Top 16 Books Like Where The Red Fern Grows Updated 04 /2024

Bridge to Terabithia

Katherine Paterson

In Bridge to Terabithia, two lonely children create a magical forest kingdom in their imaginations, which they call "Terabithia." Katherine Paterson penned the book, which was released in 1977 by the publisher Thomas Crowell. It was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1978. When Paterson's son's friend was struck and killed by lightning in August 1974, she was inspired to write the novel.

Old Yeller

Fred Gipson

Fred Gipson and Carl Burger wrote and illustrated Old Yeller, a 1956 children's novel. In 1957, it was awarded a Newbery Honor. The book's title is derived from the name of the protagonist's yellow dog. An adaptation for the big screen, starring Tommy Kirk, Fess Parker, Dorothy McGuire, Kevin Corcoran, Jeff York and Beverly Washburn, was released in 1957 by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Holes

Louis Sachar

Originally published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 1998, Holes is a young adult novel by Louis Sachar. A teenage boy, Stanley Yelnats, is sent to a juvenile detention center in the desert of Texas after being falsely accused of stealing. The storyline delves into the area's history and the ways in which the actions of various characters in the past have influenced Stanley's life today. Race relations, illiteracy, and arranged marriage are just a few of the issues addressed by these interconnected tales.

My Side of the Mountain

Jean Craighead George

Jean Craighead George's middle-grade adventure novel, My Side of the Mountain, was published by E. The P. Dutton Company In the Catskill Mountains of New York, a young man discovers the importance of strength, self-reliance, and the value of having someone to share his experiences with. A Newbery Medal Honor Book in 1960 and a film adaptation of the same name were released in 1969. Decades later, George published an expanded version of the story.

Hatchet

Gary Paulsen

Young adult wilderness survival novel Hatchet, written by Gary Paulsen in 1986, won the Newbery Honor in the category of young adult literature that year. Hatchet is a five-part series that begins here.

Island of the Blue Dolphins

Scott O'Dell

Scott O'Dell's 1960 children's novel, Island of the Blue Dolphins, is about a 12-year-old girl named Karana who is stranded alone on a California coast island for years. There was an actual Nicoleo woman named Juana Maria, who lived alone on San Nicolas Island in the 1800s for 18 years, and this film is based on her story.

A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story

Linda Sue Park

Linda Sue Park's short novel, A Long Walk to Water, was released in 2010. Salva Dut, a Dinka tribesman and Sudanese Lost Boy, and Nya, a young village girl from the Nuer tribe, are both featured in the novel. In order to promote Dut's Water for South Sudan program, Park used this book as a platform.

Sounder

William H. Armstrong

William H. Armstrong's 1969 young adult novel Sounder is a classic. His family is a sharecropper, and he is a young African-American boy. In spite of the fact that his father was imprisoned for stealing a ham from work, the young boy still craves an educational opportunity.

Black Beauty

Anna Sewell

Anna Sewell's novel Black Beauty was published in 1877. Composed during her final years, when she remained housebound as an invalid. Although Sewell died just five months after the book's release, the success of her only novel was enough for her to live long enough to see it published. Black Beauty, which has sold fifty million copies worldwide, is a literary classic.

The Call of the Wild

Jack London

Published in 1903, Jack London's The Call of the Wild depicts the Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890s as a time when strong dogs were in high demand. Buck, a dog, is the protagonist of the novel. Buck is kidnapped from his Santa Clara Valley, California, ranch and taken to Alaska to work as a sled dog. Because of the harsh conditions, where he is forced to fight for his life and dominate the other dogs, he gradually becomes more feral. Finally, he sheds his veneer of civilization and relies on primitive instinct and learned experience to emerge as a leader in the natural world.

The Giver

Lois Lowry

Young-adult dystopian novel The Giver was written by Lois Lowry and published in 1993. It takes place in a society that at first appears to be utopian, but as the story progresses, it turns out to be dystopian. Jonas, a 12-year-old boy, is the protagonist of the novel. As part of its effort to achieve "Sameness," society has removed all sources of emotional complexity from its members' lives. Jonathan has been chosen to take over as Receiver of Memory, a position that will allow him to access the community's collective memory and use it when necessary to make decisions. All of the new emotions and things that have been introduced to Jonas have caused him to question whether they are inherently good or evil, or if they can be somewhere in the middle. In an effort to preserve order, structure, and a true sense of equality beyond personal individuality, the Community has no color, memory, climate, or terrain.

The One and Only Ivan

Katherine Applegate

Winner of the Newbery Medal and a #1 New York Times bestseller This unforgettable novel from renowned author Katherine Applegate celebrates the transformative power of unexpected friendship. Inspired by the true story of a captive gorilla known as Ivan, this illustrated book is told from the point of view of Ivan himself. This Harper Classic edition includes an author's note highlighting the differences between the fictional story and true events, a letter from Ivan's caretaker at Zoo Atlanta, Ivan's "signature," discussion questions, and more.Having spent twenty-seven years behind the glass walls of his enclosure in a shopping mall, Ivan has grown accustomed to humans watching him. He hardly ever thinks about his life in the jungle. Instead, Ivan occupies himself with television, his friends Stella and Bob, and painting. But when he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from the wild, he is forced to see their home, and his art, through new eyes.In the tradition of timeless classics such as Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little. Katherine Applegate's novel blends humor and poignancy to create this incredible tale of friendship, art, and hope. The One and Only Ivan was named to multiple state lists, received three starred reviews, and was hailed as a best book of the year by Kirkus, School Library Journal, and Amazon. 

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