Woody's Words: Woodrow Wilson Rawls and Where the Red Fern Grows [Hardcover]

CCBC Choices 2026

The life of Woodrow “Woody” Wilson Rawls, the author of the children’s classic Where the Red Fern Grows, is revealed in this nonfiction picture book for ages 7 - 10 that celebrates persistence, creativity, and chasing dreams.

When Woody Rawls read The Call of the Wild, a classic novel about a stolen mistreated dog and a kindly man, his life was forever changed. Maybe it was because he loved his own dog, or maybe it was because the story reached deep into his heart and stayed there. From then on, Woody was determined to learn to write and become a teller of tales.

Woody didn't care that he couldn’t afford pen and paper. He would use a stick in the sand if he had to. Woody trusted his heart and used his imagination to create his stories, which he shared with Rowdy, his trusty hound. Woody never stopped writing even when it was hard to and when life got in the way. He went on to write several novels and publish two books for children– including the timeless classic Where the Red Fern Grows. This story of hard work creatively presented by author Lisa Rogers and illustrator Susan Reagan will resonate with young readers and adults alike.“This beautiful picture book biography covers the upbringing of author Woodrow Wilson Rawls and the influences in his life that resulted in the creation of the classic, Where the Red Fern Grows. In stunning verse and illustrations, readers are taken through his childhood with potent glimpses into the man and author he would become. The book extends the story into his adulthood; the inclusion of quotes by Rawls describing different parts of his life offer an intriguing view on how he saw himself and his work. Reagan’s illustrations all but steal readers’ attention; variously hued watercolors crel‹