Plot: Billy desperately wants a pair of dogs. However, he does not want the typical sheepdogs or mutts common near his farm in the Ozarks. He longs for a pair of raccoon-hunting hounds. His parents cannot afford them, though. After finding a hunting catalog offering two dogs for fifty dollars, he begins to save money with work and a prayer. Eventually, he buys his dogs, and the three become inseparable. The dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann, manage to out-hunt every other hound in the area and eventually perform excellently in a hunting contest. However, like many animal stories, the dogs cannot last forever...
Reading Level: 9-12 years
Genre: Fiction, Animals, Coming of Age
Similar Titles: Shiloh, Because of Winn-Dixie
Personal Thoughts: I had to read this when I was about 11. Although I remember liking it as a tween, it made me almost cry as an adult. The result is typical of dog books since, to paraphrase Marley & Me, dogs don't live as long as people. While the sad ending may discourage younger readers, the novel provides a story about patience, hope, love, and loyalty.
When I first started teaching I taught 7th grade with what I called the dead pet curriculum - Red Fern, Red Pony, and some short story with a blind guy and a horse that eventually dies - needless to say that lasted a year before I switched it up. I hate dying pet stories. Recently I read the Knife of Never Letting Go and I spent the whole book waiting for the inevitability of the dead dog, which of course came. Needless to say I was annoyed: http://librarygrl.wordpress.com/2010/04/30/the-knife-of-never-letting-go-spoilers/
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