The story is one of survival, adventures and growing up.  Jody's love for his pet deer, Flag, and the family's daily struggle to survive among nature and all its beauty and horror, lead to a very unexpected ending but one that has a lesson for all of us.  We highly recommend this book either as a bedtime story read by parents to children or for young adults around 8th or 9th grade.  Don't let the length of the book intimidate you, it is very well-written and besides being a great story, there are a lot of words that will help you expand your vocabulary.