William Armstrong - Sounder: With Connections

Pros: Written for all ages

Cons: --

Review: In SOUNDER by W. Armstrong, you see first hand the trials the Boy's family went through in order to keep themselves honest. When the young boy's father is sent to jail for stealing meat to feed his poor family, this child is forced into the role of 'man...

Pros: beautiful story

Cons: not recommended reading in schools anymore when it should be

Review: I read Sounder for the first time in seventh grade and to this date it is still a book that is a love in my heart.
I bought the book for my son this pass year and he really likes it. He of course didn't understand about some of the aspects of the...

Pros: Multiple themes and issues still relevant today and for any age.

Cons: It is a period novel (South,Late Reconstruction)which may distance readers.

The Bottom Line: Definitely a book to add to classroom library if not curriculum. Ideal for parent/child discussions on morality, justice, and human potential.

Review: As a secondary school teacher I have read and studied this book with over 60 students. The overall response of 12-14 year olds didn't vary much. The kids either loved it or hated it. Armstrong uses a young black boy's character to tell this story of cl ...

Pros: Winner of the Newberry Medal

Cons: Sad, a tear Jerker

The Bottom Line: Great book. Teachers a valuable lesson on cruelty and suffering.

Review: The story is set in the 19th-century American South.
The story revolves around a sharecropper and his family. Sounder, the dog, is a very important member of the family. He helps the family find food. Sounder is a great coon hunter. Bad...

Pros: The good thing is that boy and his family got what they wanted.d

Cons: The family had to suffer of a little while

The Bottom Line: I think that the boy is very good.

Review: In this story there is a family that works on a plantation and picks cotton. One night the daddy stole some food and hide and ate it with he was not suppose to do. The next day the plantation owner was worrying what happen and who did it.Who who stole ...

Pros: Easy enough for young kids to read its. Good enough for older people to love.

Cons: Don't tell any names and ages.

Review: This book is about a young man around the ages 10 to 12. It is a good book to read if you like suspense and starting a books and can't stop reading it then this is the book for you. It is a good book for all ages, my class read this book and I feel in ...

Pros: good story that older children can enjoy, great underlying messages of life.

Cons: may be confusing for some young readers, the characters do not have names.

The Bottom Line: Encourage your children to read Sounder. It has great messages of life. You may need to read it also to help your children see more than just the story.

Review: My three oldest children had to do a book report with an adult for a summer read. Instead of me reading 3 books, we had our own book club and we all read Sounder by William Armstrong. The book was 110 pages (short) and my 10 year old could read it, plus ...