If you look at reviews of the book, you'll find reviews both good and bad… and for the same reasons:

• "This book in particular belongs at the top of that list for me […] and I consider it a mandatory title for anyone who is in the process of growing up […]. Clear as a bell I remember the night I finished it […] and how I sobbed my eyes out in a way I didn't do again for fifteen years." (Source.)
• "I still can't understand for the life of me why in so many books a child's beloved pet has to die in order for the child, especially a boy to grow up. I'm still traumatized from losing my rabbit several months ago […]. As an adult, I really don't like this book as much as I did when I was a kid." (Source.)
• "What I find is that this book in particular allows the boys in my class to get emotional about a story and be able to talk about it together and normalize it." (Source.)
• "The dogs die. WHY do they always do this to dogs in children's books? to quote Gordon Korman's delicious farce, No More Dead Dogs 'the dog always dies. Go to the library and pick out a book with an award sticker and a dog on the cover. Trust me, that dog is going down.'" (Source.)
• "I grew up in the Smokies and without going over my childhood, I had 2 dogs killed… shot. I've lived through the loss of beloved animals, beloved people and beloved relationships… I don't need a novel that leads me through 'what pain is'." (Source.)

See what we mean? People have pretty strong opinions on this one.

Great for Discussion

Clearly this story is terrific for discussion and personal reflection, and it has a knack for touching those sensitive spots in readers that leave them coming out strongly in favor of the book or strongly against it. In both cases, though, readers really connect with the text—otherwise they wouldn't care so freaking much about it. This means that with your students you have a great opportunity to let them take sides, honing their argumentation skills as they figure out how best to convince their classmates that their take on the text is the right one.

Debate aside, Where the Read Fern Grows is also a coming-of-age story and its tales of adventure, struggle, life, and overcoming challenges ring true with youth. When you need to help everyone simmer down, you can direct their attention toward these elements. This is also a great chance to engage kids who are otherwise reluctant readers—there's something for everyone to relate to in some way here. For what it's worth, in general kids seem to love this book.