In killing the lion Old Dan becomes fatally injured. Billy and his dogs win the contest but not long afterward, they encounter a mountain lion while hunting. By the time Billy’s grandpa enters the dogs in a championship coon hunt, they are known all over the county. The story is packed with hair-raising hunting adventures and glorious moments of triumph. The dogs are intensely loyal to one another and to Billy. Old Dan is a bold fighter and Little Ann is as smart as they come. As Billy becomes prouder and more attached to his dogs, it becomes clear that they are a unique team. From then on, Billy and his dogs spend most nights hunting raccoons along the river bottom in the foothills of the Ozarks where he lives. He names his pups Little Ann and Old Dan. It takes him two years to save the money, but he finally has enough to order the dogs. The plot from the Scholastic Literature Guide reads, “At age 10 Billy Colman decides he must have two hound dogs. This title certainly slots into that category (and accounts for why it didn’t win any children’s literary awards at the get-go).
On this Top 100 Children’s Novels List I am counting “classics” that may not have initially sought out kids as their primary audience, but found their way there eventually. However, since 1961 the book has been marketed to kids and that has worked out quite swimmingly.
I suppose there might be some question as to whether or not this book belongs on the list since it was initially published (mistakenly, I personally believe) as an adult novel.
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