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Summary: A big ugly slick-haired dog
Review: A Review by Sabrina Old Yeller is about a sixteen-year-old boy named Travis, and his little brother Arliss, his Ma and his Pa settling out in Texas in the 1800's. Money was running a bit shaort and the only way to make money would be to sell some of their cattle for what they call "Cash Money", and so Pa gathered up some of his cattle for a long trip to Kansas. Since he wasn't going to be around to do all the men's work around the farm, he made Travis the man of the house, which is a BIG responsibility back then, and Pa suggested that to make things easier around the farm was to get a good dog. But Travis didn't think about wanting a dog, he wanted a horse. So a few days pass, since Pa left and that's when Old yeller came, he was caught eating some met that was left outside to dry. Arliss immediately fell in love with the dog, but Travis couldn't stand the dog. But more in the book Travis and Old yeller work together as a great team, keeping up on the farm, watching out for raccoons in the corn patch, and helping with many other projects that must be done on the farm. What I liked about this book was how the writer made Travis describe Old Yeller when he first came, "He was a big ugly slick-haired yeller dog. One short ear had been chewed off and his tail had been bobbed so close to his rump that there was hardly stub enough to wag." What I also liked was how Arliss kept going in the drinking water, and Travis would always get mad at him and scare him to where Arliss would run screaming to the house. There is also a bunch of action-packed scenes that make you actually want to be there when it was happening, a bull fight for example. The author describes the scene so well that you could actually see the fight going on!
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Summary: BEST BOOK EVER! A LOT OF FRIENDSHIP, DRAMATIC DESICIONS...
Review: Alexandra Y 10/25/02
Reading Response #5
Old Yeller By Fred Gipson I think that Old Yeller is a good book. There are many carefully described details and thoughtful characters. This book is about a 14-year old boy named Travis who becomes the "man" of his family. While his father is gone, Travis becomes friends with an old, yellow dog who shows up at their cabin. He doesn't like this dog at all until something bad happens to his brother, Arliss and Old Yeller comes to the rescue. This book is filled with friendship, happiness, excitement, and sadness, which reminds me of the movie Shiloh.
Old Yeller takes place in the Texas hills during the 1860's. The setting is very important because it shows how hard it was to manage living. For example, they didn't have soap back then. They would have to mix lye water with hog fat and boil it. The setting also explains that they lived in the country area and had to prepare very hard each year for the comings of winter. This is one reason why they needed a dog to help. Luckily, Old Yeller joined the family and helped along!
If I could meet the author, Fred Gipson, I would ask him many questions. Was he the first author to write about a boy and a dog's friendship? Did many people copy his idea because they liked his book? Or did he get his plot idea from another author? Also, I would ask him if this story is true. While reading Old Yeller, I felt as if it really happened because of the wonderful details. I think it would be quite amazing if this plot weren't a true story because I felt that Old Yeller is very realistic and I felt very close to the characters. They have unique personalities.
Old Yeller reminds me of life in the world. Like the world, this book has sadness, joy, happiness, problems, and pain. In the world there are a lot pain, like when Old Yeller repeatedly gets hit by a rock. I think this is one of the reasons why this book is so interesting to read.
Old Yeller is a great book. I think that it was a good idea for this book to get a Newbury Honor. I recommend Old Yeller to everyone who likes A Day No Pigs Would Die by R. Peck. Both books are about an animal that becomes an important part of the main character's lives.
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Summary: An enduring Classic and a Great Read!
Review: Old Yeller was required reading in my 7th grade classroom. I devised a teaching unit for each chapter. The children enjoyed the book and much discussion was generated. A story of a boy and his dog, and his family, and their daily life adventures in frontier Texas. Exciting, fun and interesting! Don't miss this wonderful "family values" book.<...
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Summary: NICE BOOK TO READ!!!!
Review: I gave it 4 stars because it was a good book. It as easy to follow about what is going on. It was about this guy named Travis. His dad went away do he had to take care of the farm. His dad told him if he does that he might get him a horse. But his dad his dad said that he needs to find a good trustwerthey dog first. well his dad leaves and he is the man of the house. After a few days along came a dog and Travis desided to keep it and he called it Old Yeller because it was a yellow dog. Old Yeller was such a good dog that if Travis got into a little pickle Old Yeller would help him get out of it. Something bad happens to him/the dog and the dog might not save him or Travis save the dog. His dad comes home and shows him his good dog. It could do many things that a good dog can do. And his dad said son that is the best dog i have ever seen. You will have to read the boko to see if he gets the horse he is dieing for for many years now. I would read the book agian anytime. If you like Country books, Outdoor books, Animal books, Hunting books, this book is for you!!
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Summary: The boy and the dog
Review: The book was about a boy who gets a new dog.The genre of my book is farytail.[ Maribel Garcia]
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Summary: Excellent book for the feel of the Old American Life
Review: This book is a great book! It will put you in the center of western life and the thrills of being in wild and rugged Texas. It shows the love that each family member shares and how they all learn to love, trouble maker, Old Yeller. This book shows the adventures of a young farmer boy and his new, best friend. It shows how a typical American family settles down in Texas and learns to overcome serious losses. Old Yeller is a great book, for readers of all ages, to discover the old west.
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Summary: Ugly brutal book
Review: I am appalled that this book is considered by some to be a 'classic in juvenile literature'. It is an ugly, brutal book in which it is considered a good thing that all the 'Indians' have been forced on to reservations. Perhaps it should be possible to accept that attitude, only politically incorrect now by our modern standards. The book was written, after all, by a Texan in the heyday of the Cowboy movie and is set in the 1860s. And of course it is possible to understand, even sympathise with, the violence involved in killing your own meat. But what is absolutely unacceptable, in any historical period, is the brutal violence used against mule and dog and child. The mule, for instance, is made to behave in this manner: 'I drew back my green cedar club and whacked him so hard across the jawbone that I nearly dropped him in his tracks.' Similarly: Old Yeller is subdued by being hit in the head with a violently thrown rock. The younger brother is frequently 'thrashed'. The book is crudely written and is brutal from beginning to end. This is not like the brutality in, say, 'Call of the Wild'. Jack London didn't approve of that violence. This writer does. It is his boy hero and the boy's mother who do the clubbing and thrashing and rock throwing. There are some saving graces: The boy is distressed when he thinks he has shot a doe without killing it outright. And in the end the boy and his mother go to great lengths to save Old Yeller. But nevertheless, this is not a book for anyone who considers themselves a 'dog lover' (or an animal or people lover for that matter) It should only be read as part of an understanding of the history of the American West - and then with horror.
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Summary: Old Yeller
Review: Poor Travis finds a scoundrel dog eating the chickens at the same time his little brother, little Arliss. Arliss won't let Travis harm the dog and his mother said they'ed keep it. So Travis has to live with the mut untill he eventually warms up to the dog and they go through so much danger and become pals. Read this book because it's great . I definately recommend it.
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Summary: Alex's review
Review: I like this book because it is adventureus and exciting. I think this is a good book for fifth graders. This is my most favorite book I have ever read.
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Summary: A MUST FOR YOUNG READERS!
Review: I'm a 7th grade teacher and I introduced my students to this novel for the first time this year. To my amazement they had never even heard of OLD YELLER. Now, middle school students can be the toughest audience in the world but THEY LOVED THIS BOOK. Author Fred Gipson perfectly captures the time period of Texas in the late 1800's and the challenges of daily life. Into the mix of chores and adventures on the farm is the universal bond of a boy and his dog. Travis and Old Yeller are two characters that any child will immediately connect with and grow to love. And naturally as many novels geared towards younger readers, the conclusion will remain with them long after the novel has been read. On a side note I must also recommend the classic Walt Disney version of OLD YELLER (VHS or DVD). Young readers will enjoy the similarities and differences between novel and movie. It's an excellent example to build discussion or writing lessons involving comparisons or contrasts. And while I have continually mentioned young readers I should also comment that OLD YELLER is a must-read for people of any age group. So the next time you need to be entertained by a great novel, pick up this classic.
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