Shiloh

Toben took the kids out for magazines at B&N and ice cream at Cold Stone, so I headed to the bathtub with a book--Shiloh, by Phllis Reynolds Naylor. This book won the Newbery in 1992.

I think I'd seen the movie based on the book, but hadn't read the book before. I knew it would be sad, and had a little knot in my stomach for much of it, because I couldn't quite remember how the story ended. I won't give it away, since you should read it for yourself!

What a great book. I finished it and thought I'd love to read it to my girls and talk about it with them because it raises some good and hard questions. When is it okay to keep a secret? Is it ever alright to lie? What do you do when what is right and what is legal aren't the same things? What does it mean to stand by your word? Can we change how other people act?

There's something about a boy and a dog...and this story tugs at your heart.

I did read the afterword first--my copy of the book has "The Story Behind the Book" at the end, complete with pictures. I always love hearing how an author came up with the idea for the novel. In this case, there is a real Shiloh (named Clover) who really did follow someone home. The rest of the story is imagined on the author's part, but both Clover and Shiloh have good endings.

By the way, the dog in this case is a beagle. And since my little beagle, Daisy, is curled up at my feet at the moment, I'd better mention that she recommends the book too!