This powerful Newbery-winning classic tells the story of the great coon dog Sounder and his family.
An African American boy and his family rarely have enough to eat. Each night, the boy's father takes their dog, Sounder, out to look for food. The man grows more desperate by the day.
When food suddenly appears on the table one morning, it seems like a blessing. But the sheriff and his deputies are not far behind. The ever-loyal Sounder remains determined to help the family he loves as hard times bear down.
This classic novel shows the courage, love, and faith that bind a family together despite the racism and inhumanity they face in the nineteenth-century deep South.
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.
This is a story of profound loss and unwavering hope.
- A Boy and His Dog: The boy loves his great coon dog, Sounder, whose loyalty to his family will be tested in the most heartbreaking way.
- A Powerful Work of Historical Fiction: Set in the nineteenth-century deep South, this novel confronts the crushing realities of poverty and racism faced by a sharecropper family.
- Unbreakable Family Bonds: When a desperate father is taken away for stealing food, his son embarks on a years-long journey to find him, fueled by love and faith.
- The Power of Reading: A young boy’s quest to find his father becomes a journey toward literacy and understanding in a world determined to keep him down.
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.
