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A Top 100 Children’s Novel • School Library Journal • A Must-Read for Kids 9-14 NPR • Evansville Book Award • Young Readers Award • Michigan Council of Teachers of English • Flicker Tale Children's Book Award • North Dakota, 12th Annual Children's Book Award • Massachusetts, Great Stone Face Award • New Hampshire, The Great American Read #31 (Top 100)

There is nothing Billy Colman wants more than a pair of hunting dogs, but times are tough for farming families in the Ozarks. "Maybe some day when we can afford it, you can have them," Billy's father tells him, "but not right now." Billy doesn't give up. Determined to get a pair of hunting dogs, Billy finds ways to raise the money. With great patience, Billy saves all the money he can, and after two years he is finally able to buy his hunting dogs. Billy works with his dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann, as often as he can, training them to track and tree coons, and teaching them how to avoid "Old Ringtail's" tricks. Though his dogs bring him pleasure, there are trials ahead for Billy as well. Billy learns the value of hard work, patience, and persistence, and eventually sees how God can use all things - even a pair of hunting dogs - to answer the prayers of his family.

Progeny Press English/Language Arts curriculum provides your Middle School grade student with:

About the Author: Learn about Wilson Rawls.
Background Information: Hunting dogs.
Vocabulary: Understand words used throughout the novel, utilizing a variety of activities to stimulate retention and growth.
Literary Techniques: Characterization, point of view, setting, plot, conflict, expressions, similes, personification, irony, style, mood, metaphor, poetic justice, dictionary, flashback, theme.
Moral Lessons and Character Values:  Hard work, honor parents, love our neighbors, prayer, love enemies, do good, death, grief, comfort, when bad things happen.
Activities and Writing Assignments: Mapping, research, essay writing.  
Suggestions for Further Reading:  We include a wonderful reading list of more books by the same author(s) and other books that tie in with, or are similar to, Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls.

All of Progeny Press' Language Arts unit lessons are written from a Christian worldview!

Features and Benefits of a Progeny Press ELA study guide

Printed Workbook Format

• Large 8.5x11 format is convenient to read and easy on Middle School student's eyes
• Every question in our novel unit study has plenty of whitespace for middle school level student answers
• Encourages neat and clean handwriting practice
• Easily transports without the need for a laptop or other expensive equipment
• Provides a permanent record of the middle school student’s work
• Complete, removable answer key included for the teacher to make grading simple!

CD Format

• Contains the complete study guide in universally compatible PDF format (works on Mac AND Windows)
• No costly software purchases necessary
• PDf files open in the FREE Adobe Reader program.
  Note: Mobile devices may require an alternative app that supports and saves fillable form fields and interactive features.
• Upgraded, fillable form fields allow the student the opportunity to complete their work on the computer, saving you printing costs
• Conveniently print what you need, when you need it:
• Print the whole ELA study guide at once
• Print single literature lessons or pages as the student completes them
• Print multiple copies of the entire curriculum study guide for classroom sets
• PDF format makes it easy to use with multiple students
• Complete answer key PDF file included for the teacher to make grading simple!

Formatted with your Middle School grade student in mind, Progeny Press language arts study guides divide the book into writing assignments and lessons that strengthen their reading comprehension, vocabulary, and refine their critical analysis and writing skills. Each Progeny Press novel study accomplishes all of this without busy work that can drain the fun out of reading and literature! Kids have loved using Progeny Press ELA curriculum in homeschool, co-ops, and private schools around the world for over 30 years!

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