Shiloh Book Review

Book Title: Shiloh

Author: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Publish Date: 1991

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Series: Shiloh Trilogy Book #1

Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Awards: 1992 Newbery Winner

Suggested Grade: 5th grade

Suggested Format: Small group, class instruction, independent reading

Synopsis: 
Marty Preston lives in a small house in West Virginia, in a time when cars and TVs are common, but the internet has not yet taken hold. While exploring the hills and dirt roads near his rural home, he finds a beagle who follows him home. Suspecting that the dog, whom he names Shiloh, is being abused by his owner, Marty decides to hide him away and take care of him.
Marty faces many hard decisions - is it ever OK to lie? What do you do when a dog is being abused? Can he save the dog he loves? Do any adults even care?

Teacher's Notes: 
A shorter, easier to read chapter book, this is perfect for guided reading or a class book study.
A few parents expressed discontent with the fact that Marty lies to his elders in the book. In my class, we address this by discussing Marty's feelings of guilt and eventual admission and apologies for his behavior. Several characters in this story own or use guns, but in a realistic and historically accurate context (hunting for food and target practice).

Overall: 10/10
The classic "dog and his boy" book with a generic happy ending.

How I Got the Book: Purchased for my classroom

Suggested Interests: Animals, fiction, realistic fiction