Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Winner, 1992 Newbery Award
Quick Summary
Eleven-year-old Marty hides a beagle near his rural West Virginia home to save it from the dog's abusive owner.
Favorite Quote
Don't know if Shiloh's gettin' more human or I'm gettin' to be more dog.
About the Author
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor is the author of more than 100 books. She lives in Maryland. Shiloh was inspired when the author met the "the saddest dog I ever saw" during a visit to West Virginia. (The real life dog had a happy ending, later adopted by some of her friends.)
My Project
For my project, I knew that the dog would be the star. I wanted to make him soft and appealing, so I chose to do an embroidered piece. I used the long strokes of satin stitch so that he would be a dog you'd want to pet. For the background, I cut up an old canvas tote bag that had an advertisement on one side as a nod to the recycling mentioned in the book. (For example, the main character collects bottles and jars for recycling money and the mom reworks outgrown clothes to make them fit.) I added the date of the Newbery award inside a heart, as this book felt like a love story between a boy and his first dog.
Final Thoughts
Animal neglect and abuse is a tough subject for any age. While this book does have the happy ending you'd expect for a book at this grade level, there are still many unresolved issues with Shiloh's former owner who still owns other dogs. I appreciated that the author showed the many aspects of pet ownership, such as the dad pointing out that it's not enough to love an animal, but you also need to have money to feed it and take it to the vet. There's also some mention of the legal aspects of pet ownership. Another two books starring Shiloh follow this one.
Your Turn
If you read this book, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments.