Savage Sam (novel) facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Fred Gipson |
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| Illustrator | Carl Burger |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Publisher | Harper & Row |
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Publication date
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1962 |
| Media type | |
| OCLC | 732819039 |
| Preceded by | Old Yeller |
| Followed by | Little Arliss |
Savage Sam is an exciting adventure book from 1962. It was written by Fred Gipson. This book is about the Coates family. They live in Texas in the late 1860s, a time when Texas was still a "frontier" or wild, undeveloped area. Savage Sam is the second book about this family. It continues the story from Gipson's earlier book, Old Yeller, which came out in 1956. The idea for the book came from a real story. Fred Gipson heard about a person named Herman Lehmann who was once captured by the Apache people. This book was also made into a movie.
The Story of Savage Sam
Savage Sam is a brave dog. He is the son of Old Yeller, another famous dog from Fred Gipson's books. Sam is a Bluetick Coonhound. He is just as courageous and loyal as his father. Sam is also an amazing tracker. He can follow scents very well. Most of the time, Sam loves to chase bobcats. Sometimes he does this with Arliss, one of the Coates boys.
The story begins when Travis and Arliss Coates are captured. Their friend Lisbeth Searcy is also taken. They are captured by Apache and Comanche Native American groups. Jim Coates, the boys' father, quickly gathers some men from nearby. They all go to search for the children. Lisbeth's grandfather, Bud Searcy, joins them too.
Travis manages to escape from his captors. He is later found by the search party. Sam's incredible sense of smell helps them find Travis. Days later, the group successfully rescues both Arliss and Lisbeth.
The Book Series
Savage Sam is part of a series of books. A shorter book, called Little Arliss, was found after Fred Gipson passed away. His son discovered it among his father's papers. This book was published in 1978. It continues the adventures of the Coates family.
