A Glimpse into a Writer's Life
When my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, was in sixth grade, her teacher would read to the class from a novel each day after lunch recess. She applauds this practice for a variety of reasons...
One of the books the man read was Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. (Hey! You've got that on the shelf here. Sandy has a first-edition hard-cover version of that on the book shelf here. You should put that on your www.shelfari.com page.) Anyway, the story is about a boy who works his tail off to save up enough money to buy two little hound dogs that he then spends every waking (and sleeping) moment with. It's a coming-of-age sort of story. It's also gut-wrenching, from what Sandy tells me. (I'm going to have to read this book…)
Her memory is of sitting in class listening to the teacher read, and as the story nears its completion, everyone in the classroom is bawling like an infant (boys, girls, teacher, too) over the ending chapters. It's quite moving, she tells me.
The class was so stirred by the book that they voted to have the teacher look up the other book Wilson Rawls wrote (Summer of the Monkeys) and read it next, which he did. Now, considering the age group in this story, these are young adult novels, but Sandy highly recommends them for anyone of any age.
We both recommend Sandy's fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods, but that's sort of a given around here. You can still pick up the hardback version everywhere, including www.amazon.com. The eBook is available from her publisher at http://www.archebooks.com/BookIDX/Indexes/Fantasy/CMG/CMGDesc.htm.
Tags: Choices Meant for Gods; fantasy novel; young adult; Where the Red Fern Grows; Wilson Rawls; writer's life; Careless Memories
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2 comments:
OMG, Where the Red Fern Grows! I read that in 7th Grade, it was in Mrs. Fisher's English Class (she was also the teacher who insisted we memorize Robert Frost's "Stopping by a Woods on A Snowy Evening" and my all time favorite "The Road Not Taken"). Anyway, that book, the ending made me bawl my eyes out! I still kind of choke up when I think about it. I never saw the movie, but the story kind of reminded me of "Old Yeller" which I saw that movie and same thing--bawled my eyes out!
Isn't it funny what we remember and the circumstances as to when we remember such things?? Anyway, I hope you are feeling better. Can't wait to see you in Florida!
Laura :)
Laura,
Charlotte's Web has that effect on Sandy as well. She has to stop reading before the spider dies. Now, given Sandy's extreme fear (and hatred) of spiders, I don't understand this. She refuses to see the movie.
Nigel
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