Where the Red Fern Grows / Wilson Rawls 212 p.

Hunting dogs are Billy's biggest desire; so much so, that he takes on any and every kind of job for two years to earn the money for two pups, Old Dan and Little Ann, which he trains to be the finest hunting team in the valley in this heartwarming coming of age tale of a boy growing up in the Ozarks.  Warning: a tearjerker ending.

Appeal:  Character-driven, Fast-paced, Haunting, Homespun, Moving, Strong sense of place

Decades Books: 1960