trains them to be raccoon hunter. The two dogs grow up to be fierce hunters and Billy is able to sell the coonskin for money and gives it to his father. Billy enters his dogs in a Hunting contest and the two dogs show they are good enough to win the contest and the prize is four-hundred dollars. One night when Billy is raccoon hunting the dogs tree a mountain lion. They fight and eventually kill the mountain loin but Dan is very badly injured and he dies. After awhile Ann dies of sadness and Billy is very sad. The dogs have earned enough money for Billy and his family that they are able to move to town. It takes Billy awhile to get over the fact that his dogs are gone until one day he goes to the graves and sees a Red Fern planted by an angel.

I had to read this book in elementary school, but I've been thinking about it lately and wondered if it was still around. Looks like it's not only around, but being used in schools just as regularly as before. Also with 1200+ reviews, I'm not sure it needs any more, including this one.

I will say that even though I haven't read it in twenty years, that it still makes me want to shed a little tear. I can't say that for many other books.

I'm 45 now, but read this book in Elementary school. This is the book that got me hooked on reading. Even after all these years I still think of the story from time to time.

I have finished Where the Red Fern Grows. That was a terrible book. It has nothing redeeming about it. It lost me when the 10-year-old couldn't think of an alternative to chopping down the biggest Sycamore in the river bottom, that you can't always win was lost as an emphasis, that trees are dispensable if you make a promise to a dog, that it is fair to have two dogs trained to chase ONE raccoon, that the fact you have to train them to do it because the raccoon is actually smart enough to not be killed by them also goes lost, and, worst of all, that a majestic mountain lion in its own habitat gets an ax in his back because he is defending himself from bloodhounds and is made out to be a scourge, an EVIL predator, that, lastly, there is no mention made that it is the 10-year-old's fault that the dogs die because he is the jerk who trained them to tree critters to begin with and didn't teach them which ones they ought not challenge. I can find no bad review of this piece of trash anywhere. I am positive I am the only one in the world who thinks this way, else why is it on a reading list for our kids? I will buy my grandson "Lassie Comes Home." That is a story deserving of the status of classic. At least, it is about a fantastic dog. The bloodhound beasties were not even rescue dogs. They were "trained" to wantonly kill raccoons or animals for the pelts: Davie Crockett hats. Goodness. The book made me sick. The popularity of a book is not moral equivalence.

Any animal enthusiast will find this heart wrenching novel an absolute pleasure as Billy's attachment to his dogs (and their fondness of each other) unquestionably will resonate with all pet owners.

This book offers the extra benefit of providing inspiring examples of virtuous human qualities. Billy shows his adherence to personal accountability via the manner that he finds the money himself to purchase his hounds; a feat not easily accomplished by a child. Billy also exemplifies his absolute devotion to his family and dogs matched only by the loyalty echoed to him from his dogs.

You will find this book will be a very satisfying ordeal from Billy's acquisition of the pups to their saddening yet revealing conclusion regarding the red fern. I highly recommend this book to animal lovers of all ages and to those looking for meaningful excursion into the potent power of affection among humans and animals.

My teacher read my class this book in 4th grade. I loved it! It was very interesting to me and I still remember her reading it to us.

Where the Red Fern Grows was a really excellent read. The author, Wilson Rawls, made it seem as if I were living and experiencing the adventures the main character, Billy, had with his dogs.

This book is about an old man named Billy Colman. He finds a hound that was being attacked by a pack of dogs and saves the hound, patches up the dog's wounds, let it eat and sleep and set it free. The man then had a flashback into his childhood.

The boy, Billy, lives nears the Ozark Mountains and has a wish for two dogs, coon hounds to be specific. His family is poor and can not afford much. Billy begs and begs but no dogs come. But, when a group of fishermen leave their camping ground to go back home, Billy goes to see if they left anything behind. When he comes to the campground he sees a magazine and an ad for coon hounds, 25$ each. Back then 25$ was a lot of money, but he needed 50$ for two coons. So after saving up for two whole years of picking blackberries, helping out in his grandfather's store, and making money in any other way, he finally gets enough money to buy the dogs.

