Literature Selections for Oral Presentation of Literature Lab

Alphabetized by title
Title

Across Five Aprils

Amos Fortune, Free Man

Author

Description
Takes readers from the first shots fired at Fort Sumter to Lincoln's assassination as seen
through the eyes of a Southern Illinois farm boy. Jethro Creighton is nine when his close
knit family learns that hostilities have broken out. As numerous male relatives go off to
fight for the North and the South, and after his father falls ill, young Jethro takes
responsibility for the family farm. With help from an older sister and neighboring farmers,
he copes with attacks from local vigilantes, and he makes mature choices about a cousin
who has deserted the army. Hunt artfully transforms her grandfather's childhood
experiences into a powerful story of family love and the challenges of war. He also weaves
a great deal of historical information into this Newbery Honor Book, and adds a generous
measure of old-fashioned country wisdom as well.

Hunt, Irene

Yates, Elizabeth

Anne of Green Gables

Montgomery, Lucy Maud

Because of Winn Dixie

DiCamillo, Kate

When Amos Fortune was only fifteen years old, he was captured by slave traders and
brought to Massachusetts, where he was sold at auction. Although his freedom had been
taken, Amos never lost his dinity and courage. For 45 years, Amos worked as a slave and
dreamed of freedom. And, at age 60, he finally began to see those dreams come true.
Newberry Medal winner.
A skinny, red-haired, and freckled orphan girl is mistakenly sent to live with a shy, elderly
bachelor and his spinster sister on the north shore of Canada's Prince Edward Island; The
elderly siblings had asked to adopt a young boy who could work on the family farm, but the
imaginitive and rambunctious Anne Shirley arrives instead, and becomes the center of a
series of entertaining adventures.
Because of Winn-Dixie, a big, ugly, happy dog, 10-year-old Opal learns 10 things about her
long-gone mother from her preacher father. Because of Winn-Dixie, Opal makes new
friends among the somewhat unusual residents of her new hometown, Naomi, Florida.
Because of Winn-Dixie, Opal begins to find her place in the world and let go of some of the
sadness left by her mother's abandonment seven years earlier.

Bridge to Terabithia

By the Shores of Silver Lake

Caddie Woodlawn

Carry on Mr. Bowditch

Paterson, Katherine

Jess Aarons has been practicing all summer so he can be the fastest runner in the fifth
grade. And he almost is, until the new girl in school, Leslie Burke, outpaces him. The two
become fast friends and spend most days in the woods behind Leslie's house, where they
invent an enchanted land called Terabithia. One morning, Leslie goes to Terabithia without
Jess and a tragedy occurs. It will take the love of his family and the strength that Leslie has
given him for Jess to be able to deal with his grief. Newberry Medal winner.

Wilder, Laura Ingalls

The adventures of Laura Ingalls and her family continue as they move from their little
house on the banks of Plum Creek to the wilderness of the unsettled Dakota Territory. Here
Pa works on the new railroad until he finds a homestead claim that is perfect for their new
little house. Laura takes her first train ride as she, her sisters, and their mother come out to
live with Pa on the shores of Silver Lake. After a lonely winter in the surveyors' house, Pa
puts up the first building in what will soon be a brand-new town on the beautiful shores of
Silver Lake. The Ingallses' covered-wagon travels are finally over.

Brink, Carol Ryrie

At age 11, Caddie Woodlawn is the despair of her mother and the pride of her father: a
clock-fixing tomboy running wild in the woods of Wisconsin. In 1864, this is a bit much for
her Boston-bred mother to bear, but Caddie and her brothers are happy with the status
quo. Written in 1935 about Carol Ryrie Brink's grandmother's childhood, the adventures of
Caddie and her brothers are still exciting over 60 years later. With each chapter comes
another ever-more exciting adventure: a midnight gallop on her horse across a frozen river
to warn her American Indian friends of the white men's plan to attack; a prairie fire
approaching the school house; and a letter from England that may change the family's life
forever. Newberry Medal winner.

Latham, Jean Lee

True story of Nathaniel Bowditch who grew up in a sailors worldSalem in the early days,
when tall-masted ships from foreign ports crowded the wharves. But Nat didnt promise to
have the makings of a sailor; he was too physically small. Nat may have been slight of build,
but no one guessed that he had the persistence and determination to master sea
navigation in the days when men sailed only by log, lead, and lookout. Nats long hours of
study and observation, collected in his famous work, The American Practical Navigator
(also known as the Sailors Bible), stunned the sailing community and made him a New
England hero.

