Where the Red Fern Grows

More than anything else in life, Billy Colman wanted a dog. When at the age of ten he saw an ad for two coon-hound pups, he resolved to its their purchase price of $50. Two years later, having scrimped and saved, he attained his goal—the dogs were his, and he named them Old Dan and Little Ann. Billy spent weeks training his dogs to hunt their ring-tailed quarry. Night after night the three of them romped through the dark hills and river bot-toms of the Cherokee country. Old Dan had the brawn, Little Anne had the brains, and their reputation as a remarkable hunting team spread gradually through the valley. When the big moment came, Billy and his dogs were ready for it. Upsetting the cham-pions, they won the coveted gold cup in the annual coon-hunt contest. But ex-citement and victory were short-lived. and tragedy awaited the pups. Wilson Rawls has written a tender but convincing story that will warm the hearts of dog lovers of any age. --jacket