Reading Where the Red Fern Grows to Second Graders

I finished reading Where the Red Fern Grows to my eight-year-old twin daughters last night. It was the 15th time I have read the book. The previous 14 times include once to myself and 13 times to my classes of second grade students.

In general terms, this is a great chapter book read aloud for second graders because it:

• builds a strong emotional bond between the reader (and listeners) and the characters.
• builds intense understanding of the relationships between the characters.
• has a number of moments that the reader (or listener) does not expect to happen.
• has many themes that eight-year-olds can understand, especially when presented in the masterful way Wilson Rawls presents them.
• is just a great story filled with fantastic writing.