Sounder - by William H Armstrong (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

The Newbery Medal-winning classic novel about the courage
and faith--and the love of a dog--that give a family strength in the face of
inhumanity.

The
boy knows that times are tough for his family. Every night, his father goes out
hunting with their great coon dog, Sounder, to try to put food on the table.
But even with the little they bring back, there is still never enough for the
family to eat.

When
the boy awakens one morning to a sweet-smelling ham on the table, it seems like
a blessing. But soon, the sheriff and his deputies come to the house and take
the boy's father away in handcuffs. Suddenly the boy must grow up fast in a
world that isn't fair, keeping hope alive through the love he has for his father's
faithful dog, Sounder.

Readers who enjoy timeless dog stories such as Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows will find much to love in Sounder, even as they read through tears at times.

From the Back Cover

The Powerful Newbery Award-Winning Classic

A landmark in children's literature, winner of the 1970 Newbery Medal, and the basis of an acclaimed film, Sounder traces the keen sorrow and the abiding faith of a poor African-American boy in the 19th-century South. The boy's father is a sharecropper, struggling to feed his family in hard times. Night after night, he and his great coon dog, Sounder, return to the cabin empty-handed. Then, one morning, almost like a miracle, a sweet-smelling ham is cooking in the family's kitchen. At last the family will have a good meal. But that night, an angry sheriff and his deputies come, and the boy's life will never be the same.

A landmark in children's literature, winner of the 1970 Newbery Medal and the basis of an acclaimed film, Sounder traces the keen sorrow and the abiding faith of a poor African-American boy in the 19th-century South.

Review Quotes

"A rarely beautiful, understated novel. An extraordinarily sensitive book." - School Library Journal

"The writing is simple, timeless, and extraordinarily moving. An outstanding book." - Commonweal

"Powerfully moving." - ALA Booklist