His grandfather wrote in to see if the dogs were still available and the person writes back that they were and that the two dogs would be there in about a week. The boy cannot wait that long and decides to make the journey all the way to town to pick up his long awaited dogs. He walked a long way but arrives in town to pick up his dogs. He the begins the journey back carrying his dogs all the way back to home. After facing a perilous journey home, Billy (after being scolded) begins a life of adventures hunting coons and of sharing undying love with his two precious coon hounds.

Where the Red Fern Grows was a heartwarming story about a determined boy fighting for his dogs. I recommend it because it was suspenseful and because of the hard work and determination Billy went through to get his two, expensive, redbone coonhounds, who he names Old Dan and Little Ann.

The suspense never ceased to let up until the very end. Little Ann, Old Dan, and Billy, went on many frightening hunting trips, like when Little Ann fell through the ice-covered Illinois River in the dead of winter. I sure thought she was a goner because her claws couldn't clench the edge of the ice forever. But with a will, and an imagination, anything can happen.

It brought a tear to our eyes when the dogs died. Because of their love to Billy, Old Dan and Little Ann faced the fiercest cat of the Ozark Mountains. Even though it was sad, this made it clear that everything happens for a reason. In conclusion, I would highly recommend "Where the Red Fern Grows" for reading.

The best boy/dog book after "My Dog Skip."

And really, is there anything more endearing that a boy with a dog? Well, yes: a boy with two dogs.

Add the country vistas and sounds, plus the love of Billy's family, and you have a swift read that fills your heart.

Brings back some of my fondest memories -- of hiking with my beagle through the mountains. Nothing like that feeling of freedom. I recall it vividly, as does Billy from beginning to end.

The product does a good job overall, but it would be helpful to have the chapters identified as the reader speaks and on the cd. Also, the reader's voice fades in and out at weird times and sometimes it is hard to hear.

This is the story of Billy, a young boy growing up in the rugged Ozarks. There was only one thing in life that Billy wanted. A dog. But mind you, not just any dog. No, Billy wanted a hound dog to hunt coons. But a good dog cost money, and Billy's parents just couldn't afford it.

One day, he found a magazine with an advertisement for redbone hound dogs, and he knew he had to have them. Two puppies were going to cost $50, which was a ton of money to him. So Billy started saving. He worked hard to pick berries to sell to his grandfather's story. He caught crawfish and minnows to sell to the fisherman in the area. Two years of saving his dimes and nickels and Billy had enough money to buy the puppies. He had his grandfather send the money, and waited anxiously till they were delivered.

When they did arrive at the train station a good 20 miles from his house, Billy couldn't wait till he had a ride to pick them up. He started walking. He just had to have his dogs!! He wasn't going to let 20 miles stop him from getting something he had worked so hard for over 2 years to buy. And when he finally laid eyes on his puppies, he just knew they were the most special dogs anyone had ever had. Little Ann and Old Dan became Billy's best friends and constant companions. When they got a little older, he taught them how to hunt coons. And they were good. A legend in the making.

This story was a wonderful tale of a boy and his dogs. Those 2 dogs made an incredible impact on not only Billy, but his entire family. It's a story of unconditional love, devotion and loyalty. It made me smile and it also made me cry. I loved how hard Billy worked to get his puppies. And I think it's the perfect book for kids, especially boys. They will appreciate all the coon hunting the book contains a little more than most girls. If you've ever had a pet, especially a dog, you will appreciate the love Billy had for his "friends". This book is especially heartwarming, and the perfect book for my first read of the year!!

This is a wonderful book with great lessons in life for all. It gives a glimpse of life in the 30's and a boy's love for his dogs. I highly recommend it.

