Dogs on Duty: soldiers' best friends on the battlefield and beyond by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent. 48 p. Walker & Company, September, 2012. 9780802728456. (Review of purchased copy.)
Fact Friday features Dogs on Duty: soldiers' best friends on the battlefield and beyond by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent. If you are thinking that I really love books about dogs, especially dogs in the military, you would be correct. As I re-shelved a recent Fact Friday feature, I spotted this book sitting right next to it. I pulled it out and wondered why I had never read it. It wasn't until I added the book to my Goodreads shelf that I learned that I had! In March of 2013, some 2000 books ago. 2,279 to be exact.
My love for the book holds up. Spectacular photos complement the fascinating, accessible text. Hinshaw Patent relates the history of dogs and war, dwelling a bit on the Vietnam War and the many dogs who were left behind as "equipment" much to the heartbreak of their handlers. She ends with the training and use of WMDs, Working Military Dogs, in present times. Back matter includes suggestions for further reading and a glossary.
All this serves as a reminder to me that I should not forget to display older titles. I do admit to getting a bit lazy this year by displaying mostly new additions to the collection. Hand this to your fans of dog books, military history and just about anyone who wants an interesting read.
Dogs at War: military canine heroes by Connie Goldsmith. 104 p. Twenty-first Century Books/ Lerner Publishing Group, January, 2017. 9781512410129. (Review of purchased finished copy.)
Fact Friday features Dogs at War: military canine heroes by Connie Goldsmith. Astute listeners to the daily booktalk may remember a Fact Friday when the book featured was about Stubby, the war dog. Unfortunately, not all dogs working with the military achieve the honor that Stubby did. This book is an eye-opener. MWDs, or military working dogs were not always treated with the respect they deserved by the military brass. Though their handlers formed strong bonds. Goldsmith opens with a chapter featuring two dogs in two wars who received different treatment once their tour of duty was over. I challenge you to read this book without crying. We should all thank a soldier for their service and not forget that some of these soldiers are canines.
Eminently readable, filled with photos and packed with useful backmatter, hand this gem to students who love dogs, budding military history buffs and anyone with a heart.
Stubby the War Dog: the true story about World War I's bravest dog by Ann Bausum. 80 p. National Geographic Society, May, 2014. 9781426314865. (Own)
I am a sucker for a good dog story, especially about dogs that serve. I also have a high interest in the first World War. And, I think Ann Bausum is a terrific writer! Win! Win! Win!
Stubby the War Dog is engaging and accessible, accompanied by many, well-captioned photographs. In a parallel story to Winnie, American soldier, Robert Conroy adopted a stubby-tailed stray while training to deploy overseas in WWI. He smuggled Stubby overseas where Stubby's keen senses proved valuable. Bausum's narrative weaves the story of the irrepressible Stubby with facts about the Great War, satisfying both fans of dogs and military history. I just loved this story. Share it with your students, and they will too!
204 p. Graphix/ Scholastic Press, October, 2013. 9780545128889. (Review copy provided by the pubisher)
Three wars, three dogs, three soldier handlers. Three affecting stories of war and the devotion between the dogs and their handlers. First up is Boots. His owner lied about his age and enlisted in WWI with his dog, Boots to follow his adoptive father into the trenches as a rescue team whose mission was to find wounded soldiers and help evacuate them. He and Boots get lost in the confusion and end up in a trench near Christmas, when the famous truce happened.
The next story takes place in Greenland during WWII. Maine boy, Cooper is assigned a dog-sled team to get in line, in particular a dog called Loki. Cooper's ways of training clash with his officer's, but that officer chooses him to help rescue a downed pilot in the frozen terrain.
The final story features an African-American vet named Lanford, who lives in a trailer park and who keeps to himself because he suffers from flashbacks and sorrow for leaving his dog, Sheba behind. Henry, a young boy with a lively, new pup befriends the vet, who helps him train the dog.
The artwork is spectacular - gritty and atmospheric. The speech bubbles are easy to follow. There is a three-page author's note that provides a brief history of the use of dogs during wartime, followed by two and a half pages of further resources, which include books, dvds and web sites.
This compelling graphic novel will have broad appeal, from reluctant readers to military buffs to dog lovers. A welcome addition to the middle school collection.
by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent. 48 p. Walker & Company, September, 2012. 9780802728456. (Purchased.)
Sporting a patriotic cover and featuring a kitted out German Shepard perched alert and ready for action atop a tank, this book doesn't stand a chance at sitting on its display easel for very long. Flip to the back cover and examine the photo of a be-goggled dog waiting patiently with his similarly be-goggled handler in an aircraft with an open door in the background and we know that these dogs are unusual. And the "wow" factor never lets up. Each page turn brought gasps and widened eyes and minutes spent inside each photo. These are not your ordinary dogs here. Here there be heroes folks. Just as I myself wondered if I could hack even basic training let alone Special Forces training when reading A Warrior's Heart recently (I would not), I turned an affectionate eye to my two basically trained labradors and faced the bitter truth that they wouldn't cut it either.
Okay, now go back and read the text.
It doesn't take much to get me to open a book with a dog on the cover. I love dog stories - fiction, non-fiction - bring it on. I am also a fan of Mrs. Patent. You can find quite a few of her books on my shelves both at school and at home. She's a wizard at explaining. Her writing holds it own against the fantastic photos as she provides a history of dogs in the military, what traits are sought after by the military, the training process, life in action, what happens when either partner is injured and life after service. There will be somber moments.
Suggested reading, including books and websites, as well as a glossary, index and source material wrap up this absolute must-purchase volume. Your student patrons will thank you for it.
Pair this with Cracker the Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata or Shadow by Michael Morpurgo for engaging fiction featuring military dogs. Cracker, in particular, portrays the process of training and bonding that both human and canine go through.
