Where the Red Fern Grows

Fiction by Wilson Rawls
Reviewed by Jennifer C.
Not in the NVHS Collection as of this post


Billy, a boy who at the beginning of the book is 9 years old and at the end 14, has only one dream: to have two coon hounds. Billy dreams of running through the woods and river bottoms with his dream dogs, but he has a problem. The dogs he wants are too much money for his poor farm family to afford. His only option in fulfilling his dream is to raise the money himself. For two long years Billy sells food and worms to fishermen and he sells coon hides that he caught with traps to his grandpa’s store. Slowly but surely, fifty dollars are raised and he goes into town to retrieve the pups. He ends up buying a little gray pup, which he names Little Ann, and a red pup, that he names Old Dan. Billy and the dogs grow stronger, closer, and older as the book progresses. They go hunting every night and they catch many coons. Billy even enters his two hounds into a huge hunting competition, which they win. But while out on the river bottoms one night, an accident occurs in which Old Dan and Little Ann make the greatest sacrifice. Billy thinks all is lost, but soon enough, he finds a sign that his dogs are together once again, and that everything, in time, will be alright.

Where the Red Fern Grows is an amazing book about a boy’s love for his dogs that I have found nearly impossible to put down. It is an exciting and enjoyable book with some hurt and heartbreak mixed in. While reading, I found myself cheering for the dogs while they were hot on the trail of a raccoon, worried every time a raccoon tricked the dogs, and upset when the fatal incident strikes Billy’s life.

Where the Red Fern Grows is an exciting, inspiring, and touching book. I recommend it to any reader who enjoys a book of love, loyalty, and devotion. If you enjoy true "page turners," pick up Where the Red Fern Grows and see if you can put it down.