The book arrived in perfect condition. It was a gift for my 12 year old son. He normally reads sci-fi fantasy books and I don't really care for those types of books. He finished the book in just a few hours and loved it. He reads a lot, so I wouldn't expect most 12 year old readers to finish the book as quickly. I'm reading it now...it will take me more than a few hours.

I read this book many years ago and just had the opportunity to purchase the book for my oldest daughter to read as a class assignment. She enjoys reading and thought that this book was an excellent read as I did so many years ago.

I read this book when I was really young...It got me into hunting sort of...I wanted a hound so bad after reading this..I think evry MAN is allowed to cry when reading this book....Great book to give to a youngster for sure....

This book was great until the end. I read it as a kid in the 5th grade and enjoyed the story and the journey of the kid earning money for the dogs and his bond with them.



But, the ending is horrible. You will cry, you will be angry, and you will feel betrayed by this book forever. My husband and I still can't beleive how depressing the end is.



If you must read this stop before the last couple of chapters. Then imagine the dogs living a happy long life by the fireplace.

This book was great until the end. I read it as a kid in the 5th grade and enjoyed the story and the journey of the kid earning money for the dogs and his bond with them.

But, the ending is horrible. You will cry, you will be angry, and you will feel betrayed by this book forever. My husband and I still can't beleive how depressing the end is.

If you must read this stop before the last couple of chapters. Then imagine the dogs living a happy long life by the fireplace.

This book is great for anyone who has ever lost a dear pet. This novel explores the adventures of a boy and his dogs; dogs which he remembers well into adulthood. The story is a real tear-jerker.

Everyone who has ever had a faithful dog should read Billy's story at least once in his or her lifetime. It's an ageless tale that touches the heart and mind.

Ten-year old Billy lived in the Ozark Mountains with his parents and three younger sisters. The family was extremely poor, as were most of their neighbors at that time, and could only afford the bare necessities of life. Billy's dream of having a pair of coonhounds of his own seemed to be only that until he found a resourceful way to earn the money for himself.

For two long years, Billy trapped and sold animal pelts until he had finally saved enough money to finance his lifelong dream. With his grandfather's help, he ordered two pups and then walked several miles to bring them home. That's when the real adventures began.

If the story is beginning to sound familiar, it should. "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls is an unforgettable classic that has been enjoyed for generations.

So where does the red fern come into the story? You'll just have to read it for yourself, and don't be surprised if you hear the distant bawling of a couple of dogs who have tree'd a `coon each time you open the book.

It's just Little Ann and Old Dan, for they've never really left these Ozark hills.

I read it in about the 7th or 8th grade and remember really enjoying it. It's about a boy and his two 'coon dogs and how they go hunting for raccoons and things. The ending is so touching and heart felt.



thank you for your time,

Loran

Maybe only country boys can appreciate it, but I thought it was a simple, yet great story, timeless.

Have you ever buried something that meant a lot to you, and than something nice covered it up as a sign? One day Billy bought his dream dogs that he always wanted and entered a competition, Billy and his dogs won every competition until something tragic happened when they were hunting. Once every one got returned home another accident happened and that's where the red fern grows.
Some one's favorite part would most likely be the part with the most excitement and sadness in it. When Billy was hunting Billy's dogs saved his life against a mountain lion, but in the end his dog Eddy died. A couple of weeks later after Eddy's death Billy's other dog, Daisy died also next to where Eddy was buried.
The main theme of this book was about friend ship, and sometimes how you need companionship, sometimes you will need friends or help to get through situations.
In conclusion I liked every thing about this book; I wouldn't change anything in this book because I thought it was really good. I think anyone should read this book because it's a terrific book and anyone who likes realistic books that have excitement and sadness should read this book

This book touched my heart the whole thing of the boy growing up and earning money to buy himself two puppy blood hounds is heart renching that he works so hard and sucsseds and gets the pups and the growing up together and then the pups when they get older one fights to save the boys life from a bear and dies and the other dogs starves its self and dies on top of the other dogs grave thenit creates the red fern. I cried it touched me so.

