The Yearling (Aladdin Classics)

Fighting off a pack of starving wolves, wrestling alligators in the swamp, romping with bear cubs, drawing off the venom of a giant rattlesnake bite with the heart of a fresh-killed deer--it's all in a day's work for the Baxter family of the Florida scrub lands. But young Jody Baxter is not content with these electrifying escapades, or even with the cosy comfort of home with Pa and Ma. He wants a pet, a friend with whom he can share his quiet cogitations. Jody gets his pet, a frisky fawn he calls Flag, but that's not all. With Flag comes a year of life lessons, frolicking times, and achingly hard decisions. This powerful book is as compelling now as when it was written over 60 years ago. Read simply as a naturalist study of the Florida interior, it fascinates and entices. Add the heart-stopping adventure and heart-wrenching human elements and this is a classic well worth its Pulitzer Prize. Earthy dialect and homespun wisdom season the story, giving it a unique and unforgettable flavour, and N.C. Wyeth's warm, soft illustrations capture an era of rough subsistence and sweet survival. (Age 12 and older) --Emilie Coulter