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82 of 85 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Boy, a Beagle. . .and a Dilemma, July 20, 2000
This review is from: Shiloh (Yearling Newbery) (Paperback)
What a wonderful book! I read it after my 11-year old son suggested it as a change from my usual reading fare of history and biography. It turned out to be much more than just a summertime reading diversion...it became for me a deeply moving reading experience in its own right. I was quickly captivated by Marty and his family, Shiloh, the beagle, and yes, even the despicable Judd Travers. The story is straightforward: Marty Preston is an eleven-year old boy living with his parents and two younger sisters in rural West Virginia. It is a close-knit, loving family with traditional values and a clearly defined set of rules to live by. His father is a mail carrier and his mother a homemaker. One Sunday afternoon, as Marty is walking along a backwoods road, he spies a young beagle hiding under a bush. He calls to it, but the dog doesn't respond. When Marty walks away, the dog follows him. Marty tries to get the dog to come to him several times, but the animal, which has obviously been abused, cowers miserably. Finally, the dog happily comes to Marty when the boy whistles at him. Marty immediately falls in love with the dog, whom he names Shiloh. The little beagle responds with trust and affection. The boy quickly figures out that Shiloh belongs to Judd Travers, a local ne'er-do-well, and a man with an unsavory reputation for dishonesty, a hot temper, and animal abuse. Marty wants to keep Shiloh, to protect him from Judd. However, his parents insist he return the dog to its rightful owner, which Marty begrudgingly does. Shiloh runs away from Judd a second time and finds his way back to Marty's house. This time, Marty vows to keep him. He hides the dog, sneaks food out of the house to feed him, and begins to lie to friends and family when questioned about Shiloh's whereabouts. A tragic accident causes Marty's secret to be found out by his parents. He is forced once again to return Shiloh to his master. Marty, desperate to keep Shiloh, offers to do almost anything to get Judd to give him the dog. I won't give away the ending of the book; suffice it to say, it is a dramatic and compassionate ending, sure to move anyone who reads this book. "Shiloh" is a beautifully and masterfully written in every way. It is written in the first person, from Marty's point of view. The narrative is written in a rural West Virginia dialect that sounds totally natural and unaffected. It seemed almost possible for me to hear Marty speak as I read along. The book's plot is absolutely superb - tightly woven, dramatic, and realistic. Each of the characters come to life with complete believability. All of the situations presented in the narrative are easy to understand and appropriate for young readers. Phyllis Reynolds Naylor proves why she is such a gifted writer of children's books, mainly because she so brilliantly fires the reader's imagination and teaches positive values. In the story, she presents Marty with an ethical dilemma which, at one time or another, all children face. Marty's predicament is this: whether to do what is right in the eyes of a higher authority (his parents) when it is a reasonable certainty that the action will result in a great wrong being done by someone else; or to do what his heart says is right, even though that action is wrong in the eyes of the higher authority (his parents). Marty's dilemma is compounded his conscience, which speaks loudly and often to him, demanding from him both honesty and a sense of fair play. How Marty responds to these challenges is the great lesson taught by this book. "Shiloh" is a winner of the Newbery Medal and a classic of children's literature. I heartily recommend it to kids of all ages...from 9 to 99.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Both boys and girls will love Shiloh!, May 31, 2000
This review is from: Shiloh (Yearling Newbery) (Paperback)
Shiloh is a wonderful example of realistic fiction for children. The story revolves around Marty, a small town boy in the hills of West Virginia. There isn't much money, and putting food on the table is difficult and all consuming for the adults of his community. Marty spends his free time roaming the hills with his rifle, until he discovers Shiloh, a dog, whom he learns lives with constant abuse by his owner. Marty determines to rescue Shiloh and care for the dog he immediately becomes attached to. He finds, however, that simply wanting something, is not a determinant of taking possession: he is stunned that the abusive owner has rights, which is confusing and heartbreaking for him. Throughout the story, Marty is confronted by moral issues which he must wrestle with as he focuses his attention on loving Shiloh and finding a way to make life better for the dog. In doing so, his values are questioned and his morality is strengthened. He must learn to solve moral dilemmas by analyzing the choices he has. He realizes that adults don't always do the right thing, nor do they always have the answers to questions. Most, important, he learns to recognize that he has the ability, within himself, to realize the resolve it takes to do the right thing in the face of adversity. Young readers will experience these dilemmas with Marty, and the story provides youngsters with the opportunity to develop their own moral skills along with him.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gives new meaning to caring for a pet, November 3, 2001
To keep Shiloh, a white beagle with brown and black spots, Marty Preston has to do more than keep a water dish filled and train his dog not to go the bathroom indoors. He has to build a special pen, buy food with his own allowance, and even do some odd jobs for extra money. Also, as Shiloh is really someone else's dog, Marty has to lie and keep secrets from his parents and friends. He excuses his actions with the fact that Shiloh is better off with him than with the abusive original owner--which is, I know, justification enough for most readers. The novel is not that simplistic, though: Marty eventually realizes that he will have to come clean, even if it will mean losing his dog. The characters in "Shiloh" are well-drawn and realistic. It was nice to read about complex people who love animals, grow up with guns and occasionally hunt for their own food. Their West Virginian dialect is a pleasure to read. Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's observations, through Marty's eyes, really seem like an eleven-year-old boy's, not a grown woman writer's. Moreover, her pace, like her integrity as a storyteller, never lags. This is a great book for teaching children not just about dogs and other pets, but about right and wrong. Nothing is purely white or purely black in this novel, not even the "villian," Judd Travers. There is a powerful scene near the climax when Marty starts asking himself questions about what is ethical and what is not--about whether or not the ends justify the means. All the scenes that follow show how a young boy, through his love for his dog, learns life lessons about maturity, responsibility and respect. Despite all this complexity, the lessons of "Shiloh", like its theme, are very simple. They are the universal values that all children pick up for themselves whenever they truly experience life.
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