I first read this book as a young elementary aged girl and it changed how I approached reading. I was in the [...] and this was the first book to make me cry. I've since learned some of the vocabulary associated with Rawls' descriptions, but this book of a boy and his two coon hounds had a profound effect upon me. I've always wondered what coon hounds looked like and I marvel every time I reread it how each chapter is imprinted in my memory- and even as an adult it is so well written and such a warm book. It's the story of love, dedication, the bond of man and nature, the hard struggles of semi frontier America, the description of a young boy, the Ozarks, all of it....really rings a wonderful tome of beautiful emotion and connection between this boy and his experience with two hunting dogs. It made me cry at 10 and still does 19 years later. This book is ideal for young readers to help them bridge the connection between reading and feeling. It will definitely arouse a sense of concern and bring the story 'to life'. For me, reading is bringing in another world, superimposed upon your own to help you feel, realize, dream, exist, and fly- based simply on words! Thank you Wilson Rawls for a novel that will stay with me until I'm a little old lady and I'll probably still wonder, even then, what a true hunting coon dog looks like. Thanks to your book, I see them in my head. Again, thanks.

I first read "Where the Red Fern Grows" when I was in seventh grade. As a thirteen-year-old, I was captivated by the imagery that goes with the story. I found myself living in the shoes of Billy, the main character, wanting a pair of coon dogs for myself. The story is inpirational and fun to read along with. Mr. Rawls clearly understood what it was like to be a young boy living in the Ozark Mountains, because his depiction of every little detail is so crisp and pulls the reader in.

I recently re-read this book to see if it had the same effect on me as an adult, and I have to say that the imagery is the same, only I picked up on many other themes that I missed as a teen. It was still a very enjoyable read, and I whizzed through the book, just as I had done seventeen years earlier.

I am so happy to have rediscovered this classic that I will certainly give to my children when they get a little older. I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a book filled with memorable characters, beautiful descriptions of scenery, and a story that is warm to you heart and fills your soul. Give it a try.

At first glance this seems like another book about a boy and his dogs. This book is far more than that. This book is about determination, love, loyalty, heartbreak and healing. This is a book children and young adults will enjoy.

"Where the Red Fern Grows" is a classic old favorite which occupies a very tender spot in my heart--it's the first book I ever cried over. And I mean I bawled. I am a female who happens to be a cat lover, but this story of a boy and his hunting dogs tore me apart inside, even as a kid. I hadn't read it in years, so when I saw it on display in the library a while back, I picked it up on a whim. By the time I finished the heartwarming tale of Billy and his beloved, loyal dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann, I was blubbering like a baby all over again, every bit as much as I did the first time I read it at the tender age of 11 or 12.

Billy's pure love for his dogs and his single-minded determination to pursue his hunting dreams drive this beautifully written story to its five-hanky conclusion. It doesn't matter that it is technically a children's book. It's a universal story of love and loss and realizing your dreams. Just make sure to have a box of Kleenex handy. I guarantee you will need it.

I read this book years ago when I was in elementary school, but now, nearly 40, I decided to relax while listening to the audio book. I sat at the kitchen table, assembling a jigsaw puzzle while the narrator once again described a young boy so desperate for hunting hounds that he saved for two years, and by the time he walked the 30 miles to pick up his hard-earned hounds, his feet scratched from picking berries to sell for 10 or 15 cents a batch to raise the incredibly high goal of $50 for his precious dogs.

This story is such a great tale of true grit, determination, hard work and the idea that all things are possible if you set yourself to the task. The things the boy learned and experienced with his hounds and his own sense of loyalty to his family and his dogs are the kind of character building stories that every child, and every 40-year-old should experience.

I confess I've always admired dogs ... their loyalty, dedication and wish I could emulate the character that a good dog naturally exhibits. This is one of a group of stories like Lassie and Ol' Yeller about dedicated dogs.

Buy it for every child that you hope will develop true grit.

I read this book myself when I was in 5th or 6th grade and my son has just finished it. He is a 6th grader this year. While I admit this is a great story it is also one of the saddest stories I have ever read in my life. My son tells me that a classmate of his broke down and cried today in class when they were reading about the death of "Old Dan" and "Little Ann." I am thankful to know though that it is only a work of fiction. When I read it as a child I think I thought it was a "real life" experience of the author Wilson Rawls. Again, it is a bittersweet work of fiction but a great read nonetheless. Probably a book every child should read at one point in time. And anyone who has ever owned and loved a dog will cry over this one....I guarantee it!

For an upcoming baby shower (twins!), I was asked to bring a favorite childhood book to help start their book collection. Without hesitation, I'm going to buy Where the Red Fern Grows, even though it will be several years before they are old enough to read it. I read this book in elementary school and even 20 years later, I still take out my copy once in a while to read -- I love it that much. And I still cry at the end!

Was very happy with the product and received it in a timely manner!

This is such a great read aloud. I read this to my children and even my three year old was able to sit and pay attention and know all the details of the story. We were sucked in from page one. I wanted to read it to my children because it's the book that was read to me in third grade by Mrs. Garroute and from that momment fostered my love for reading. I think it's so important to pass that on to our children and the only way to do that is to read them greats like this one. It's a must have for your family library!!!

Coming of age story about a boy who trains two hunting dogs and the adventures they share. Well written story that keeps the reader's interest. Definitely on the list of mandatory reads for anyone.

I will be 48 years old next month, and read this book when I was very young, middle school aged girl. I still reflect back on this story, it had such a huge effect on me. I remember the first time I read it, I must have cried for weeks after. The respect and the affection the author shows the dogs and the boy, the relationship between the three and the value each holds for the other. I believe this story will give light and a path to any young reader. I think it is an invaluable gift, to read a story and have that story remain in your mind and heart for many years to come.

Warning: Spoilers.

One of the things I do in one of the classes I teach is read aloud a book that all of the students can enjoy. A book I chose to read for the class was one almost every middle school kid in the country is familiar with but somehow escaped my detection, and that is the book, Where the Red Fern Grows, written by Wilson Rawls with a lot of help from his wife, Sophia. She was his editor, as he had little formal education and was so embarrassed over his previous writing attempts he destroyed all of his manuscripts, which included this particular story. She encouraged him to rewrite it, and he managed to sell it to the Saturday Evening Post in a series of installments. In 1961 it became a bestselling book and a "classic" of sorts, but I don't remember the book at all growing up. It spawned three movies and continues to be a popular "children's" book. However, the content is such it is totally unsuitable for anybody younger than middle school.

I found the book well written and gripping, but when all is said and done, I was nothing short of appalled by the actions of the main character, Billy Coleman, who was in fact the fictional name of the author. The book is actually based on Rawls' own experiences living in the Ozarks as a child. Since he had no formal education and had to be schooled at home, he found other outlets, such as running around the countryside with his dogs killing raccoons for fun and profit. I know it was around the late 1920s, and the family was poor and all of that, but frankly it was a sick pasttime. However, that's not what I found most appalling about the character.

It was that the kid was a complete and total idiot, totally irresponsible, and as I was reading the book to the students, I became more disgusted. This was before I found out this book was rooted in real experiences, and when I did find out, I was even madder. Rawls always talked about how his reminiscences of his youth were all about "pursuing dreams," and how if people set their minds to it, they, too, can reach their dreams. Perhaps. However, I would like to believe most people achieve their dreams by using their brains, not acting impulsively and involving others without regard as to the consequences.

In the book, the central character, Billy (Rawls), wants a pair of redbone coonhounds, but his parents cannot afford to buy them for him. Well, never mind the parents, for Billy is going to get them regardless. So he works in odd jobs for two years saving enough money to order a pair of puppies by mail. He enlists his grandfather to go behind his parents' backs and gets the dogs. By the time the dogs are on the porch, well, what could the parents do about it? They had to accept the situation and had to feed the animals out of their hard-earned money, too. If Billy felt any guilt over the stunt he pulled, it didn't last long. He decided the animals would be put to work as soon as possible to tree "coons" in order to get the skins and make some money.

