Where The Red Fern Grows

One of the most beloved children’s classics of all time, this unforgettable coming-of-age adventure is a story of love, loyalty, and the bond between a boy and his two dogs.

Billy has dreamed for years of owning not one, but two dogs. So when he finally saves enough money to bring home two Redbone Coonhounds—Old Dan and Little Ann—he can hardly believe his luck. Even during hard times, the three become inseparable as they roam the hills of the Ozarks together.

Before long, Billy and his beloved hounds become the finest hunting team in the valley. Word of their adventures spreads far and wide, and the combination of Old Dan’s strength, Little Ann’s intelligence, and Billy’s determination seems unstoppable. But when heartbreak enters their lives, Billy discovers the enduring power of love and resilience, and learns that even loss can leave behind something beautiful.

Praise for Where the Red Fern Grows

A Top 100 Children’s Novel, School Library Journal
A Must-Read for Kids 9 to 14, NPR
A Great American Read's Selection (PBS)
Winner of Multiple State Awards
Over 14 million copies in print!

“A rewarding book . . . [with] careful, precise observation, all of it rightly phrased....Very touching.” —The New York Times Book Review

“One of the great classics of children’s literature . . . Any child who doesn’t get to read this beloved and powerfully emotional book has missed out on an important piece of childhood for the last 40-plus years.” —Common Sense Media

“An exciting tale of love and adventure you’ll never forget.” —School Library Journal

“A book of unadorned naturalness.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Written with so much feeling and sentiment that adults as well as children are drawn [in] with a passion.” —Arizona Daily Star

“It’s a story about a young boy and his two hunting dogs and . . . I can’t even go on without getting a little misty.” —The Huffington Post

“We tear up just thinking about it.” —Time on the film adaptation

Wilson Rawls was the beloved author of the enduring classic Where the Red Fern Grows and the acclaimed novel Summer of the Monkeys. Born on a small farm in the Ozark Mountains, Rawls spent much of his childhood exploring the hills and river bottoms of northeastern Oklahoma alongside Rowdy, his faithful old bluetick hound—experiences that would later inspire the heartfelt adventures in his fiction.

First published in 1961, Where the Red Fern Grows has become a treasured classic for generations of readers and was adapted into a widely praised motion picture. Rawls’ second novel, Summer of the Monkeys, also earned critical acclaim, receiving numerous honors including the prestigious California Young Reader Medal. Wilson Rawls remains one of the most cherished voices in children’s literature. He died in 1984 at the age of seventy-one.