Old Yeller ends with Travis deciding to raise one of Old Yeller's pups. That pup is the title character of Gipson's sequel, Savage Sam. The time is two years later, and Native Americans who are raiding ranches have captured Travis, Arliss, and Lisbeth. What follows is an often brutal account of the children's ordeal and their eventual rescue. While Old Yeller is suitable for any school-aged student, the violence in Savage Sam restricts the audience to high school students and adults. This violence includes Arliss biting off and accidentally swallowing a Native American's ear, and the children being forced to eat their beloved mule. Furthermore, in a very brief scene, one of the Native Americans threatens to rape Lisbeth; Travis, in a more detailed scene, is tortured for stopping the man.

The portrait of Native Americans is highly problematic in Savage Sam. For the most part...