Most of the rest of the book we are treated to adventure after adventure of the blood sport of coon hunting. The dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann, prove themselves to be among the best coonhounds in the Ozarks. However, it wasn't all sweetness and light for the trio. During one episode, one of the dogs almost drowns before Billy finally pulls her out of the freezing water. In another episode, a pair of neighbor boys, the Pritchards, goad Billy into a bet about how good his dogs are in treeing coons and challenge him to have his dogs catch a so-called "ghost" coon. Well, that episode ends happily as one of the boys impales himself with an ax and dies. Then, in one of the few bright spots in the book, Billy's dogs win prizes at a local coonhound competition, but in the hunting sequence he almost gets the judge, his dad, and his grandfather killed when an ice storm hits because he is too stupid to call his dogs back when they are too far away from "civilization." And shortly afterwards, this poor excuse for a teenager wanders around in the dark again with his two dogs, only to come across a mountain lion, which mortally injures Old Dan to the point where the dog is disemboweled, but the dog latches onto the mountain lion until the big cat dies. Billy, who actually feels some remorse for his canine friend's situation, carries him home for his parents to sew the dog's guts back into the wound, but sadly the dog dies before the night is over. As for Little Ann, she is so grief-stricken she refuses to eat, and she ends up dying shortly afterwards.

At the end of this truly heartwarming story, Billy buries both dogs on a hillside, and a little red fern grows where the graves are. He doesn't get another dog, which is a good thing, for if it were up to me, he wouldn't be anywhere near an animal again given the outrageous stunts he pulled throughout the book. However, he and his family leave the Ozarks for good in pursuit of other dreams, and that is the end of that.

In the final analysis, the only smart characters in the story were the dogs, but the only stupid thing they did was going after the mountain lion. They should have let the big cat have at it with Billy and eat him up. But we wouldn't have been treated to this book, unless the author made up the incident, and I wouldn't be reviewing it if that were the case.

The four stars are for the dogs, for they were the true heroes of the book.

The writer is talented but the story itself is just TOO SAD! I feel that a good plot has a nice balance of good and bad events and this story was not balanced. I don't mind a sad ending, or a bittersweet ending, personally I just don't like so much gloom and doom in one story. There is so much pain and heartbreak in the story it seems almost like the writer is a little sadistic or else had a tough childhood! I think this book might be a little much for younger kids or sensitive readers but it's a good story if you are into heartache, drama, some adventure and really, really sad and fairly gory and bloody scenes.

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls is a classic tale about a young boy and his beloved coonhound dogs. The story takes place in the Ozark mountains of northeastern Oklahoma where Billy and his dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann, scamper through the woods daily in search of `coons. With dedication and passion, Billy trains the hounds, which he saved and purchased himself, to be some of the best hunting dogs in the valley; however, the dogs' courage and perseverance ultimately lead them to a tragic end.

I read this book in the fifth grade and it is a book I will never forget. Not only is Where the Red Fern Grows an incredibly exciting book full of adventures, but it is bursting with raw emotion and hope, and an absolute page-turner for readers of all ages. It is impossible, though, to walk away from this book with a dry eye. At the age of ten I had traditionally been reading books by female authors who primarily wrote about female main characters; however, this book was written in the first person, told by a young male character in the midwest country, yet I could completely relate to his adventures and tribulations. Wilson Rawls may have only written two books in his career, but this one is a keeper and will continue to be read for ages to come.

It has been more than 15 years since I read this book early in middle school. But every time I think of this title, my eyes still gets misty. Initially, I came to know of "red ferns" from an excerpt in the assigned textbook of my English class. The excerpt itself was never assigned, but it caught my eye during casual browsing, I was intrigued enough to seek out and read the whole thing on my own. I read a lot, I always have. But this book is one of only two that has ever moved me to shed tears in my entire life.

