William H. Armstrong (1) (1911–1999)

Life is hard for the three Stone children. The death of their mother has left them bereft and grieving. Their father tries hard to make things better, but he is busy trying to keep their farm going. Even the land around them seems to have betrayed It is so barren that it is known as sour land. Then Moses Waters comes to teach at the black school at Cedar Corners. Moses can hear things no one else can, like the sound of the grass and the earth humming together. More than anyone else, he seems to have a special understanding of the Stone family. Only Moses can help them out of their grief. But a sour land grows sour people. There are some folks in town who don't approve of the friendship between the white Stone family and the new black teacher. And it looks like they will go to dangerous lengths to stop it.… (more)

Set in the Deep South, this Newbery Medal-winning novel tells the story of the great coon dog, Sounder, and the poor sharecroppers who own him.
During the difficult years of the nineteenth century South, an African-American boy and his poor family rarely have enough to eat. Each night, the boy's father takes their dog, Sounder, out to look for food and 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 on them.
This classic novel shows the courage, love, and faith that bind an African-American family together despite the racism and inhumanity they face. Readers who enjoy timeless dog stories such as Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows will find much to love in Sounder.… (more)

The only named character in the book is the coon hound Sounder. His owner sharecrops land in the south. Game is scarce, and the family's main food source is cornmeal mush. The man, desperate to feed his family, steals some sausage and ham. When the sheriff arrests him, Sounder attacks. He is shot, hides under the porch that night, and then disappears. The boy and his mother work the land, wash for other people, and gather walnuts. Sounder eventually returns without an eye, an ear, or the use of one leg. The man is sent to work in the road camps, and the boy makes many trips trying to find his father. On one trip, a school teacher befriends him. After this, the boy lives with the teacher and goes to school after the harvesting is done. Many years later, the man returns home.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com… (more)