LS 5623 Module 1: WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS by Wilson Rawls

Rawls, Wilson. 1961. WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS. New York: Yearling. ISBN 0440412676

Billy has never wanted anything more in his life than a hound dog. No, make that two hound dogs. Living out in the Ozark mountains, he lays in bed at night listening to the bawling of an old coon hound and dreams of the day when he too can traipse through the woods with a dog by his side. Secretly, Billy begins to save money he earns from trapping animals and selling items to the campers nearby. After two years, he finally has enough money to buy not one, but two hound pups from a magazine advertisement.

Although he never asked permission, his parents aren’t upset and everyone in the family takes a shine to Old Dan and Little Ann. The pups soon learn to hunt and track a river coon and come hunting season, the three are out each night catching raccoons. Little Ann and Old Dan have a special bond with Billy, but even more they have a special bond with each other. Together, they are an unstoppable force who trap and kill more raccoons than any hunter in town.

Proud of his grandson and his two hounds, Billy’s grandfather enters the trio in a big time hunting competition. Billy, along with his father and grandfather, travels to the competition and advance night after night until the final hunt. Even a snowstorm on the final night can’t keep the hounds from bawling treed and catching coon after coon. Arriving back home with a winning gold cup, Billy is even more sure that his dogs were heaven sent. Then one day, tragedy strikes while the three friends are out hunting and come across the devil cat of the Ozarks, the mountain lion.

Although WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS was written over fifty years ago, the bond between boy and dog still holds a special place in a young reader’s heart. “While the lifestyle might not be familiar to today’s youth, the ups and downs of growing up and the love of a pet will ring true to all [listeners]” (Braun, 1995). Billy’s character is well written and realistically describes a boy’s desire to own his own dog. Every young child who has dreamed of owning a dog, cat, hamster or fish will relate.

The book does drag on at times and a reader who isn’t 100% invested may lose patience with the slow paced story, but anyone who endures the duller moments will be thankful once they’ve finished the book. WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS is most definitely a classic that withstands the shifts in space and time and will pull at the heartstrings of any animal lover who reads it.


Reference List:
Braun, Linda W. 1995. "Audiovisual review: Recordings." School Library Journal 41, no. 6: 71. Education Research Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed September 19, 2011).

LS 5623 Module 1: WHAT I SAW AND HOW I LIED by Judy Blundell

Blundell, Judy. 2008. WHAT I SAW AND HOW I LIED. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 0439903483

“Truth, justice… I always thought they were absolutes, like God. And Mom. And apple pie. But you could make apple pie from Ritz crackers. You could make cakes without sugar. We learned how to fake things, during the war.”

Evie Spooner is a fifteen year old girl who is living up the last days of summer in Brooklyn, New York before starting back to school. One night, Evie’s stepdad Joe announces that he is taking the family on a trip to Palm Beach. Evie’s mother Bev hesitates but Evie knows this is what her family needs to get back on track now that Joe is home from the war.

Upon arriving in Palm Beach, Evie notices right away that something is off; the hotels and houses are boarded up for hurricane season and the city is a ghost town. The hotel, Le Mirage, has only a handful of guests and Evie busies herself with touring the hotel and roaming poolside in the evenings. One night she meets Peter, a man a few years older than Evie’s fifteen. They strike up a friendship that turns into something more as the days progress and she and her mother spend more and more time with Peter.

When Joe finds out that Evie and Bev are spending so much time together he commands it to stop and when it doesn’t Joe and Peter become hostile towards one another. One stormy morning, Peter heads out to sea with Joe and Bev at Joe’s urging. While their out, a hurricane moves closer to Palm Beach and Peter is lost a sea. But when his body washes up on shore, the police are doubtful that his death is an accident and Evie’s parents are named the prime suspects in his murder. The mix of truth and deception that follows is a lot to grasp for a fifteen year old but Evie is ready to hold her own.

WHAT I SAW AND HOW I LIED by Judy Blundell is a story of love and loss, of secrets and lies, and how the line between each is blurred when family is involved. Fifteen Evie experiences her first taste of love- a universal feeling that any teenager can relate to. Each character is excellently written, from charming Peter to Evie’s war torn step-dad, Joe Spooner. Set in post war 1947, WHAT I SAW AND HOW I LIED contains a plot that is realistic even today. “The suspenseful story tackles issues of racism, sexism and class distinctions” (Austin, 2010). Although the era is different, the same issues still run rampant throughout our modern society. This beautifully written, dramatic story is a must read for anyone who enjoys quality literature.


Reference List:
Austin, Patricia. 2010. "What I Saw and How I Lied." Booklist 106, no. 16: 66. Education Research Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed September 19, 2011).

LS 5623 Module 1: ANGUS, THONGS, AND FULL FRONTAL SNOGGING: CONFESSIONS OF GEORGIA NICOLSON by Louise Rennison

Rennison, Louise. 2001. ANGUS, THONGS, AND FULL FRONTAL SNOGGING: CONFESSIONS OF GEORGIA NICOLSON. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0064472272

REVIEW

ANGUS, THONGS, AND FULL FRONTAL SNOGGING: CONFESSIONS OF GEORGIA NICOLSON is the hilarious and realistic diary of a British teen who is quite sure her life is not worth living. Her cat is on a mission to eat the neighbor’s poodle, her parents think she’s too young for privacy and her best friend is in love with a boy from the grocery store. Her whole life is just too tragic to bear, especially now that she’s met Robbie AKA Sex God (S.G. for short) who is dating the most wet (idiotic) girl in school.

With the help of her friends, Georgia suffers through accidentally shaving off her eyebrows, stalking S.G.’s girlfriend and keeping Angus from attacking the poor dog next door. Her home life is somewhat of a disaster as well; her dad has lost his job and has moved to New Zealand to find work. While he’s away, Georgia is sure that her mother is flirting with a contractor and that her little sister has put another dirty diaper in her bed.

ANGUS, THONGS, AND FULL FRONTAL SNOGGING is sure to be a hit with any teenage girl, regardless of her city of origin. This book has it all: a mysterious older boy, a quirky best friend, some mischievous antics and a set of parents that just don’t get what it’s like to be fourteen. “Georgia is a wonderful character whose misadventures are not only hysterically funny but universally recognizable” (Cart, 2000). American teens will love learning the British slang that Georgia’s character provides in the book’s glossary and will laugh at many of the realistic adventures (and misadventures) of Georgia and her friends.

This well written first book by author Louise Rennison will reassure any teenage girl that she is normal and that we all go through life’s ups and downs. Rennison is able to discuss topics such as snogging (kissing) and sexual exploration through Georgia’s humorously told tale.

Reference List:
Cart, Michael. 2000. "Starred Reviews: Books for Youth." Booklist 96, no. 21: 2033. Education Research Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed September 19, 2011).