book report on shiloh

76 pages • 2 hours read

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Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-6

Chapters 7-9

Chapters 10-12

Chapters 13-15

Character Analysis

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Summary and Study Guide

Eleven-year-old Marty Preston fights to save an abused beagle from its cruel owner in Shiloh (1991). Marty bonds with the dog, Shiloh, and learns more about himself and others as he struggles to reconcile the letter of the law with what he knows in his heart is right. Acclaimed children’s author Phyllis Reynolds Naylor based Shiloh on a poignant, personal encounter with a mistreated dog. Marty’s character struggles with the same issues that troubled Naylor after she met the stray dog: moral ambiguity, animal cruelty, and personal responsibility. Shiloh won the Newbery Medal in 1992, the IRA-CBC (International Reading Association & the Children’s Book Council) Teacher Choice Award in 1994, and is the recipient of many state book awards. Shiloh is followed by three other titles comprising the Shiloh quartet: Shiloh Season , Saving Shiloh , and A Shiloh Christmas . The book was adapted for film in 1996. Pagination in this guide refers to the Atheneum Books for Young Readers edition, ISBN 987-0-689-83582-7.

Plot Summary

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Marty and his family live in rural West Virginia, where people value their privacy. Marty and his Ma, Dad, and two little sisters, three-year-old Becky and seven-year-old Dara Lynn, live in a four-room house in the hills above the town of Friendly. Marty’s family scrapes to get by, and there is just enough food for the five of them—no extra for a family pet, although Marty has always longed for a dog. Marty does his part around the house without expecting compensation and enjoys wandering the woods. Marty loves animals and is sensitive to their pain and suffering.

On one of his rambles, Marty is followed by timid, cowering beagle. Marty can tell the dog has been abused by the way it slinks behind him and stays silent. When Marty whistles, the beagle rushes to him, licking him joyfully. The dog follows Marty home. Marty names the dog Shiloh, after the area where Marty found him.

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Marty’s parents will not let Marty keep Shiloh. Marty’s dad realizes that Shiloh is a missing hunting dog that belongs to a disagreeable neighbor, Judd Travers . Marty hates Judd because the man lies, cheats, poaches, and mistreats his dogs. Marty does not want to return Shiloh to Judd, but his dad is adamant: Shiloh is Judd’s dog and none of their business. On Shiloh’s return, Judd immediately kicks the beagle for running away. Marty feels like he betrayed the little dog.

Marty cannot get Shiloh off his mind and tries to earn money collecting cans to buy the dog from Judd, but times are hard in Friendly and there are few cans and no work to be found. When Marty discovers Shiloh outside his home again, he vows never to return the dog to Judd. Instead, Marty builds a pen for Shiloh in the woods and keeps Shiloh a secret from everyone.

Marty is forced to lie to his family, his friend David Howard , and others as he desperately tries to source food for Shiloh without taking food from his family’s mouth. Marty is deeply conflicted about what is right and what is wrong but determines that his dishonesty is for a righteous cause: to save Shiloh’s life.

Marty keeps back part of his meals, gets extra food from Mrs. Howard, and buys expired food from the local store to feed Shiloh. As Marty’s lies mount, he becomes increasingly anxious that Shiloh will be discovered. Ma, suspicious of Marty’s new eating habits, follows him to Shiloh’s pen. Marty begs her not to tell anyone for a day, to give him time to try and think of a solution. Ma agrees, even though she knows that secrets are damaging.

That night, the family hears cries of pain from Shiloh’s pen. Marty and his dad discover that a vicious German Shepherd has jumped into the pen and injured the beagle badly. They rush Shiloh to Doc Murphy , who stitches him up, and Marty is forced to tell Doc Murphy the truth.

Dad is angry at Marty for keeping Shiloh secret and lying to him, but agrees to let Marty keep the dog in the house until Shiloh heals. Afterwards, they will return the dog to Judd. As Shiloh recuperates, the entire family grows attached to him. Judd discovers that Shiloh is at the Preston’s house and demands the beagle’s return by that Sunday. Judd refuses their offer to buy Shiloh.

Marty is unswerving in his decision to keep Shiloh. He plans to offer Judd an ultimatum: sell Shiloh, or Marty will turn Judd in to the authorities for abusing his animals. On the way to Judd’s house, Marty witnesses Judd kill a female deer out of season. Marty understands this offense carries a large fine. He blackmails Judd, saying he will not report the illegal kill if Judd gives him Shiloh. Judd angrily agrees if Marty adds twenty hours of hard work into the bargain. Judd signs a paper sealing the deal.

