No story is quite as heartwarming as one about a boy and his dog…unless it’s a story about a boy and his two dogs. Where the Red Fern Grows follows the adventures of a young boy as he explores the Arkansas Ozarks with his two faithful companions. The author paints a picture of the setting and the country lifestyle in a way that brings it to life and draws the reader in to the excitement of childhood freedom. The characters are well-developed, and the action moves at a quick pace that is ideal for children or for the young at heart. Whether it’s the thrill of a woodland excursion, tender moments with family, or the sting of disappointment, it’s easy to get swept up in this story. This book has been considered a classic of childhood literature for years, and its place on that list is well-deserved.
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 10 mild obscenities. Note: A word beginning with “b” is used twice in the proper context to refer to a dog that is female (not tallied).
Violence/Gore: Child threatens to kill a younger child; child threatens to bloody another’s nose; humorous incidents involving household pets with no injury (2); child is spanked (2) with another threat of spanking; story with fantasy character who “ate little children” is mentioned; a character falls off a slide; reference is made to animals being injured in the past; a mention of a past murder is made; a boy is cut by a knife; a group of boys has a fist-fight causing a bloody nose; a brief (2 page) dog fight in which a dog is injured enough to bleed; an accident resulting in asprain is mentioned; a dog fight with descriptions of biting and clawing and resulting bloody injuries (2 pages); an animal is clubbed to death with little detail; animals are killed by other animals with little detail (6 instances); a scene with predatory wildlife that is heard but never seen may be scary to some (2 pages); a character nearly drowns in an extended scene (3 pages); a character suffers a violent accidental death, with description of bloody fatal wounds (3 pages); an extended scene of a fight involving animals and humans results in gory wounds from claws, bites, and a weapon, such as spraying blood and wounds open to the bone, and resulting in death (5 pages); a veterinary procedure is described in gory detail (1 page).
Sex/Nudity: A boy briefly considers kissing a girl; references to animals breeding (2).
Mature Subject Matter:
Death of a pet.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
A man is drunk; minors use chewing tobacco; corn liquor is mentioned.
