Shiloh

Naylor, P. (2000) Shiloh. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Brief Annotation: A classic boy meets dog story. Marty Preston is a young boy living in a town called Friendly in West Virginia. He finds a small beagle that he names Shiloh. He learns that the boy’s real owner is a man named Judd Travers, and Judd is not very nice to dogs. Marty, going against his father’s will, hides Shiloh to try and protect him from Judd. The family finds out and Shiloh must be returned to his owner, but thankfully Marty and Judd are able to work out a deal and Marty finally ends up being able to keep his new best friend Shiloh.

Genre: Realistic Animal Fiction Novel

Grade Level: Grades 3-8

Readers who will like this: Students who like animals will really enjoy this story. It is a classic and a great example of a dog being “mans best friend”. Teachers could also use this story during a read aloud, because it’s really interesting and fun but also brings up interesting subjects.

Response/Rating (1-4): 4, Shiloh is my little brothers ALL time favorite book. I read his copy and the pages were certainly worn down in love. It’s a classic story and a very fun read. It was a fairly quick read for me, but I could tell that it would be somewhat challenging for a younger reader. I think this book deserves the award it was given.

One question you would ask before a read aloud: “Who is your very best friend?”