This book is definitely not worth reading. His characters don't give us a reason to care about them. He can't even write a good story line. Don't read.
This is one of the very first chapter books I read, I think it is a very good book and that all kids should read it. Some parts of this book did make me cry, I was only seven then...I read it again when I was eight and I understood it a bit better I still cried though. The last time I read it I think I was ten , it is sort of heavy for a seven year old but I think it was good for me and I found that real life is not always happy and clappy, you know.
Sounder is no beauty. But as a coon dog, this loyal mongrel with his cavernous bark is unmatched. When the African American sharecropper who has raised Sounder from a pup is hauled off to jail for stealing a hog, his family must suffer their humiliation and crushing loss with no recourse. To make matters worse, in the fracas, Sounder is shot and disappears. The eventual return of a tattered and emaciated Sounder doesn't change the fact that the sharecropper's oldest son is forced to take on man's work to help support the family. His transition to adulthood is paved by the rocks and taunts hurled at him by convicts and guards as he searches for his father. But along this rough road he ultimately finds salvation as well.
The beloved story of a boy and his love for his dog.
A must-read for all children!
Is a John Newberry Medal book
The story of a boy's love for his dog Sounder. He must deal with his father's arrest and the sound of gunshots as the dog runs after the dad.
Sounder is no beauty. But as a coon dog, this loyal mongrel with his cavernous bark is unmatched. When the African American sharecropper who has raised Sounder from a pup is hauled off to jail for stealing a hog, his family must suffer their humiliation and crushing loss with no recourse. To make matters worse, in the fracas, Sounder is shot and disappears. The eventual return of a tattered and emaciated Sounder doesn't change the fact that the sharecropper's oldest son is forced to take on man's work to help support the family. His transition to adulthood is paved by the rocks and taunts hurled at him by convicts and guards as he searches for his father. But along this rough road he ultimately finds salvation as well.
Sounder, the great coon dog, can howl louder than any dog in the whole countryside. He is faithful and strong. When his master is caught stealing a ham to feed his starving family and is taken away to jail, Sounder is shot at by the sheriff's men. Sounder crawls off into the night, perhaps to die. No one knows how long the father will be gone or where he will be sent. The boy who loves them both must learn to deal with their absense and patiently wait their return. No one comes back from this experience the same.
Such a classic story...if you haven't read it you should..a must for every dog lover and great to read to your kids or grandkids...story of coon dog, Sounder, heart-wrenching story of the South
This is a great book for a young boy - especially during Black History Month.
A heart wrenching story of the South - one that will live in the reader's mind for a long time. - Book Buyer's Guide
Adults and mature young readers alike will find in the boy's bitter-sweet memories a parable for our times. - Christian Science Monitor
Written with quiet strength and taut with tragedy. Grim and honest, the book has a moving, elegaic quality that is reminiscent of the stark inevitability of Greek tragedy. - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
There is an epic quality in the deeply moving, long-ago story of cruelty, loneliness, and silent suffering. The power of the writing lies in its combination of subtlety and strength. - The Horn Book
The writing is simple, timeless, and extraordinarily moving. An outstanding book. - Commonweal
Overview: His wife and children were starving, so the black sharecropper stole a ham to feed them. And when the posse came to get him, nobody could stop them. Not even Sounder, the mighty coon dog, who crawled away wounded from the sheriff's shotgun. For years, the son followed the chain gangs looking for his father. When the boy came home alone after each long trip, Sounder would hobble up the road to greet him silently. But suddenly, one day, the baying voice of the great coon hound broke the stillness of the August afternoon once again. William H. Armstrong has written an extraordinarily moving novel for mature readers. A Newbery Medal Winner in 1970, this book has the simple timeless quality of an epic.
Review: Heart-wrenching and poignant. Adults and youth alike will find this book memorable. One of my favorites.
