Wilson Rawls is the author of the timeless classic Where the Red Fern Grows and the acclaimed novel Summer of the Monkeys. He was born on a small farm in the Ozark Mountains and spent much of his boyhood roaming northeastern Oklahoma with his only companion, an old bluetick hound. Rawls's hound was not only a friend, but served as an audience for the endless stories he loved to tell. Though he didn't have access to real books until he was of high-school age, Rawls's modest beginnings provided the foundation upon which greater success was built.
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 Winner of 4 State Awards Over 7 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