Judd assigns Marty backbreaking tasks around his property and tries to get Marty to quit and break his end of the deal. Marty perseveres even when Judd declares that the paper he signed is worthless because there was no witness. During the time Marty spends at Judd’s, he learns more about the man and his unhappy childhood. Marty tries to encourage Judd to treat his dogs better. Marty is convinced that Judd will not let him keep Shiloh, but on his last day of work, Judd gives Marty an old collar and announces that Shiloh is his. Marty and his family are overjoyed, knowing the happiness Shiloh brings them is worth any cost.

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Shiloh Book Summary

Shiloh is written in the first person point of view, revealing the thoughts and feelings of the determined and compassionate protagonist, Marty Preston. The novel begins when a young beagle follows 11-year-old Marty as he takes a walk up in the hills on the road past the old Shiloh schoolhouse near Friendly, West Virginia. Because the dog is "slinking down, . . . tail between his legs like he's hardly got the right to breathe" and backing off and cringing when Marty puts out his hand, he is sure the dog's owner is abusing him. Marty feels protective of the dog, and names him Shiloh.

Marty's father thinks the dog belongs to Judd Travers, who recently got another hunting dog. Marty doesn't like Judd or trust him. Marty saw Judd cheat Mr. Wallace in the corner store, Marty knows that Judd kills deer out of season, and he hates that Judd chews tobacco and tries to spit it close to people he doesn't like. When Marty's father takes him to Judd's trailer to return Shiloh, Marty sees Judd kick Shiloh and pleads with Judd to stop kicking the dog.

Marty can't stop thinking about Shiloh. He decides that he has to buy Shiloh from Judd. Unfortunately, there aren't very many jobs in Friendly for a boy his age. Marty starts collecting cans and bottles to try to make some money, but realizes it will take him forever to raise enough money to buy Shiloh. He also thinks about what he will feed Shiloh. Because his family is sending money to help care for his Grandma Preston, the family doesn't have any extra money to spend on dog food.

Before long, Shiloh runs away from Judd again and ends up at Marty's house. This time, Marty hides Shiloh in a makeshift pen just off the path that leads up the hill behind his house. He makes sure Shiloh has water and protection from the weather. Marty becomes attached to Shiloh as he continues to care for him — taking Shiloh on long walks, playing with him, and feeding him whatever he can manage to save from his own meals. Marty even swallows his pride and asks Mr. Wallace at the corner store for old food that he can buy cheap, just so Shiloh won't go hungry.

Marty's Ma discovers Marty's secret when she finds Marty with Shiloh in the pen one evening. She agrees to keep his secret until the next day, giving him time to decide what to do about Shiloh. That night, a German shepherd jumps into Shiloh's pen and attacks him. Marty's Dad takes Shiloh to Doc Murphy. Even though Doc Murphy is not a vet, he agrees to help Shiloh. Marty's Dad agrees to let him keep Shiloh until Shiloh is well, and then Shiloh will have to go back to Judd. Marty feels guilty. He feels it was his fault Shiloh was hurt because he didn't make the pen tall enough. He also feels relieved because his secret is out in the open and he has time to figure out how he can keep Shiloh.

The next day, Doc Murphy shows up with Shiloh. Marty's Ma tells Marty to get a box and put it in the kitchen for Shiloh. As Shiloh's condition improves, and he is able to hobble about, Marty's family slowly but surely falls in love with him. Marty is more determined than ever to keep Shiloh. He feels that his only option is to talk directly to Judd.

Early in the morning on the day Shiloh is to be returned to Judd, Marty cuts through the woods on his way to Judd's trailer. On his way, he catches Judd shooting a deer out of season. Marty knows that if the Warden finds out, Judd will be fined for shooting the deer. Marty confronts Judd, and, thinking quickly, he makes a bargain with Judd. He agrees to be silent about Judd shooting the doe in exchange for Shiloh. Marty also agrees to work for Judd twenty hours for two dollars an hour, in order to pay for Shiloh.

The work Marty does for Judd is difficult, backbreaking work; however, he attempts to do his best. During the time he works for Judd, Marty gains understanding about Judd and feels almost sorry for him. Marty can finally see Judd as a person who doesn't know how to care about other people or animals. Marty feels proud of himself for keeping up his end of their bargain in spite of the obstacles that Judd has put in his way. On the last day that Marty works for Judd, Judd gives Marty a collar for Shiloh and tells him, "you got yourself a dog." Marty's family celebrates the fact that Shiloh belongs to them and Marty realizes that "nothing is as simple as you guess."

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Common sense media reviewers.

Sweet bond forms between boy and beagle in thrilling story.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Shiloh offers readers a picture of rural life in t

Marty thinks, "There's got to be times that what o

Marty's not without his flaws; he lies about hidin

A German shepherd attacks Shiloh. Judd kicks his d

Judd calls Shiloh a "damned animal." Marty tells h

Judd Travers drinks beer and chews tobacco.

