Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

From Goodreads,

"For fans of Old Yeller and Shiloh, Where the Red Fern Grows is a beloved classic that captures the powerful bond between man and man’s best friend. This special edition includes new material, including a note to readers from Newbery Medal winner and Printz Honor winner Clare Vanderpool, a letter from Wilson Rawls to aspiring writers, original jacket artwork, and more.

Billy has long dreamt of owning not one, but two dogs. So when he’s finally able to save up enough money for two pups to call his own—Old Dan and Little Ann—he’s ecstatic. It’s true that times are tough, but together they’ll roam the hills of the Ozarks.

Soon Billy and his hounds become the finest hunting team in the valley. Stories of their great achievements spread throughout the region, and the combination of Old Dan’s brawn, Little Ann’s brains, and Billy’s sheer will seems unbeatable. But tragedy awaits these determined hunters—now friends—and Billy learns that hope can grow out of despair."

Goodreads - Where the Red Fern Grows

Awards and Nominations:

• North Dakota Children's Choice Award (1981)
• Massachusetts Children's Book Award (1987)

Before the coronavirus outbreak and quarantine, I was teaching my 64 5th graders.  We enjoyed our time together with many laughs and teachable moments.  We also had discussions about books.  I had finished reading The Honest Truth in one of my classes.  It was a whole emotional ordeal and I had kids crying.  We discussed it and the dog in the book and its fate.  One of my students said something along the lines of, "If you think that is sad, you should read Where the Red Fern Grows."  He asked if I had read it and I told him I hadn't.  He told me I REALLY needed to read it.  Fast forward into quarantine and I finally sat down to read it. 

Where the Red Fern Grows takes place in Oklahoma with a young boy named Billy.  Billy is dying to have a pair of coon hounds to call his own, but his family doesn't have a lot of money.  He starts saving money to buy his hounds and eventually gets them.  Together Billy, Old Dan, and Little Ann chase coons and have many adventures in the woods where he lives.

SPOILER ALERTS ARE TO FOLLOW!!!!  READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!

Let me just say that I was 27 years old at the time of reading this and I bawled like a baby for the last 20 pages of the book.  I knew that the dogs died at the end.  I've known the story for years but had never read the book.  As I was nearing the end I knew that the dogs were getting close to dying by some strange accident.  I sobbed as Billy had to cope with losing Old Dan.  He went out and built a box for his dog and dug the hole to bury him.  And then a few days later he had to do it all again.  I cried in the hot mess, nose running, tears streaking down your face way.  Anyone who has ever lost their favorite pet knows EXACTLY what Billy was feeling in those moments.  There were a couple lines from the book that stood out while I was reading the final pages.  It said, 

"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."  In my heart I knew that there in that grave lay a man's best friend."

Y'all, I have never had a quote from a book fit so perfectly in my life.  It has been two and a half years since our family's English Bulldog George passed away.  He passed peacefully in his sleep.  It wasn't a tragic death like Old Dan's and it wasn't from sorrow like Little Ann's.  But this quote fits so perfectly.  I have so many good memories with George.  There are times when it is so hard to talk about him or write about him, and other times I can share a memory and have no problems.  George is buried under an oak tree behind my parent's house.  My dad and I built a cross to mark his grave, and we have since had a stone made to put there.  For just like Billy said, I know that in that grave lay a girl's best friend. 

This book is full of ups and downs.  The end is heart-wrenching and if you don't cry you have never had a pet that you loved dearly.  I can easily see why so many of my students said this book was so good and that I would like it.  It is dated, but it is so fantastic.  I could read it again and would still sit and cry at the end.  I give this 5 stars.  This is a classic that everyone should read.