An affectionate, sometimes bashful pig named Wilbur befriends a spider named Charlotte,
who lives in the rafters above his pen. A prancing, playful bloke, Wilbur is devastated when
he learns of the destiny that befalls all those of porcine persuasion. Determined to save her
friend, Charlotte spins a web that reads "Some Pig," convincing the farmer and surrounding
community that Wilbur is no ordinary animal and should be saved. In this story of
friendship, hardship, and the passing on into time, E.B. White reminds us to open our eyes
to the wonder and miracle often found in the simplest of things.
Charlotte's Web

Diary of a Young Girl

E.B. White

Frank, Anne

Esperaza Rising

Ryan, Pam Munoz

Farmer Boy

Wilder, Laura Ingalls

Goodbye Mr. Chips

Hilton, James

A beautifully written memoir of a young girl caught in the middle of one of the most
horrific periods of human history, is a testament to the indestructible human will to
persevere and survive in the face of the most adverse of circumstances.
Esperanza thought she'd always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico - she'd always
have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza
and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for
Mexican farm workers. Esperanza isn't ready for the hard labor, financial struggles, or lack
of acceptance she now faces. When their new life is threatened, Esperanza must find a way
to rise above her difficult circumstances--Mama's life, and her own, depend on it.
While Laura Ingalls grows up in a little house on the western prairie, Almanzo Wilder is
living on a big farm in New York State. Here Almanzo and his brother and sisters help with
the summer planting and fall harvest. In winter there is wood to be chopped and great
slabs of ice to be cut from the river and stored. Time for fun comes when the jolly tin
peddler visits, or best of all, when the fair comes to town. This is Laura Ingalls Wilder's
beloved story of how her husband grew up as a farmer boy far from the little house where
she lived.
Full of enthusiasm, young English schoolmaster Mr. Chipping came to teach at Brookfield in
1870. It was a time when dignity and a generosity of spirit still existed, and the dedicated
new schoolmaster expressed these beliefs to his rowdy students. Nicknamed Mr. Chips,
this gentle and caring man helped shape the lives of generation after generation of boys.
He became a legend at Brookfield, as enduring as the institution itself. And sad but grateful
faces told the story when the time came for the students at Brookfield to bid their final
goodbye to Mr. Chips.

Hatchet

How to Eat Fried Worms

Paulsen, Gary

Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is on his way to visit his father when the single-engine
plane in which he is flying crashes. Suddenly, Brian finds himself alone in the Canadian
wilderness with nothing but a tattered Windbreaker and the hatchet his mother gave him
as a presentand the dreadful secret that has been tearing him apart since his parents
divorce. But now Brian has no time for anger, self pity, or despairit will take all his knowhow and determination, and more courage than he knew he possessed, to survive.
Newberry Medal winner.

Rockwell, Thomas

Because of a bet, Billy is in the uncomfortable position of having to eat fifteen worms in
fifteen days. The worms are supplied by his opponent, whose motto is "The bigger and
juicier, the better!" At first Billy's problem is whether or not he can swallow the worm
placed before him, even with a choice of condiments from peanut butter to horseradish.
But later it looks as if Billy will win, and the challenge becomes getting to the worm to eat
it. Billy's family, after checking with the doctor, takes everything in stride. They even help
Billy through his gastronomic ordeal, which twists and turns with each new day, leaving the
outcome of the bet continually in doubt.

In The Year of the Boar and Jackie

Robinson

Lord, Bette Bao

Island of the Blue Dolphins

O'Dell, Scott

Johnny Tremain

Forbes, Esther

Shirley Temple Wong sails from China to America with a heart full of dreams.Her new
home is Brooklyn, New York. America is indeed a land full of wonders, but Shirley doesn't
know any English, so it's hard to make friends. Then a miracle-baseball-happens. It is 1947,
and Jackie Robinson, star of the Brooklyn Dodgers, is everyone's hero. Jackie Robinson is
proving that a black man, the grandson of a slave, can make a difference in America and for
Shirley as well, on the ball field and off, America becomes the land of opportunity.
Winner of the Newbery Medal in 1961, this story of Karana, the Indian girl who lived alone
for eighteen years on an island off the coast of California, still fascinates young readers. Her
survival story-fighting the wild dogs and loneliness, hunting for food, and hoping to be
rescued-is spellbinding.
Fourteen-year old Johnny Tremain, an apprentice silversmith with a bright future ahead of
him, injures his hand in a tragic accident, forcing him to look for other work. In his new job
as a horse-boy, riding for the patriotic newspaper, the Boston Observer, and as a
messenger for the Sons of Liberty, he encounters John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and Dr.
Joseph Warren. Soon Johnny is involved in the pivotal events shaping the American
Revolution from the Boston Tea Party to the first shots fired at Lexington. Newberry Medal
winner

Journey to Topaz

Julie of the Wolves

Little House in the Big Woods

Uchida, Yoshiko

George, Jean Craighead

Wilder, Laura Ingalls

Little House on the Prairie

Wilder, Laura Ingalls

Mary Poppins

Travers, P.L.

Based on Yoshiko Uchida's personal experiences, this is the moving story of one girl's
struggle to remain brave during the Japanese internment of World War II. In a bleak and
dusty prison camp, eleven-year-old Yuki and her family experience both true friendship and
heart-wrenching tragedy. Journey to Topaz explores the consequences of prejudice and the
capacities of the human spirit.
To her small Eskimo village, she is known as Miyax; to her friend in San Francisco, she is
Julie. When her life in the village becomes dangerous, Miyax runs away, only to find herself
lost in the Alaskan wilderness. Miyax tries to survive by copying the ways of a pack of
wolves and soon grows to love her new wolf family. Life in the wilderness is a struggle, but
when she finds her way back to civilization, Miyax is torn between her old and new lives. Is
she Miyax of the Eskimosor Julie of the wolves? Newberry Medal winner.
The book that started it all! Little House in the Big Woods is the first book in Laura Ingalls
Wilder's treasured Little House series, which was based on her life growing up as an
American pioneer.
The adventures continue for Laura Ingalls and her family as they leave their little house in
the Big Woods of Wisconsin and set out for Kansas. They travel for many days in their
covered wagon until they find the best spot to build their little house on the prairie. Soon
they are planting and plowing, hunting wild ducks and turkeys, and gathering grass for their
cows. Sometimes pioneer life is hard, but Laura and her folks are always busy and happy in
their new little house.
From the moment Mary Poppins arrives at Number Seventeen Cherry-Tree Lane, everyday
life at the Banks house is forever changed. It all starts when Mary Poppins is blown by the
east wind onto the doorstep of the Banks house. She becomes a most unusual nanny to
Jane, Michael, and the twins. Who else but Mary Poppins can slideup banisters, pull an
entire armchair out of an empty carpetbag, and make a dose of medicine taste like
delicious lime-juice cordial? A day with Mary Poppins is a day of magic and make-believe
come to life!

The Revolutionary War had no clear-cut loyalties - it divided families, friends and towns.
Young Tim Meeker's 16-year-old brother goes off to fight with the Patriots while his father
remains a reluctant British Loyalist in the Tory town of Redding, CT. Tims always looked up
to his brother, whos smart and brave. With the war soon raging, Tim knows he'll have to
make a choice -- between the Revolutionaries and the Redcoats . . . and between his
brother and his father. Over the course of the war Tim learns that life teaches some bitter
lessons and does not guarantee clear answers. My Brother Sam Is Dead is a stirring,
probing tale full of action and suspense, putting listeners right into the heart of the
Revolutionary War. Newberry Medal winner.
My Brother Sam is Dead

Collier, James Lincoln

My Friend Flicka

O'Hara, Mary

National Velvet

Bagnold, Enid

The first time that ken McLaughlin sees Flicka galloping past him on his family's Wyoming
horse ranch, he knows she's the yearling he's been longing for. But Flicka comes from a
long line of wild horses, and taming her will take more than Ken could ever have imagined.
Soon, Ken is faced with an impossible choice: give up on his beautiful horse, or risk his life
to fight for her.
A butcher's daughter in a small Sussex town ends her nightly prayers with "Oh, God, give
me horses, give me horses! Let me be the best rider in England!" The answer to 14-year-old
Velvet Brown's plea materializes in the form of an unwanted piebald, raffled off in a village
lottery, who turns out to be adept at jumping fencesexactly the sort of horse that could
win the world's most famous steeplechase, the Grand National.
As the German troops begin their campaign to "relocate" all the Jews of Denmark,
Annemarie Johansens family takes in Annemaries best friend, Ellen Rosen, and conceals
her as part of the family. Through the eyes of ten-year-old Annemarie, we watch as the
Danish Resistance smuggles almost the entire Jewish population of Denmark, nearly seven
thousand people, across the sea to Sweden. The heroism of an entire nation reminds us
that there was pride and human decency in the world even during a time of terror and war.
Newberry Medal winner.

Number the Stars

Lois Lowry
At first, Travis couldn't stand the sight of Old Yeller. The stray dog was ugly, and a thieving
rascal, too. But he sure was clever, and a smart dog could be a big help on the wild Texas
frontier, especially with Papa away on a long cattle drive up to Abilene. Strong and
courageous, Old Yeller proved that he could protect Travis's family from any sort of danger.
But can Travis do the same for Old Yeller?

Old Yeller

Gipson, Fred

On the Banks of Plum Creek

Pippi Longstocking

Wilder, Laura Ingalls

The adventures of Laura Ingalls and her family continue as they leave their little house on
the prairie and travel in their covered wagon to Minnesota. Here they settle in a little
house made of sod beside the banks of beautiful Plum Creek. Soon Pa builds a wonderful
new little house with real glass windows and a hinged door. Laura and her sister Mary go to
school, help with the chores, and fish in the creek. At night everyone listens to the merry
music of Pa's fiddle. Misfortunes come in the form of a grasshopper plague and a terrible
blizzard, but the pioneer family works hard together to overcome these troubles.

Lindgren, Astrid

Tommy and his sister Annika have a new neighbor, and her name is Pippi Longstocking. She
has crazy red pigtails, no parents to tell her what to do, a horse that lives on her porch, and
a flair for the outrageous that seems to lead to one adventure after another!

Prince Caspian

Lewis, C.S.

Rascal

North, Sterling

The fourth book in the Narnia series. A prince denied his rightful throne gathers an army in
a desperate attempt to rid his land of a false king. But in the end, it is a battle of honor
between two men alone that will decide the fate of an entire world.
At 11 years of age, Sterling North found himself the caretaker of a baby raccoon. This is the
story of a year in the life of a boy and a raccoon. Set in 1918, Sterling's father is often
absent and perpetually involved in research for a novel about Fox and Winnebago Indians.
Sterling's mother is deceased, and he is often left to his own devices. Rascal therefore
enjoys such comforts as sleeping in Sterling's bed and attending the county fair. Newberry
Medal winner.

Taylor, Mildred D.

Set in Mississippi at the height of the Depression, this is the story of one family's struggle to
maintain their integrity, pride, and independence in the face of racism and social injustice.
And it is also Cassie's storyCassie Logan, an independent girl who discovers over the
course of an important year why having land of their own is so crucial to the Logan family,
even as she learns to draw strength from her own sense of dignity and self-respect.

MacLachlan, Patricia

Set in the late nineteenth century and told from young Anna's point of view, Sarah, Plain
and Tall tells the story of how Sarah Elisabeth Wheaton comes from Maine to the prairie
to answer Papa's advertisement for a wife and mother. Before Sarah arrives, Anna and her
younger brother Caleb wait and wonder. Will Sarah be nice? Will she sing? Will she stay?
Newberry Medal winner.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Sarah, Plain and Tall

Sounder

Armstrong, William H.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Twain, Mark

