Where the Red Fern Grows

Wilson Rawls book Where the Red Fern Grows is an exciting book about a boy and his two pet dogs. I chose this book because I am an animal lover, and this book was read to me once when I was little.
Billy lives on a small farm in the Ozark Mountains. All he ever wanted was his very own pair of coon hounds. After working hard and saving money, Billy gives the money to his grandpa to have the dogs shipped to him. Out of excitement and anticipation, Billy sneaks off into the night to get his dogs. On his way back home he has an encounter with a mountain lion while sleeping in a cave but is protected by his dogs. He decides to name them Old Dan and Little Ann seeing how smart and brave they are. Billy works hard with his dogs, trapping and treeing coons. Billy’s grandfather enters him in a Coon hunting contest. He and his grandfather hunt together during a blizzard and lose sight of the dogs. Grandpa hurts his ankle and they have to stop for the night. Although they have to stop for the night they still collect enough skins to win the contest. One night Billy is hunting with his dogs when they are attacked by a mountain lion. The dogs manage to kill the lion. But Old Dan is badly injured, and dies. Little Ann is so sad that a few days later she dies as well. The family decides to move into town from all the money Billy has earned from hunting, and on the day of the move Billy spots a red Fern over his dog’s graves. Billy knows that it is an old story that only an angel can plant a red fern.
I liked this book because it was an adventure; you sort of watch the character grow up. I love the detail that just adds to the excitement. I don’t like that the book starts off with him as an adult, I think its sort of like reading a whole different story. But I can’t complain too much about Wilson Rawls work. I recommend this book to anyone who loves animals and nature. It’s a great adventure story that will have you drawn in from the beginning.