Where the Red Fern Grows
Jan 2011 · Laurel Leaf
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326 reviews
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About this ebook
A beloved classic that captures the powerful bond between man and man’s best friend.
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 doesn’t matter that times are tough; 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, and that the seeds of the future can come from the scars of the past.
Praise for Where the Red Fern Grows
A Top 100 Children’s Novel, School Library Journal's A Fuse #8 Production
A Must-Read for Kids 9 to 14, NPR
Winner of Multiple State Awards
Over 7 million copies in print!
“Very touching.” —The New York Times Book Review
“One of the great classics of children’s literature . . . Any child who doesn’t get to read this beloved and powerfully emotional book has missed out on an important piece of childhood for the last 40-plus years.” —Common Sense Media
“An exciting tale of love and adventure you’ll never forget.” —School Library Journal
“A book of unadorned naturalness.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Written with so much feeling and sentiment that adults as well as children are drawn [in] with a passion.” —Arizona Daily Star
“It’s a story about a young boy and his two hunting dogs and . . . I can’t even go on without getting a little misty.” —The Huffington Post
“We tear up just thinking about it.” —Time on the film adaptation
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 doesn’t matter that times are tough; 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, and that the seeds of the future can come from the scars of the past.
Praise for Where the Red Fern Grows
A Top 100 Children’s Novel, School Library Journal's A Fuse #8 Production
A Must-Read for Kids 9 to 14, NPR
Winner of Multiple State Awards
Over 7 million copies in print!
“Very touching.” —The New York Times Book Review
“One of the great classics of children’s literature . . . Any child who doesn’t get to read this beloved and powerfully emotional book has missed out on an important piece of childhood for the last 40-plus years.” —Common Sense Media
“An exciting tale of love and adventure you’ll never forget.” —School Library Journal
“A book of unadorned naturalness.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Written with so much feeling and sentiment that adults as well as children are drawn [in] with a passion.” —Arizona Daily Star
“It’s a story about a young boy and his two hunting dogs and . . . I can’t even go on without getting a little misty.” —The Huffington Post
“We tear up just thinking about it.” —Time on the film adaptation
A beloved classic that captures the powerful bond between man and man’s best friend.
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 doesn’t matter that times are toug...
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Ratings and reviews
326 reviews
Carlos Garcia
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October 20, 2026
*SPOILERS AHEAD* So... This was a battle to get through. I almost completely bailed on this book many times. I kept with it because I couldn't drop another book this year. The writing was clear and easy to follow. The story was exceptionally short (so it seemed), but I don't mean length, I mean feeling. It felt like a very condensed story; boy wants dogs, cries, gets dogs, cries, trains to coon hunt, cries, they are good & enter a competition, cries, they win, cries, make terrible decisions, dogs die... Cries. Let me not confuse the reader of this review, I was not the one crying, not even a little bit. The crying is from all the characters in this book. Goodness sakes, all crying all the time! And cutting down an entire huge sycamore tree just to get a coon? Serious?!? It didn't grip me the way I was told it would. It was a let down. This is for children and, although happy to have read it, it didn't satisfy. Continued stupid decisions that led to horrible outcomes. Overhyped. 2.5/5.
Judy Currie
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February 7, 2020
I deleted after first few pages.i thought it was going to be about a boy and his dog. They started talking about trapping a cat a bunch of times and then other animals. I had to give it one star so I could post. I love animals.
2 people found this review helpful
Cayden Cowley
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September 22, 2025
The plot was ok but it wasn't a good book, still can't figure out why everyone cries like its not even sad. edit: not saying its horrible but the book isn't bad I just personally found it boring sorry
About the author
Wilson Rawls was the beloved author of the enduring classic Where the Red Fern Grows and the acclaimed novel Summer of the Monkeys. Born on a small farm in the Ozark Mountains, Rawls spent much of his childhood exploring the hills and river bottoms of northeastern Oklahoma alongside Rowdy, his faithful old bluetick hound—experiences that would later inspire the heartfelt adventures in his fiction.
First published in 1961, Where the Red Fern Grows has become a treasured classic for generations of readers and was adapted into a widely praised motion picture. Rawls’ second novel, Summer of the Monkeys, also earned critical acclaim, receiving numerous honors including the prestigious California Young Reader Medal. Wilson Rawls remains one of the most cherished voices in children’s literature. He died in 1984 at the age of seventy-one.
First published in 1961, Where the Red Fern Grows has become a treasured classic for generations of readers and was adapted into a widely praised motion picture. Rawls’ second novel, Summer of the Monkeys, also earned critical acclaim, receiving numerous honors including the prestigious California Young Reader Medal. Wilson Rawls remains one of the most cherished voices in children’s literature. He died in 1984 at the age of seventy-one.
Wilson Rawls was the beloved author of the enduring classic Where the Red Fern Grows and the acclaimed novel Summer of the Monkeys. Born on a small farm in the Ozark Mountains, Rawls spent much of his childhood exploring the hills and river bottoms of northeastern Oklahoma alongside Rowdy, his fa...
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