BOOKTALK: Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

Billy was eleven and he yearned for a dog. But not just any dog. He wanted a coon dog and not just one but two coon dogs for hunting. Billy’s family did not have much money. They lived out in the backwoods of the Appalachian Mountains. Billy’s mom wanted to move to town but they did not have enough money even for that. So they certainly could not afford to get Billy the dogs he really wanted.

Billy found an ad in a hunting magazine at an abandoned fisherman’s campsite. It read, “Registered redbone coon hound pups – twenty-five dollars each.” Now more than ever all Billy can see, hear, smell, think about were coon dogs. He must have these pups. But Billy knew he would not be able to get any help from his parents. So Billy started working. He sold vegetables, picked berries, caught minnows to sell to the fisherman as bait. He worked hard for 2 longs years. And finally he saved $50.

But now what? Will there still be dogs for sale? What will he name his new pups? Can he train them to be the hunting dogs he has always wanted?

If you like dogs, adventure or just a darn good story, read Where the Red Fern Grows.

Written by Tami Austin