This book is supposedly for young people, 11 to 14 years old. Adults like it, too. It is a clean story, the old kind, without bad language or bad behavior. According to my dad's memories (he is deceased now), it is life the way it was. It is a boy and his dogs story, and a good one. But NO ONE can read the ending without tears.

The movie was great - true to the story. But it also makes you cry.

This book is about a boy (Billy) and his determination and faith. Billy has his heart set on two dogs, but he doesn't want just any two dogs, he wanted two coon hounds, and because his family was so poor, he had to work for it himself. Two years of hard work and hope got him enough money. I reccomended this book, even though I myself thought it would be dull. See, looking at the cover, I thought it would be something about plants, but it's really quiet different. So, take the idea of ferns out of your mind and pick up this book, it's a must read! No wonder it's a classic! PLEASE read this amazing story!

I really liked the book and it is a very fun interesting book to read. I really liked that it had to do with some sort of sport. I also liked it because it was book were there was all source of action. There was a little boy that lived in the hills and dream of having two coon hounds. He finally worked and saved enough money to buy himself two. He was so excited to get them that he trained them to hunt. The characters were very believable and never doubted that they were making them up. The plot was very interesting because it was about the kid entering a big coon hunt. He won the competition by treeing four coons with his dogs. The major themes of the story were when on of the Prichard brothers accidentally stabbed himself. The author used a very special way of imagery. He made everything be visual in my head. I was all into the story that I didn't want to stop reading. I didn't like by were sometimes they didn't talk about when the dogs killed the coons and how they treed them. They would sometimes leave you think what would happen next or what could of happen.

I adore this book. I wrote a reviw on what I think of it a while ago, so you could find it later. But I'm sick of all these people saing there was no action or adventure. What's up with that? And to the people who say there are lost of grammer mistakes in the book, you should check your grammer.

The book I read was "Where the Red Fern Grows".This story takes place in the state of oaklahoma.Thers a boy named Billy and he lives with his family.All Billy wanted was two hound dogs.One day Billy went to his grandfarthers store and his grandfarther told Billy he had to meet God half way.Billy worked til he had 25.00$.Billy got two hound dogs.He decided he name them Dan and Little Ann.Billy hunted all he could and he sold the skins for money.If you want to know the rest read this spectacular book your self.

I've never seen anything like this. It is an utterly pointless book. There is no character development. The characters are completely flat. Billy, the main character, kills raccoon after raccoon and skins them himself. I'm no animal-rights activist, but it's simply unrealistic that a sensitive thirteen-year-old boy would not have second thoughts once. In this way he is too insensitive to be believable, but then he is also too sensitive to be believable. This book was just a little too tragic. In every chapter there is some tragedy. If you don't believe me:

(WARNING: this might spoil the book)

In chapter 1, Billy watches a terrible dog fight, and then he saves the dog and later cries over the fact that he has to release him.
In chapter 2, Billy tries to run away, he stops sleeping and eating, and he complains that the sound of hounds is slowly killing him.
In chapter 3, Billy is forced to work for two years at the most grueling labor because his parents are too poor to buy him dogs. His feet become giant scabs as he scrambles through blackberry brambles.
In chapter 4, Billy walks all night barefoot 30 or 40 miles to pick up his dogs. When he gets there, he sees himself in a mirror for the first time and realizes that he is ugly. Other children make fun of him for being poor and living in the country.
In chapter 5, Billy picks up his dogs. Children of the town abuse the dogs and beat him up. Then he camps with his dogs in an abandoned robber's cave in the mountains. In the middle of the night a mountain lion threatens to attack him and his puppies.
In chapter 6, Billy weeps as he tells his mother he just had to disappear and walk thirty miles barefoot and almost get killed by a mountain lion without telling her. He is told they will move to the town he was just beaten up in when they save enough money.
In chapter 7, Billy catches his first coon by snagging its paw on sharp, angled nails.
In chapter 8, he is forced to spend a full night and morning chopping at a hopelessly large tree without food or drink, because if he doesn't he thinks his dogs will never trust him again.
In chapter 9, Billy gives up about a million times, (each one is very emotional) but finally gets the tree cut down. His loyal dogs spend the night in the wilderness guarding a tree to make sure that a treed coon who is slowly starving to death and doesn't come down.
In chapter 10, Billy kills so many raccoons that their skins cover the side of his smoke house. His dog falls into an underground and gets stuck in a tree.
In chapter 11, Billy's dog is almost dies in a half frozen river. He is also almost frozen to death as he tries to save her. He spends much of the night trying to revive his frozen friend.
In chapter 12, Billy is forced into a bet with the meanest people in town.
In chapter 13, Billy wins the bet, but the bad guys take his money and threaten to kill him if he says anything about it. Then they beat him up just for the fun of it while their dog rips his to pieces. However, his dogs eventually get the upper hand, so one of the bad guys steals his ax, planning to murder his dogs. He falls on his ax, though, and Billy watches as he dies slowly and a bubble of blood comes out of his mouth.

