Where the Red Fern Grows remembered as a traumatic childhood read

antifa annie12

Red Fern is a core memory…a traumatic one.

Tom9

Junior high teachers needing books that are short enough to fit in a couple week unit, considered classic enough that there's lesson plans already available, and cheap enough to get classroom copies for everyone narrows the selection to some real bummers. My nemesis was A Separate Peace

Ankarah9

What IS it with all the "young reader" books where dogs have to die?!?! I mean I'm sure there're only a handful but as a kid it seemed like there was a freakish fixation some authors had on killing off pets.

Fiddler Meg7

The only reason I was able to read The Twisted Ones was because everyone was reassuring everyone else that nothing bad happens to the dog.

Rivikah7

Oh. The Red Pony. I had apparently blocked that from my memory entirely.

Sharrow 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🇮🇪🦄💙📚🎃6

Of mice and men, esp when the pupils are autistic.

The Scarlet Letter. Its main value was in making everything else seem much more interesting. Even can labels.

Megan Macmanus4

Oh, A Farewell to Arms almost ruined my relationship with my dad, who at that time i thought could do no wrong! I came home ranting about the misogynistic horror dubbed a Romance, and he was like, That's the most romantic book ever. It's my favorite. Something died that day. 😂

Jen ✨4

Sobbing in a classroom full of other 11-12 year olds while first reading and then being forced to watch the movie of Where the Red Fern Grows was traumatic and I’m still not over it.

Steinbeck’s The Red Pony for sure. “Oh, you’re such advanced reader, and it’s about horses.” I was nine. Still mad about it.

Third Thoughts2

We had an American Author project for AP English, I was out when they did assignment selection, and I randomed Hemingway so... I feel this in my bones. Love his short stories, and Old Man is decent, but his novels are such a chore.

dkhunter2

Less of that and more Shiloh tbh

Unconnie Valley2

A Day No Pigs Would Die is somewhere on the list

Pär2

Hemingway always feels like there is something more there than self doubting (to the point of depression) manliness, but it is just out of reach. Yes, I'm being unfair. But also...

Cat Lady🌈📚2

I had to read The Yearling because it was set near where I grew up and it’s the same concept but switch out the dog for the baby deer. I hated it. Almost entirely descriptions of a boring landscape I could just walk into my backyard and look at anyway AND he has to kill the deer. Ugh.

Jeremy Bearimy2

Johnny Got His Gun because I was not prepared at that age to deal with the idea of being locked in a non-functioning body and my little neurodivergent brain could do nothing but worry about it for weeks.

PlayfulPiano5

watership down. doubles in the film.

A Buick Level of Build Quality5

I Read Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy when I was way too young and did not get all the dark humor. For example, I cried and cried and cried when the whale fell to his death and his last thought was, "I wonder if it will be friends with me".

Katie (she/they)2

Oh god that one DESTROYED me.

Infinite Perspective2

I read a Junior Great Book where the creepy guy stalking a young girl said the phrase "you don't know what this means yet, but we're lovers" at an age where I also didn't know what that meant but had a pretty good idea by the end. 😕

Sharon2

A Day No Pigs Would Die says hello.

Ben Dowsett2

Honors English teacher made us read As I Lay Dying in 10th fucking grade and I swear that’s the main reason I never took another honors class

Jamie Lynn 8647-53092

I still have flashbacks about that damn book. I never know where my keys are, but I remember exact fucking phrases from Where The Red Fern Grows.