Old Yeller is about a boy named Travis, his mom, and his
little brother, Arliss. Travis’s dad and the other men leave the settlement to
go on a cow run which is when they take their cows to the market and sell them
to make money, which has been tight for the settlers. While Travis’s dad is
gone Travis is the head of the family. This means he is responsible for a lot
of things including the corn harvest, marking the pigs, and much more. Luckily,
he finds Old Yeller when he goes outside to get some meat for dinner, at first,
he does not want him because he is angry because Old Yeller stole their meat.
However, little Arliss will not let Old Yeller go and so Travis is forced to
keep him. Soon however, Old Yeller proves to be quite useful and helps get
Travis and his family out of some sticky situations. Sometimes even at his own
cost. For example, Old Yeller once saved Arliss from being eaten by a mama
bear. This is how he quickly became a part of the family. So, you can imagine
Travis's surprise when a newcomer named Burn Sanderson tries to take him,
claiming that Old Yeller is his dog; luckily Travis can negotiate to keep
him. The story provides an interesting
account of Travis and Old Yeller’s adventures and has become one of the most
beloved children's classics ever.
My favorite part of Old Yeller is not the story but Old
Yeller himself. I loved how loyal and true he was, he was willing to risk his
own life to save Travis and his family’s life. One thing I did not like was
that the ending was sad; I know it was for the better, but it was still sad.
The book was exciting too; it had me hooked right from the start. I think the
theme of this story is loyalty, dedication, and selflessness and these are some
of the most important traits to have. Another great thing about Old Yeller is
the characters were all different and had a different input on the story, so
even though Travis was the main character everyone else had an important input
to the story.
This book made me feel happy because even though Old Yeller
was a scruffy stray, missing one ear, Travis and his family still fell in love
with him. No matter his outer appearance all they saw was what a great dog Old
Yeller was. I think someone who likes reading books with lots of adventures
would love this story because Travis and Old Yeller are always doing something
new and exciting. Therefore, I highly recommend reading Old Yeller.
Reviewed by Ava N. 6th Grade
