Thursday, April 30, 2009

Books on CD: Where the Red Fern Grows

Wilson Rawls classic boy-book, Where the Red Fern Grows , is an amazing story of two coon-hunting dogs and the boy who loves and trains them. This is a GREAT story for boys who should be outside running around, exploring, playing in nature and just having adventures.

We just finished listening to the audio version, read by Anthony Heald, and if you can get it, definitely listen! Heald does a fabulous job evoking the characters which Rawls paints so eloquently. By the end of the book, the listener really knows Billy and Grandpa, Papa and Mama, the three little sisters and even Old Dan and Little Ann. The listener understands the toughness of life in the Ozarks, the poverty and daily life-struggles, the learning at home because there is no other choice, the fear of nighttime coon-hunting and the thrill of the successful treeing of the sought-after coon! Heald does a GREAT job of keeping the accent of the Ozarks, giving the listener a good feel for the uniqueness of the characters living and loving in the heart of the Ozarks.

1 comment:

Leah of RamFam said...

This has been my favorite book since I first read it in 2nd grade. I still cry at the end, every time! (I was rather disappointed in the movie, as it was nothing like I read.)