When Mack Came Back [Hardcover]

Brad Strickland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2000 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

A howl in the woods on a cold winter day changes Maury Painter's life. Tangled within the thorny vines a dog lies whimpering.

It's 1943, and times are tough and lean on his family's Georgia farm. As Maury struggles to fill the place of his absent brother, who's off fighting in the war, he is determined to keep the dog he calls Mack. Mack is there for him, steadfast and true. But his father insists that the dog is just another mouth to feed....

Brad Strickland has been hailed by critics for his spine-tingling books in the John Bellairs series. Now this talented author reaches into his Georgia roots to craft a moving story about a spirited boy whose devotion to a beloved pet gives him the courage he needs to make his own way.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6-A sturdy, somewhat nostalgic tale set in rural Georgia during World War II. Ten-year-old Maury Painter's older brother Ben gave away his dog when he joined the army. When Mack leaves his new owners and struggles to come back to the Painter farm, the boy nurses the animal back to health and is determined to keep him in spite of his father's opposition. The stern and taciturn man is deeply shaken by Ben's enlistment, but deep down, he is a loving husband and father. Where Strickland steps somewhat out of the mold of the typical dog story or coming-of-age tale is in his characterization of Maury as a lover of books. This aspect of the boy's personality comes to the fore in the novel's second half, in which he works hard to prepare himself for a special test that will allow him to skip fifth grade. The author excels at giving insight into the daily life in rural households of the period and in suggesting the impact of the war on ordinary Americans. Though not likely to earn the same kind of devotion as Wilson Rawls's Where the Red Fern Grows (Bantam, 1984) or Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Shiloh (Atheneum, 1991), Mack is a well-done novel aimed at a younger audience, most of whom will find the story satisfying and involving.
Coop Renner, Moreno Elementary School, El Paso, TX
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-6. The author of several titles based on John Bellairs' characters (most recently, The Wrath of the Grinning Ghost, 1999) offers a more realistic story here, set in his native Georgia. Ten-year-old Maury Painter discovers an injured black dog in the woods, tangled up in a rope and some blackberry vines. He carries the dog home, convinced that he is Mack, who once belonged to his older brother, Ben. Maury's father, still angry that Ben volunteered to serve in World War II, wants nothing to do with the dog, but Maury and his mother persevere. Eventually Mack recovers, Ben returns from the war, and Mr. Painter learns to accept them both. Strickland's strengths are vivid setting details and character development. Mr. Painter emerges as a complex individual, limited by his own abilities and vision, who wants desperately to see that his sons have better lives. Although there's not enough action here to suit everyone, dog lovers and patient readers will appreciate this leisurely stroll through rural Georgia. Kay Weisman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Dial (June 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803724985
• ISBN-13: 978-0803724983
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,548,510 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An appealing read-aloud, September 16, 2001

By 

Annette W. Davis "Librarian" (Kobe, Japan) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: When Mack Came Back (Hardcover)

The dramatic first chapter hooked my 5th grade students on Strickland's touching story of life in North Georgia during World War II as seen through the eyes of 11 year old Maury Painter.
Maury is determined to save the black lab puppy he finds tangled up in the woods. He is convinced it is his brother's dog, which was placed over 30 miles away when his brother joined the army. The book is paced beautifully to read aloud and students' interest is captured by Maury's sacrifice to save the dog, his hard work to skip a grade in school, and the anxiety which clouds their lives when his brother is reported missing in action. The ending is funny and cathartic--and for once the dog lives happily ever after! Strickland portrays life in North Georgia accurately and the dialect in the final chapter was a joy to read.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bring Mack into your home. It will be a warmer place., June 28, 2000

By 

Alex De Luca (Sunnyvale, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: When Mack Came Back (Hardcover)

When Mack Came Back isn't just a story about a boy and his dog. It's not about a talking dog or a dog that rescues children from the bottom of wells. It's about family, faith and love, told from the point of view of Maury, a ten year old boy that loves to read and gets a bellyache when thinking about picking cotton. It's about growing up and growing wise. It involves a dog that is probably a lot like your dog, or like a dog you may know. One that eagerly awaits scraps at the dinner table and one that poops in the bushes. Still, Mack is such a sweet, loving and loyal dog. He learns quickly and tries hard. The characters are real people. People that you can't help but have feelings for as soon as they are introduced. Especially Old Pa, Maury's endearing and kind grandfather. The places and settings, described in beautiful and loving detail that only someone who was there could express, are also real. The story talks about farming, not in a romantic or idealistic way, but as the hard and honorable work that it really is. It reminds us that there were families of young soldiers, away fighting World War II, and the worries those families felt and prayers they said. This is a story that parents should read to their children and teachers should read to their pupils. Get it as a gift for a child you know. Initially they may grumble at the lack of a spaceship or dragon on the cover, but, when they start reading, will surely be delighted to read the story of an everyday person dealing with everyday issues. Brad Strickland has, again, given us an unpretentious and modest gift. If you haven't read any of his many other books, this is an excellent introduction to his work. I couldn't recommend this book more.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Dog Tale Even a Cat Person Can Like, May 25, 2007

By 

Ron N. Butler (Powder Springs, GA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: When Mack Came Back (Mass Market Paperback)

I first read `When Mack Came Back' some years ago, and had occasion to re-read it recently. (Reason below.) And I was struck again by what a nearly-perfect YA novel it is.

The story covers about a year in the life of Maury Painter, a slightly precocious ten-year-old boy living on his family's Georgia farm during the Second World War. It's a busy year for Maury: He's offered the chance to skip a grade. He has to deal with bullying at school and some misunderstanding at home because of his un-Painter-ly bookishness. And his whole family is struggling with the hurt and loose ends left behind when Maury's older brother, Ben, ran off to join the Army. What ties all these threads together is Mack, a black lab who is probably (but not entirely certainly) Ben's dog, which he gave away when he enlisted. In the first pages of the book, Mack has escaped his new owner and dragged home, injuring himself in the process. Maury wants to keep Mack -- just until Ben comes home. Aged ten, he cannot see the pain this prospect causes his mother or the anger it provokes in his father. And neither of them, because of his or her own nature, can tell Maury. Through Maury's efforts, Mack recovers and is allowed to stay.

Step by step, over the year, Maury works his way through all his problems, realistically growing a bit every day, as ten-year-old boys do. Mack becomes something special -- and something a little different -- to all the members of the Painter family. And Ben eventually finds his way home, too, though not in quite the way anyone would have expected.

The plot aside, the book has a marvelous sense of time and place. The characters are strong and realistic, decent without being saintly. My own parents are from south Alabama; my father was in the Navy during World War 2. I had no problem hearing the voices of the Painters and their neighbors in my head. I heard their real-life counterparts when I was growing up, and Brad Strickland evokes them very well. The style and language are simple and direct, and benefit from being read aloud. I recommend the book to you.

(Full disclosure: I know Brad Strickland and was recently involved in asking someone to adapt `When Mack Came Back' for audio. If I did not think as highly of `Mack' as I do, I would not have thought of it as a project, nor could I have been as pleased with the results as I was.)