Children's Book Review
Renee Chaffin

According to Amazon, Where the Red Fern Grows is rated:
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!

I read this book with my 6th-8th book club. The group is random, pretty anti-social, and couldn't collectively decide on a book. When the boys asked if they could read Fight Club, I told them that we couldn't read it at school, but they were welcome to read it at home. When I projected a list of books available in the library that had 50+ copies and showed a few movie trailers, they ran to the library to pick up this book. Most of them had read it in fourth grade, (which I think is when I read it too). I wasn't excited at first and I thought it might be too elementary for my group. The book proved me wrong as I was engaged by the story of a young boy and his adoration and relationship with his hunting dogs. When I told my friend who also teaches ELA that I was reading this she replied, "snooze...YA has come such a long way." I argued that it is a classic and can engage all kids who have ever had a pet, like action, hunt, or are animal lovers. Since it has a low lexile, it could be appropriate for ELs or struggling readers. Each chapter tells a mini-saga in the life of an eleven-year-old hunter who goes out on dangerous missions to hunt raccoons in the dark. The relationship between the boy and his dogs is a special bond that can only be described from the words on the page. There is so much rising action that I couldn't put it down. I always wanted to know if they were going to catch the coon and if everyone was going to be okay. I also enjoyed the boy's relationship with his grandfather, who experienced him to take risks and ultimately, become the best hunter in all of the southern states. 

Our discussions of the book were a little random, as the kids fixate on certain tid-bits that I don't necessarily identify with or notice. I asked them if they had ever had a pet, if they had ever saved money for something and if not, what would be worth saving for. We checked in after every five chapters and talked about what they liked and disliked. They love to talk about the ***spoiler alert**** at the end and how it is so sad, which ruined the book for many of them.

Overall, I give this book a five-star rating and recommend it to any child who hasn't yet read it. Like I said, I wasn't excited to read it, but I couldn't put it down despite not being a hunter or a dog owner.