Where the Red Fern Grows
by Wilson Rawls
- Lexile
- 700L
- Grade range
- Grades 4–7
- Age range
- Ages 9–13
- Pages
- 245
- First published
- 1961
- Genre
- Children's Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780553274295
About this book
Billy Colman, a boy in Depression-era Ozarks, saves up for two Redbone Coonhounds and trains them for raccoon hunts. Rawls's novel is a common 5th-6th grade read-aloud and sees periodic renewals of popularity as a reluctant-reader classic.
Themes
- boy-and-dog bond
- rural self-reliance
- perseverance
- grief
- family
- coming of age
Content notes
- animal death (central)
- hunting violence
- grief
Common Sense Media recommends age 10+.
Where this book is assigned
Common Core State Standards (ELA)
- recommended· 5th gradesource: CCSS ELA Appendix B, grades 4-5 exemplar
- recommended· 5th grade · Texassource: TX common summer-reading list — rising 5th grade
- recommended· 6th grade · Oklahomasource: Oklahoma Academic Standards grade 6 aligned text (Ozarks setting)
Similar grade-level books
Common questions
- What grade level is Where the Red Fern Grows?
- Where the Red Fern Grows is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–7, with a Lexile measure of 700L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- What is the Lexile level of Where the Red Fern Grows?
- Where the Red Fern Grows has a Lexile measure of 700L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
- What curricula assign Where the Red Fern Grows?
- Where the Red Fern Grows appears on reading lists for Common Core State Standards (ELA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is Where the Red Fern Grows banned in schools?
- Where the Red Fern Grows does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.
- What themes does Where the Red Fern Grows explore?
- Central themes in Where the Red Fern Grows include boy-and-dog bond, rural self-reliance, perseverance, grief, family. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.