Where the Red Fern Grows

It was summer reading for my 11 year old. He loved it, read it in a few nights. It was emotional, but in a way that teaches compassion and understanding of life. I was a bit worried after reading other reviews, but what I observed was actually a very positive change in my kid. He became more mature, less impulsive, and more empathetic.

Where the Red Fern Grows is a timeless coming-of-age story that hits hard no matter your age. Though aimed at younger readers, this novel holds a powerfully emotional narrative that captures the heart of anyone willing to dive into its pages. It follows Billy, a determined young boy growing up in the Ozarks, and the deep bond he forms with his two beloved coonhounds, Old Dan and Little Ann. What makes this book shine is its honest portrayal of hard work, loyalty, and loss. Billy earns his dogs through perseverance, raises them with love, and trains them into champion hunting dogs. His growth as a character—his independence, compassion, and quiet strength—is inspiring, especially as he faces the responsibilities of adulthood far earlier than most. And yet, his family—especially his grandfather—remains a grounding, loving force throughout his journey. But be warned: this book does not spare your emotions. Against all hope, you may try to convince yourself that not all endings are tragic—but Rawls doesn’t flinch from portraying the harsh truths of life. The ending is deeply heartbreaking, and it's not something you'll easily forget. Few books make you weep in public, but this is one of them. The grief is raw, the love is real, and the final image of the red fern is as poetic as it is symbolic. Even the so-called antagonists—such as the rival boys or even the tragic death of one—are handled with complexity and empathy, allowing readers to feel compassion even for the flawed characters. This nuance adds depth to what could have been a simple tale about a boy and his dogs and instead makes it a story of resilience, sacrifice, and deep emotional growth. Where the Red Fern Grows is a beautifully written, emotionally resonant story that explores childhood, devotion, and the pain of growing up. It's a must-read classic that lingers with you long after the final page—and yes, it may just break your heart, but it’s worth every tear.

I read this book for the first time in school. I fell in love with it. I love the way Billy teaches Old Dan and Little Ann to watch and do as he wants them to do at first, then their instincts take over. Old Dan and little Ann are as one when hunting! It really is remarkable! It is truly a story of love, faith, understanding and caring between two dogs and a boy. It’s also sad when an accident happens and also when a wild animal comes into fight for survival with two dogs and a boy. I cried like a baby in the sad parts but laughed in funny parts. I also rooted Billy on in his endeavor to get his two dogs and taking them out to hunt. It was a joy to read and feel like I was there right with Billy, Old Dan and Little Ann. Billy has faith in God so he prayed to get the dogs he wanted and prayed when he needed help in the tough times. It warms my heart to read this book of a boy and his two dogs. It is a book I treasure and love to read.

Absolutely love this book!!! Read it as a child, read it to my child. And will always keep a copy of this book!

Great book. Read to my granddaughter at bed time.

I personally have never read this book. Not sure how that happened, but I'll chalk it up to fate intervening. However, my oldest son has recently read it and written up his first book report, which he would like to share on here for other kids considering picking this up. Be forewarned that there are spoilers throughout this review, because my son was writing a book report, so if you'd rather not know what happens in this novel, please do not read any further. In "Where The Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls, a boy named Billy saves up $50.00 for two years to buy two hunting dogs. In this story, Billy is determined to train his dogs, Little Ann and Old Dan, to be the best. Nothing would stop Billy from achieving his goal. He started his journey in the middle of the night, alone and walked 30 miles to pick up the dogs. After a year of training Old Dan and Little Ann, he started hunting every night and then he took the coon skins to his grandfather’s store to sell. Once he spent 2 days chopping down a tree his dogs had treed a coon in. He would not leave the tree until he got the coon. Two mean boys challenged Billy to hunt down a ghost coon. After a long chase, the dogs treed it, but Billy did not want to kill it. There was a bad fight with the mean boys’ blue tick hound and Billy’s dogs., One of the brothers took Billy’s axe and fell on it and bleed to death. The other brother ran away in shock. Billy was sad about the bad accident. Billy’s grandfather entered his dogs in a big hunting contest where they spent a few days competing against other dogs. In the final day, there was a blizzard while they were hunting and the dogs nearly froze to death circling a tree they had chased the coon in to. Just like Billy, the dogs would not give up. Billy went home with 2 trophies and $300.00 prize money. Billy continued to hunt. One night the dogs came up against a mountain lion, who attacked them and Billy. Billy’s dogs saved his life but were severely injured. Billy’s father helped get the dogs home and Billy’s mother helped stitch up Old Dan. Old Dan died soon, and Little Ann found his grave and died there. In the spring, rare red ferns grew at the grave site. . Billy grieved and asked God why the dogs had to die. He did not want any other dogs but Old Dan and Little Ann. Billy’s parents tried to make him feel better. His parents had always dreamed about moving to the city so the children could attend school. His father showed Billy the box of money he had been saving from all the coon skins he sold and the contest money. Thanks to Billy’s great love for his dogs and his success and determination, the family was able to move to the city. In this book, I learned to never give up no matter how hard it gets in life. I also learned to set a goal and try to achieve that goal.

I first read this book as a kid in 5th grade. Well, actually, the class listened as the teacher, Mrs. Brown, read the story. I remember her reading the story a chapter or two a day for about 2 weeks. A story about a boy and his love of his two dogs spoke to me as I was also a boy who loved dogs. The story stayed with me for years. In 2025, I ran across the book on Kindle and remembered a bit about it from years ago. I bought it. I took me a few months to start reading it and six months to finish it. The reason it took so long was I wasn't reading much at the time as I have the last month. Mr. Rawls was able to tell this story in a way that the reader had no trouble following along. I could imagine Billy working hard and saving the money to get Dan and Ann. I could see their nightly hunts. The tragedy of Rubin Pritchard's death, the exhilaration of Ann winning the Dog Show, both Dan and Ann winning the Hunting Championship, and crying when reading about the deaths of Dan and Ann. I also like how Mr. Rawls included several instances of answered (and unanswered) prayers.

It is was such ad beautiful story, after my 19 years old, gave this book to me, since this was his favorite in middle school. I enjoyed twice 🫶

Muy interesante, lo recomiendo para adultos también.

It is a very gripping story about the relationship between a boy and his two beloved dogs, and how their entry into his life unfolded all the events that eventually helped his family to see days that they'd prayed for, for so long! This book also teaches us on how to acknowledge the unexpected turns, in fact the very worst ones, in our lives, and to let that be a guide for all the good things to cherish in the future. As for this book, it was about cherishing love at it's fullest!

I love the story. I bought it to share with friends. Was disappointed when it was first delivered, there was no packing material around the book and the boxes is too big so the front cover was bent. But Amazon was amazing with their customer service and sent out another book with no charge and no return on the first one that was damaged.

they are both Xmas presents so have not been opened yet

Not impressed with the quality of the book. Considering it should be a gift very disappointed it looks worn and second hand 🤦🏻‍♀️