Savage Sam: You've probably never even heard of this sequel to Old Yeller, right? "Well...no. But it can't possibly by heart-warming, heart-breaking, and pulse-pounding enough to beat its classical predecessor! Otherwise, I'd have heard of if before!" That's where you'd be wrong. Despite being unfortunately less well-known, Savage Sam packs a huge wallop of adventure—a bigger wallop than Old Yeller did. I definitely loved Savage Sam better than Old Yeller. "Why? What's so interesting?" Savage Sam, Old Yeller and Blue's pup, quickly goes from clumsy to a top-notch hound dog and becomes six year old Little Arliss' best friend, helping create mischief wherever they go. Travis, meanwhile, is stuck laboring in the field with his Pa. Until Old Man Searcy gallops full-speed to the Coates family's home. He tells them a tale that everyone dismisses as his usual big talk: INDIANS ARE BACK AND STEALING HORSES! But Travis and Lisbeth are sent to retrieve Little Arliss, despite everyone's skepticism. Too late, they realize there was a whole lot of truth in Old Man Searcy's words. They are taken captive by Apache Indians, and suffer through terrible pain, hunger and thirst, barely clinging to the hope that someone might rescue them. Savage Sam was a clear, easy, and well-paced read. Fred Gipson didn't waste any time scrutinizing every sentence he wrote or being at loss for words. Every line feels straight and raw from the heart. I recommend to ages 12+ for some of the brutality.

Old Yeller was a truly touching classical about the bond of man and dog. Well, not exactly MAN, Travis is only a fourteen year old boy who's been charged with one important task: Be the man of the family until his Pa gets back from his travels—maybe with the new horse Travis' always been wanting. He's doing the best he can with chores, hunting, and dealing with his rowdy five-year-old brother, Little Arliss. But then a big, ugly, yeller dog with a stub for a tail and a missing ear shows up and guiltlessly steals their meat, causing Travis to instantly hate it. But as "Old Yeller", as everyone starts to call him, starts showing his bravery, intelligence, and usefulness, Travis begins to warm up to the mangy dog. Old Yeller was a straight-forward and well-paced book, never dropping my attention for a second. It captures the beauty and danger of living out on the wild frontier, and it really captures the raw emotions of dog and human. I loved this story, and I would recommend to all ages.

Old Yeller was a truly touching classical about the bond of man and dog. Well, not exactly MAN, Travis is only a fourteen year old boy who's been charged with one important task: Be the man of the family until his Pa gets back from his travels—maybe with the new horse Travis' always been wanting. He's doing the best he can with chores, hunting, and dealing with his rowdy five-year-old brother, Little Arliss. But then a big, ugly, yeller dog with a stub for a tail and a missing ear shows up and guiltlessly steals their meat, causing Travis to instantly hate it. But as "Old Yeller", as everyone starts to call him, starts showing his bravery, intelligence, and usefulness, Travis begins to warm up to the mangy dog. Old Yeller was a straight-forward and well-paced book, never dropping my attention for a second. It captures the beauty and danger of living out on the wild frontier, and it really captures the raw emotions of dog and human. I loved this story, and I would recommend to all ages.

Shortly after getting through the Hobbit movies and book, I moved on to Lord of the–movies then books. The first in a series of three, Fellowship of the Ring tops off its predecessor, The Hobbit. All Middle Earth is in dire danger when Sauron returns, searching desperately for the One Ring–the shiny trinket which Bilbo now has. But Bilbo seeks to move on and leave the Shire, so it is passed on to his adopted cousin, Frodo. Frodo soon finds himself hunted mercilessly by Ringwraiths, orcs, and Gollum, and struggles with the growing temptation to slip the ring on. I loved The Fellowship of the Ring because the descriptions popped with life and Middle Earth felt all the more alive than the Hobbit. Although the plot drags in some places, it is well-worth the read.

After watching the Hobbit movies and loving them, I wanted to read the book. I was surprised at how little they changed in the movies. This classic tale begins in the Shire, and in the Shire lives peacefully Biblo Baggins. He is a respectable Hobbit who has nothing and wants nothing to do with adventures and journeys and peril. But he is soon swept up on an dreary, dangerous, wet, hungry journey with dwarves to exact their revenge on the wicked dragon Smaug and reclaim their long-lost gold. I really enjoyed reading the Hobbit (although the writing was unclear at some places as if the author had too many ideas going on at once) and it was an interesting mix of poetry, adventure, and is just overall an epic tale. A perfect classic for all ages, young and old, adventurous or not!

After watching the Hobbit movies and loving them, I wanted to read the book. I was surprised at how little they changed in the movies. This classic tale begins in the Shire, and in the Shire lives peacefully Biblo Baggins. He is a respectable Hobbit who has nothing and wants nothing to do with adventures and journeys and peril. But he is soon swept up on an dreary, dangerous, wet, hungry journey with dwarves to exact their revenge on the wicked dragon Smaug and reclaim their long-lost gold. I really enjoyed reading the Hobbit (although the writing was unclear at some places as if the author had too many ideas going on at once) and it was an interesting mix of poetry, adventure, and is just overall an epic tale. A perfect classic for all ages, young and old, adventurous or not!

One word. AMAZING. Even though I saw the first movie before I read the book, I still enjoyed every twist and turn. Tolkien has a delightful voice in the story telling and it makes you really enjoy the adventures with Bilbo Baggins. I laughed, got angry, cheered, and even maybe teared up at many parts of the novel, and now I can't wait to delve into The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Highly recommend!!