The life of Woodrow “Woody” Wilson Rawls, the author of the classic children’s book Where the Red Fern Grows, is the subject of a new nonfiction picture book written by Boston College graduate Lisa Rogers.  Woody’s Words (Calkins Creek, 2025) pays homage to the persistence and creativity Rawls demonstrated in chasing his dreams. According to the book, after Rawls read The Call of the Wild, he was determined to become a teller of tales. He went on to write several novels and publish two books for children. Woody’s Words is illustrated by Susan Reagan. An award-winning author, Rogers has written other biographies for young readers, including Beautiful Noise: The Music of John Cage and Elvis Presley: A Little Golden Book Biography.