I had the most amazing pair of fifth grade teachers – the kind that truly influence life choices, and the kind you want to write a letter to 30 years later and tell them so. One of those teachers read this treasure aloud to our fifth grade class, and ever since it’s felt like a rite of passage to have my boys experience it when wrapping up elementary school and embarking on the middle school years. This year I pulled it off the shelf to read with my fifth grade son and this classic book did not disappoint.
The story takes place in the Ozark Mountains during the Great Depression. Our narrator is an adult Billy Colman, who recalls a particularly poignant time in his youth.
We join young Billy’s story when he’s ten years old and desperate to own a pair of coon hounds for hunting. He finds a sportsman’s magazine advertising his coveted dogs for twenty-five dollars each and works for two years to save the money.
Billy and his hounds, Little Ann and Old Dan, become inseparable and gain notoriety locally as the best hunting team around. They brave the challenges of the wilderness, encounter spiteful bullies, and see their unbreakable bond put to the ultimate test when they come face to face with a ruthless mountain lion.
While this book could definitely be read independently, I can’t imagine experiencing it any other way than as a read aloud. Get your tissues ready.
Mom, which book is next? 