And it goes on and on like this. I'm not sure weather it's supposed to make you interested, or make you cry, or what, but I just found it a little uncanny that so many bad things could happen to this one average little boy.

First and foremost,this is not just another dog book. If all you got out of this book was," It's just about a boy saving his money to buy two dogs and enter a tournament", you missed the entire premises of the plot, and you belittle the book. Where the Red Fern Grows is about perserverance, dedication, and the ability to overcoming amazing obstacles if your mind and heart is set on it.

The timeline of this book is the great depression which makes the feat so much more difficult to achieve. A boy had a dream, and throughout hard work he relized it, even in unfarovable conditions. This book is about bonding, friendship, and the loyalty of animals, it is not about a boy training two dogs in hopes of winning a trophy.

I read this book in 5th grade, and 20 years later, I still remember it as vividly as the day I read it. If you have not read this book, I would go as far as to say stop everything you are doing, go buy this book and dedicated some time to reading it. I am disappointed, I can only give this book 5 stars.

Billy, a young boy living in the Ozark Mountains during the times of the Great Depression, dreams of being able to own coonhounds and hunt raccoons. Through the extreme hardships and conditions many people faced at the time, Billy knew it wouldn't be easy to achieve his dream. He worked hard selling fruit and fish bait, since his Papa could not afford the dogs. After Billy finally gives his money to his grandfather to order the dogs and receives them, he fosters a friendship that will last a lifetime. Old Dan and Little Ann, Billy's brand new coonhounds, grow alongside their new best friend and master. Winning raccoon hunting contests, dealing with bullies, and persisting through a winter blizzard, Billy creates a bond with Old Dan and Little Ann that is as strong as any human friendship. Unfortunate events strike Billy's life, and he is stuck coping with deaths and losses. Yet in the end, he has reaped the greatest award anyone could reap, a friendship everlasting.

Before reading this wonderful book, I always approached reading with lazy eyes and with no enthusiasm. After delving into Where the Red Fern Grows, the fire for reading that had long been put out within me was finally re-ignited. It continued to grow, throughout my elementary years. I am proud to say that the catalyst for my growing interest in reading and writing was Where the Red Fern Grows.

Through the situations and the carefully placed lessons in this book, I learned that anyone, even I, can achieve goals and dreams as long as I continue to persevere and work hard for it. It is possible to do almost anything as long as your heart is in it. This statement Billy did prove, by working hard and saving money for two long years during a period in American history where fifty dollars was a fortune.

This book is definitely worth your time and your attention. If I could pick a book that has influenced me the most, this one would be the one I'd point to. The great details, the wonderful imagery, the heartwarming story, the seemingly perfectly sized paragraphs, and everything else about this book made it so appealing to me. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a spirit-lifter, a book that will cheer you up a little with its touching story. Where the Red Fern Grows is a must read.