Wilson Rawls, born Woodrow Wilson Rawls, (September 24, 1913 – December 16, 1984) was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 writer best known for his books Where the Red Fern Grows

Where the Red Fern Grows

Where the Red Fern Grows is a children's novel written by Wilson Rawls about a boy who buys and trains two Redbone Coonhound hunting dogs. This book is a popular choice for early middle school reading classes, with a reading level appropriate to grades 4 and up.-Plot summary:Before leaving work one...

and Summer of the Monkeys

Summer of the Monkeys

Summer of the Monkeys is a 1976 children's novel written by Wilson Rawls. The book was published by Doubleday and was the winner of the William Allen White Book Award and the California Young Reader Medal....

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Wilson Rawls was born on September 24, 1913, in Scraper, Oklahoma

Scraper, Oklahoma

Scraper is a census-designated place in Cherokee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 475 at the 2000 census. The community was named for Captain Archibald Scraper of the 2nd Regiment, Indian Home Guard.-Geography:...

 to Minzy and Winnie (Hatfield) Rawls.Woodrow…, 2004 He grew up on a farm in the Ozark Mountains, the setting he described in his novels. Since there were no schools in the area, Rawls’ mother taught Wilson and his sisters how to read and write.