Sounder is no beauty. But as a coon dog, this loyal mongrel with his cavernous bark is
unmatched. When the African-American sharecropper who has raised Sounder from a pup
is hauled off to jail for stealing a hog, his family must suffer their humiliation and crushing
loss with no recourse. To make matters worse, in the fracas, Sounder is shot and
disappears. The eventual return of a tattered and emaciated Sounder doesn't change the
fact that the sharecropper's oldest son is forced to take on man's work to help support the
family. His transition to adulthood is paved by the rocks and taunts hurled at him by
convicts and guards as he searches for his father. But along this rough road he ultimately
finds salvation as well. Newberry Medal winner.
Whether forming a pirate gang to search for buried treasure or spending a quiet time at
home, sharing his medicine with Aunt Polly's cat, the irrepressible Tom Sawyer evokes the
world of boyhood in nineteenth century rural America. In this classic story, Mark Twain recreated a long-ago world of freshly whitewashed fences and Sunday school picnics into
which sordid characters and violent incidents sometimes intruded. The tale powerfully
appeals to both adult and young imaginations.
The Herdmans are the worst kids in the history of the world. They lie, steal, smoke cigars,
swear, and hit little kids. So no one is prepared when this outlaw family invades church one
Sunday and decides to take over the annual Christmas pageant. None of the Herdmans has
ever heard the Christmas story before. Their interpretation of the tale -- the Wise Men are
a bunch of dirty spies and Herod needs a good beating -- has a lot of people up in arms. But
it will make this year's pageant the most unusual anyone has seen and, just possibly, the
best one ever.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

The Big Wave

The Black Stallion

Robinson, Barbara

Buck, Pearl S.

On a mountainside in Japan, two boys enjoy a humble life governed by age-old customs.
Jiya belongs to a family of fishermen; his best friend, Kino, farms rice. But when a
neighboring volcano erupts and a tidal wave swallows their villageincluding Jiyas
familylife as they know it is changed forever. The orphaned Jiya must learn to come to
terms with his grief. Now facing a profoundly different life than the one hed always taken
for granted, he must decide on a new way forward.

Farley, Walter

The triumphant tale of a boy and a wild horse. From Alec Ramsay and the Black's first
meeting on an ill-fated ship to their adventures on a desert island and their eventual
rescue, this beloved story will hold the rapt attention of readers new and old.

The Bronze Bow

Speare, Elizabeth George

The Cay

Taylor, Theodore

The Giver

Lois Lowry

The Hiding Place

Tin Boom, Corrie

The Hobbit

Tolkien, J.R.R.

Daniel bar Jamin is fired by only one passion: to avenge his father's death by crucifixion by
driving the Roman legions from his land of Israel. He joins an outlaw band and leads a
dangerous life of spying, plotting, and impatiently waiting to seek revenge. Headstrong
Daniel is devoid of tenderness and forgiveness, heading down a destructive path toward
disaster until he hears the lessons taught by Jesus of Nazareth. Newberry Medal winner.
This award-winning novel remains a powerful classic of prejudice, love, and survival. In
1942, 11-year-old Phillip Enright lives with his parents on the Dutch island of Curaao, but
when the war moves too close for comfort, his mother decides to travel with him back to
the safety of Virginia. When their boat is torpedoed, however, Phillip is blinded and finds
himself adrift on a life raft with an old black man and a cat. They eventually land on a
deserted island. Phillip is suspicious of "the large Negro," but soon grows to trust--and
ultimately love--the patient and generous Timothy. Dedicated to "Dr. King's Dream," The
Cay has a clear message that friendship is colorblind; it is also a terrific adventure story of a
young, newly blinded man learning to survive on an uninhabited island.

The haunting story centers on twelve-year-old Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if
colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his life assignment as
the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his
fragile community. Newberry Medal winner.
Corrie ten Boom was a Dutch watchmaker who became a heroine of the Resistance, a
survivor of Hitler's concentration camps, and one of the most remarkable evangelists of the
twentieth century. In World War II she and her family risked their lives to help Jews and
underground workers escape from the Nazis, and for their work they were tested in the
infamous Nazi death camps. Only Corrie among her family survived to tell the story of how
faith ultimately triumphs over evil.
Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any
farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf
and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an
adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the
Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest,
unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring
and a frightening creature known as Gollum.

The Horse and His Boy

Lewis, C.S.

The Last Battle

Lewis, C.S.

The Lion, The Witch and the

Wardrobe

Lewis, C.S.

The Magician's Nephew

Lewis, C.S.

