Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. 144 p. Atheneum Books for Young Readers/ Simon & Shuster, September, 1991. 9780689316142. (Own)
#tbt features Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. Shiloh, published in 1991 was Naylor's 65th book! It won numerous state book awards as well as the Newbery Medal. The story centers on Marty, an eleven-yer-old boy living in Friendly, West Virginia who finds a stray beagle, who was obviously abused. The dog is owned by Judd Travers, Marty's neighbor and town grump. Marty has to return the dog, but he's not happy about it. The story was inspired by Naylor's encounter with a real beagle while visiting friends in Friendly, West Virginia. Shiloh was followed by three sequels, Shiloh Season, Saving Shiloh, and Shiloh Christmas. I have to say, though I adored the book, I was never a fan of the cover, so I didn't choose an image of the original cover, but of a reissue edition.
Hey, Dog! by Tony Johnston. Illustrated by Jonathan Nelson. unpgd. Charlesbridge, June, 2019. 9781-58089-877-5. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)
Full-disclosure: I am an unabashed dog lover. There isn't a meme or video featuring a dog that I will ever not view. Those vids of dog rescues are especially compelling to me. So it goes without saying that I adore this book.
An earnest bespectacled boy spies a stray dog shaking with fear in the bushes near his house. When he attempts to approach, the dog darts away. Thinking the dog might be thirsty, the boy fills a frisbee with water and places it near the spot in the bushes where he first saw the dog. Later, the water is gone. Thinking the dog must also be hungry, he leaves food along with more water. Later, he thinks that the dog might be cold and brings a blanket out to the bushes. He is the perfect model for compassion and empathy as he constantly tries to anticipate what the dog will need. His relationship with his mother is lovely. He feels comfortable sharing his concerns and she quietly supports him.
The spare writing is very child-centric, simple and direct and works well with the black-lined, cartoon illustrations which are also quite spare. Teachers and parents searching for a non-didactic read-aloud to teach attributes such as empathy, patience and kindness will love sharing Hey, Dog.
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt. Illustrated by David Small. 320 p. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, May, 2008. 9781416950585. (Own)
#tbt features The Underneath by Kathi Appelt. Happy tenth anniversary to Kathi Appelt and her impressive debut! She adeptly weaves three narrative strands together in this atmospheric, suspenseful story that takes place in a bayou in east Texas. A pregnant stray cat follows the sound of a baying hound to the place underneath the porch of a rickety shack. The hound is concerned for the cat's well-being since his owner is abusive. His attempts to warn her away fail and the two and her eventual kittens bond. It is a story of loyalty and love. It is also the story of a mythical beast and a human one. Have tissues at hand. The language is lovely and lyrical. The illustrations add interest. The Underneath is a memorable and satisfying read.
Press release: Kathi Appelt is the New York Times best-selling author of more than forty books for children and young adults. Her first novel, The Underneath, was a National Book Award Finalist and a Newbery Honor Book. It also received the PEN USA Award. Her other novels include The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp, a National Book Award finalist, and Maybe a Fox, one of the Bank Street Books Best Children’s Books of the Year. In addition to writing, Ms. Appelt is on the faculty in the Masters of Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts. She lives in College Station, Texas. To learn more, and to find curriculum materials and activity pages, visit her website at kathiappelt.com.
Check out the trailer for The Underneath!
Giveaway!
Fifteen lucky winners will receive an autographed paperback copy of The Underneath. In addition, one Grand Prize winner will win a classroom set of 20 copies of the book PLUS a 30-40 minute Skype visit for her/his school, classroom, or library with award-winning author Kathi Appelt. Enter here!
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. Shiloh Quartet #1. 144 p. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, September, 1991. 9780689316142.
Shiloh, the story about an abused dog and the boy who insists on rescuing him won the Newbery Medal in 1992. Everyone loves a boy and his dog story and this one is sure to tug at your heartstrings. Marty lives in a quiet, rural community in the south where everyone minds their own business. When a beagle shows up on Marty's property and it's obvious he's been abused, Marty begs his father to keep him. His dad recognized the dog as belonging to Judd Travers, a neighbor, a hunter and a mean drunk. Since the dog is clearly Judd's, Marty's dad insists that he return the dog. But Shiloh keeps running back to Marty.
The book has undergone a number of cover reworkings, thankfully. Truth be told, I'm not a fan of the original, which is the one I read to my boys. Here are a couple of better cover images.
Shiloh was made into a movie, which I never saw, so of course, there was a movie version cover.
Perhaps my favorite is one that never was. A while back Travis Jonkers did a series called Covering the Newbery where he created or updated the covers. Here's the one he made for Shiloh:
