Module 3: Shiloh

Book Cover Image

Book Summary

Marty Preston is an 11 year old boy who is out of school for the summer. He likes to take his .22 rifle out into the woods to shoot it. Now Marty absolutely does not agree with hunting. He shoots apples in the trees. After an encounter with Judd Travers, he grows attached to one of Judd's hunting dogs that Judd does not treat very well. When Shiloh comes to live with Marty and his family, his family doesn't know. Marty keeps Shiloh hidden, which goes against his parents orders. When Judd finds out that Shiloh is at the Preston house, he is not happy.

Written by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Winner of the 1992 Newbery Medal

APA Reference of Book

 Naylor, P. R. (1991). Shiloh. New York, NY : Atheneum.

Impressions

Although I did find the book to be well written, I was not able to relate to the story. The small-town country location is a contrast to the big city that I live in. I can relate to the family dynamics that Naylor creates. I also enjoyed the internal struggles that Marty experienced. These were big world issues that we all face, such as deciding when you need to go against what you are being told in order to do what is right. I think that young readers will be able to relate to the love of a pet or other animal.

Professional Review

Gr 4-6--Marty Preston, 11, is a country boy who learns that things are often not what they seem, and that adults are not always "fair" in their dealings with other people. Marty finds a stray dog that seems to be abused and is determined to keep it at all costs. Because his family is very poor, without money to feed another mouth, his parents don't want any pets. Subsequently, there is a lot of conflict over the animal within the family and between Marty and Judd Travers, the dog's owner. Honesty and personal relations are both mixed into the story. Naylor has again written a warm, appealing book. However, readers may have difficulty understanding some of the first-person narration as it is written in rural West Virginian dialect. Marty's father is a postman--usually one of the better paying positions in rural areas--yet the family is extremely poor. There seems to be an inconsistency here. This title is not up to Naylor's usual high quality.

Kowen, K. E. (1991, Sept 1). Shiloh. School Library Journal, 37(9), 258.

Library Uses

To extend the story of Shiloh, students could be asked to write out instructions for someone else to take care of thier pets. While making instructions, they should be asked to also think about other special things to be done with their pets besides just the basics. Illustrations could also be asked for.