book review for where the red fern grows

A Journey of Words

Book review: where the red fern grows, where the red fern grows by wilson rawls, my rating: 4 / 5 genre: children’s classic.

book review for where the red fern grows

I remember liking this book more when I read it as a child/pre-teen than I did this time. I seem to recall being emotionally invested and thinking it was poignant (I probably didn’t use that word in my mind as a kid though). As an adult, I feel emotionally manipulated. Let’s start with the overall story first, though, and leave the ending for later.

I read this at the same time as my 12-year-old daughter, who was reading it for school. We agreed that the book starts off pretty slow—Billy pining for a couple of hounds and then working toward getting them. I’m all for the lesson about going after what you want instead of expecting it to be given to you, but it could have been a little more interesting. The story gets going once he gets into the coon hunting, and it certainly taught me about a way of life I would never have otherwise known about. Running alongside Billy, Old Dan, and Little Ann as they tree those coons, with the dangers that come along with that, is exciting and immersive.

I was prepared for a tragic ending but did not remember it being so gruesome. On top of that, the way Billy reacts to the loss hit me a little close to home, after the recent loss of my mom and the way my daughter has handled it. I was truly concerned for her to keep reading it (she was behind me at this point), but she apparently handled it better than I did. I also think she liked the book overall more than I did, reminding me of my own different opinion as a kid. Me, though, I felt like there was no reason for the extremity of the tragedy and aftermath other than trying to make people cry. If you’re wondering whether your child should read it or not, I’d recommend reading it first to make sure you think it’s not a bit too much for them.

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Parent reviews of, where the red fern grows.

Common Sense Says
Parents Say 21 Reviews
Kids Say 73 Reviews

Parents Say

Based on 21 parent reviews

Parent Reviews

This title has:

Great messages

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I want to have dogs-2 ... and i would name them dan and ann.

Great role models

Cry and Scream and Laugh

Educational value

Paints vivid images

Amazing shows lots of integrity, awesome shows a lot of great traits that you would want a regular kid to have, a wonderfully emotional adventure, extreme tear-jerker and guaranteed to leave you in tears.

Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking

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