Finding good,  wholesome, character building books that enforce the values  we are trying to impart to our boys can be challenging,  but we have found that the older books fit our ideals more closely.  I would say that Old Yeller is one of the good books to read at least once.

My boys enjoyed the exciting plot which included wolf attacks, wild bulls, bear attacks,  and fighting off those pesky raccoons who are stealing from the corn patch.  The main character Travis, a fourteen year old boy,  learns to take care of the family farm while his father is away. He also  learns to love and care for an old yeller dog while he does this  man size job for his mom.  Travis takes on the responsibilities of his father and matures through all the trials he encounters and tough decisions he has to make.   He learns the hard lesson that his Dad tries to explain, ” Now and then, for no good reason, life will haul off and knock a man flat, life is unfair and cruel at times but  we must learn to concentrate on the positive things and not waste time worrying about the bad things.”  Although Old Yeller is full of adventures that most boys love to read about, it is a sweet and sentimental story as well….that most Mom’s will  enjoy.  The Disney Movie of Old Yeller is  sweet as well, and a good family movie night selection.