Sounder by William H. Armstrong
Winner, 1970 Newbery Award
Quick Summary
The son of a sharecropper searches for his jailed father, his father's loyal hunting dog, and an education.
Favorite Quote
The boy had heard once that some people had so many books they only read each book once. But the boy was sure there were not that many books in the world.
About the Author
William H. Armstrong was the author of a dozen books for children and adults. Sounder was his first book. He thought of himself primarily as a teacher and taught general studies and ancient history to ninth graders for more than 50 years. He died in 1999.
My Project
For my project, I started with a watercolor background showing a green landscape and blue sky with a touch of gray. I added a dark head of a dog on the far right. His details are deliberately vague, as I wanted to include him as a key part of the book, but I didn't want a realistic depiction of his severe injuries. Most of the piece is covered in a freeform hand wired fence, since the main character seems to spend much of book looking at the world through various barriers (windows, fences, and the bars of a jail cell).
Final Thoughts
This book has some unusual features, including no names for any of the characters (except the dog, Sounder) and no specific place locations. The author's note at the front of the book states that this is a story he heard from an old man in his community. The text has a smooth, lyrical quality and is never showy or artificial. I especially liked the poetic repetitions. For example, "The boy liked the woods when they were quiet. He understood quiet. He could hear things in the quiet. But quiet was better in the woods than it was in the cabin. He didn't hear things in the cabin quiet. Cabin quiet was long and sad."
Your Turn
If you read this book, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments.