Sounder Review
Sounder is a good book for all ages to read. Some of the language is difficult to understand because it is set in the 19th century American South. The main characters are the boy and Sounder. The story begins by telling about his family, which includes his father, mother, younger siblings, and Sounder, the family's coon dog. They are extremely poor and have to work hard for everything that they have, which isn't much.
One day three law men come to haul off the dad for stealing a ham. They are very abusive to the father, chaining him and even striking him in the face with the chain. Sounder was making such a ruckus that one of the deputies shot him. The blast tears off the whole side of his head and shoulder.
The author gives such a good description of the animal's pain, sounds, and motions, that you can actually visualize the scene. What surprised me the most was the punishment that the father received. To me it didn't really fit the crime of just stealing a ham. He was placed in jail and placed on a chain gang for years and years.
I felt really sorry for this family. They really had to take up the slack and work even harder from dawn until dusk, every day, just to survive. I am very thankful that I wasn't in this boy's situation. I am very protective of my family and wouldn't have been able to restrain myself. I would have been jailed as well.
--Reviewed by Kiana Armjilo
Sounder Overview
A landmark in children's literature, winner of the 1970 Newbery Medal and the basis of an acclaimed film, Sounder traces the keen sorrow and the abiding faith of a poor African-American boy in the 19th-century South.
Winner, 1970 Newbery Medal
Notable Children's Books of 1940–1970 (ALA)
1970 Fanfare Honor List (The Horn Book)
"Best of the Best" Children's Books 1966–1978 (SLJ)
Outstanding Children's Books of 1969 (NYT)
Best for Young Readers (NYTBR)
1970 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
Children's Books of 1969 (Library of Congress)
Children's Books of the Year (CSA)
Some Select Children's Books of 1969 (Publishers Weekly)
Notable Books for the Portrayal of the Black in Children's Literature (Top of the News)
Mark Twain Award (Missouri)
1973 Nene Award (Hawaii)
1975 Sue Hefley Children's Book Award (Louisiana)
Sounder Specifications
Sounder is no beauty. But as a coon dog, this loyal mongrel with his cavernous bark is unmatched. When the African American sharecropper who has raised Sounder from a pup is hauled off to jail for stealing a hog, his family must suffer their humiliation and crushing loss with no recourse. To make matters worse, in the fracas, Sounder is shot and disappears. The eventual return of a tattered and emaciated Sounder doesn't change the fact that the sharecropper's oldest son is forced to take on man's work to help support the family. His transition to adulthood is paved by the rocks and taunts hurled at him by convicts and guards as he searches for his father. But along this rough road he ultimately finds salvation as well.
William H. Armstrong's Newbery Award-winning novel quickly became a classic as a moving portrayal of resilience and hope in the face of profound human tragedy. Decades later, the bittersweet story still rings true, as strong-spirited individuals continue to battle the evil of prejudice. (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie Coulter
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Customer Reviews
Simply Sounder! - Sylviastel -
Sounder by William H. Armstrong has long been considered a classic in children's literature. It's the simple story of a young African American boy and his beloved dog named Sounder. The boy comes from a poor Southern iliterate family. Sounder is his best friend.
In Sounder, Armstrong writes simply about the times of being an African American young male in the South in the early twentieth century. The story was published in the late 1960s and earned plenty of accolades. The story was later made into a film with Cicely Tyson in an Oscar nominated performance as the mother.
While the story may not be complicated, it's beautifully done to capture the essence and momentum of the time that it was written. It is still read today and recommended in schools for young students.
It can be a tear jerker, so you will need a box of tissues.
I cant believe this was made into a movie!!! - -
I read this book for my book report thinking that it would be good considering it was made into a movie,and it got the newberry honor award. Boy was I wrong. The plot is dull boring and stupid. In my opinion this is what the book was like: a boy is poor his dad goes to jail he vists his dad,his family hunting dog runs away,his dog and dad die,he gets a tutor the end. They only mention the dogs name and no one else. I ended up doing another book bfor my book report because it was so bad.
If u think this book is good then your crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(in my opinion)
I love dog books so this was sheer "torture" for me
one of those very few very good books for children - R. Bagula - Lakeside, Ca United States
This book is not just another book about a boy and his dog, but about the larger issues of life and meaning.
The Platonic theme of the existence of an higher order of ideas and shapes is one of the nice things about the ending.
The black boy comes to grips with a world of prejudice for the black
southern share crop farmers. Slavery may have ended in the 1860's, but
you really can't much tell it from this book. Freedom here seems to be the freedom to be mistreated ans starved inside an otherwise rich nation.
The poverty here seems to be the color white in the south.
One teacher reaches out and helps and shows that
not all men are liars and cruel?
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jul 27, 2010 18:25:06
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