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Date: 9 March 2017

　　Book title: Where The Red Fern Grows

Author: Wilson Rawls

Have you ever owned a pet? Do you have a good relationship with it? Today, I am going to talk about a book called ‘Where the Red Fern Grow.’ This story is about the bond between a boy and his two dogs.

Billy grew up in a poor family. He always wanted to have two dogs and to be a professional hunter. In order to achieve his dream, he started to save up money so that he could buy two dogs. He worked very hard and after a while, he finally had enough money. He was so excited and bought his first two pups, Little Ann and Old Dan.  He spent most of his days training them with his grandfather, and he developed a very strong bond with them. Not long after, the two pups picked up all the hunting skills they needed to become great hunters in their area.

Billy’s dream finally came true! But at that time, his family came across a serious financial problem. They ran out of food and had nothing to eat. Billy had never experienced that before. He really wanted to help his family. Therefore, he decided to join the hunting championship in his area, hoping that he would be able to win the grand prize and a large amount of money to save his family.

The hunting day came, Billy needed to catch 4 racoons in one night otherwise he would not be able to win the first place.  It was very difficult for some people since racoons are cunning animals. They knew how to hide very well. But with Little Ann and Old Dan’s help, especially with their great sense of smell, Billy caught 3 racoons in a tree very quickly. But all of a sudden, the weather changed not to be in his favor. Billy’s clothes got wet, and the temperature dropped to freezing cold temperatures. He commanded the dogs to follow him home, but the dogs refused and plunged into the forest.

The temperature raised at dawn. Billy found the dogs lying next to a tree with a racoon body beside them. In the end, Billy won the first place prize and saved his family with the money. They were very happy. However, later in the story, the dogs, little Ann and Old Dan were sacrificed for Billy. They died bravely during a hunt. Why did they sacrifice themselves? What happened to them? How would Billy responds? It is up to you as readers to find out.

In these past few years, I have heard news about animals being abused. This touching story not only tells us how powerful a bond can be between human and animals, but also reminds us of our responsibility to protect these innocent creatures. If you are interested in reading this story, you are welcome to visit the Macao Public Library to borrow this book - Where the Red Fern Grows.