The Miracle Worker

Gibson, William

The Secret Garden

Burnett, Francis Hodgson

The Sign of the Beaver

Speare, Elizabeth George

The third book in the Narnia series. On a desperate journey, two runaways meet and join
forces. Though they are only looking to escape their harsh and narrow lives, they soon find
themselves at the center of a terrible battle. It is a battle that will decide their fate and the
fate of Narnia itself.
The last book in the Narnia series. During the last days of Narnia, the land faces its fiercest
challengenot an invader from without but an enemy from within. Lies and treachery have
taken root, and only the king and a small band of loyal followers can prevent the
destruction of all they hold dear in this, the magnificent ending to The Chronicles of Narnia.
The second book in the Narnia series. Four adventurers step through a wardrobe door and
into the land of Narnia, a land enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost
all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change . . . and a great
sacrifice.
The first book in the Narnia series. On a daring quest to save a life, two friends are hurled
into another world, where an evil sorceress seeks to enslave them. But then the lion Aslan's
song weaves itself into the fabric of a new land, a land that will be known as Narnia. And in
Narnia, all things are possible.
No one could reach her. Twelve-year-old Helen Keller lived in a prison of silence and
darkness. Born deaf, blind, and mute, with no way to express herself or comprehend those
around her, she flew into primal rages against anyone who tried to help her, fighting tooth
and nail with a strength born of furious, unknowing desperation. Then Annie Sullivan
came. Half-blind herself, but possessing an almost fanatical determination, she would begin
a frightening and incredibly moving struggle to tame the wild girl no one could reach, and
bring Helen into the world at last....
What secrets lie behind the doors at Misselthwaite manor? Recently arrived at her uncle's
estate, orphaned mary Lennox is spoiled, sickly, and certain she won't enjoy living there.
Then she discovers the arched doorway into an overgrown garden, shut up since the death
of her aunt ten years earlier. Mary soon begins transforming it into a thing of beauty-unaware that she is changing too.

Although he faces responsibility bravely, thirteen-year-old Matt is more than a little

apprehensive when his father leaves him alone to guard their new cabin in the wilderness.
When a renegade white stranger steals his gun, Matt realizes he has no way to shoot game
or to protect himself. When Matt meets Attean, a boy in the Beaver clan, he begins to
better understand their way of life and their growing problem in adapting to the white man
and the changing frontier. Newberry Medal winner.

The Silver Chair

Lewis, C.S.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Lewis, C.S.

The Whipping Boy

Fleischman, Sid

The Yearling

Rawlings, Marjorie Kinna

Where the Lilies Bloom

Cleaver, Bill

Where the Red Fern Grows

Rawls, Wilson

The sixth book in the Narnia series. hrough dangers untold and caverns deep and dark, a
noble band of friends is sent to rescue a prince held captive. But their mission to Underland
brings them face-to-face with an evil more beautiful and more deadly than they ever
expected.
The fifth book in the Narnia series. A king and some unexpected companions embark on a
voyage that will take them beyond all known lands. As they sail farther and farther from
charted waters, they discover that their quest is more than they imagined and that the
world's end is only the beginning.

The adventures of the orphan Jemmy, kept in his king's palace to be thrashed for the
offenses committed by the royal heir, known as Prince Brat. It is forbidden to punish Brat,
whose tricks multiply until Jemmy is tempted to escape the daily round of flogging. But the
prince himself takes off and forces the whipping boy to go with him. As they get into and
out of trouble on the outside, Jemmy hears that he has been accused of abducting Brat.
When the prince arranges for their return to the palace, poor Jemmy fears the worst, but
things turn out for the best at the story's satisfying close. Newberry Medal winner.
No novel better epitomizes the love between a child and a pet than The Yearling. Young
Jody adopts an orphaned fawn he calls Flag and makes it a part of his family and his best
friend. But life in the Florida backwoods is harsh, and so, as his family fights off wolves,
bears, and even alligators, and faces failure in their tenuous subsistence farming, Jody must
finally part with his dear animal friend.

Mary Call has promised her dying father to keep her brother and sisters together forever
on the mountain, and never to take any help from strangers. She is determined to keep her
word. No matter what. At first she is sure she can manage. Romey, Ima Dean, and Devola
help gather herbs to sell in town; the riches of the mountains will surely keep the family
clothed and fed. But then winter comes, fast and furious, and Mary Call has to learn that
the land where the lilies bloom is also a cruel and unforgiving place, and it may take more
than a promise to keep her family together.
A loving threesome, they ranged the dark hills and river bottoms of Cherokee country. Old
Dan had the brawn. Little Ann had the brains, and Billy had the will to make them into the
finest hunting team in the valley. Glory and victory were coming to them, but sadness
waited too. Where the Red Fern Grows is an exciting tale of love and adventure you'll
never forget.