Parents need to know that Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Shiloh , the story of a boy's love for an abused beagle, is thrilling and moving, and it will make kids think. The main character, Marty, faces a series of moral dilemmas, as everything in him wants to protect Shiloh from mean Judd Travers, but he feels…

Educational Value

Shiloh offers readers a picture of rural life in the hills of West Virginia. The book also encourages conversations about honesty vs. morality, and the treatment and rights of animals.

Positive Messages

Marty thinks, "There's got to be times that what one person does is everybody's business." His father says, "There's food for the body and food for the spirit. And Shiloh sure enough feeds our spirit."

Positive Role Models

Marty's not without his flaws; he lies about hiding Shiloh and about why he needs to squirrel away food. But he is a gentle, purehearted, and brave boy. He does his best to protect Shiloh and care for him, and his instinct is always to do what's kind and right.

Violence & Scariness

A German shepherd attacks Shiloh. Judd kicks his dogs. Hunting -- including shooting animals in the head, and blood on the ground -- is described in detail.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Judd calls Shiloh a "damned animal." Marty tells his friend, "If you ever tell anyone, even your ma and dad, may Jesus make you blind.” Marty says he can tell Shiloh has been mistreated because the dog is "scared to pee."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Shiloh , the story of a boy's love for an abused beagle, is thrilling and moving, and it will make kids think. The main character, Marty, faces a series of moral dilemmas, as everything in him wants to protect Shiloh from mean Judd Travers, but he feels remorseful as he piles lie upon lie to keep Shiloh safe. Judd is a scary villain who mistreats his animals, so some sensitive children may have a hard time reading about his violence and cruelty. There are also detailed descriptions of hunting for rabbits and deer, and of a German Shepherd attack on Shiloh. Shiloh also contains a couple of instances of rude language, including Judd calling Shiloh a "damned animal."

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Community reviews.

• Parents say (12)
• Kids say (27)

Based on 12 parent reviews

Great book.

What's the story.

SHILOH tells the story of tenderhearted Marty and his devotion to an abused dog. One day, Marty comes upon a lost beagle, which follows the boy at a distance. Marty quickly notices that the dog is fearful and very thin. Marty's dad helps his son return the dog to its owner, Judd Travers, whom Marty knows to be dishonest and mean. Marty observes that Judd kicks his dogs, and the boy becomes increasingly desperate to protect Shiloh from abuse. Meanwhile, the dog runs away from Judd whenever he gets the chance, and he keeps trying to get back to Marty. The boy eventually decides to conceal the dog in the woods near his family's home, and he makes up implausible excuses to squirrel away half of his own food for Shiloh. As Marty's lies (and his hunger) grow, more and more people find out his secret, and before long Shiloh is in even more danger than he was before.

Is It Any Good?

This timeless, heartwarming novel is also a thought-provoking page-turner. Does Shiloh have a right to be treated kindly? Is it OK for Marty to lie to protect Shiloh? What will happen to him and to Shiloh if his lies are revealed? Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's story will move animal lovers from middle grades to middle school, and it's a great point of departure for families and classrooms to discuss the moral dilemmas that Marty faces.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Marty's dishonesty in Shiloh. Is Marty wrong to lie to his family in order to protect the dog?

Judd Travers owns Shiloh. Does this give Judd the right to do whatever he wants to his dog?

Have you seen any movies based on Shiloh ? One was made a few years after the book was published ( 1999 ), and another in 2006 . Which did you like better, the book or a movie? How are the movies different from the book?

Book Details

• Author : Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
• Genre : Animals
• Topics : Cats, Dogs, and Mice , Great Boy Role Models
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Simon & Schuster
• Publication date : January 1, 1991
• Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 13
• Number of pages : 144
• Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
• Award : Newbery Medal and Honors
• Last updated : January 27, 2021

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• Shiloh Summary

by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own.

Written by Jody Perry

Marty Preston is an eleven year old boy who likes to walk the backwoods behind his house. On one of his walks, Marty finds a beagle cowering in the bushes so he goes over to the dog and pets him. The dog seems shy but receptive to Marty although he doesn't respond to Marty's call of "Here, boy!" Thinking that the skinny pup got out from a nearby house and will probably make his way back there, Marty keeps walking but when he turns he sees that the dog is following him. When he walks, the dog follows. When he stops, so does the dog. It's obvious that the beagle is not well cares for and Marty wants to help but he struggles communicating with him until he thinks to whistle; this works like magic and the dog responds, licking Marty's face and trotting along by his side. When Marty goes home the dog follows him. He names him Shiloh, after the place where he found him.

Despite Marty's pleas, his parents make him turn the dog back over to Judd Travers , whom Marty doesn't like at all. Judd is cruel to his animals. He keeps them chained up outside and deliberately keeps them hungry so that they will be better hunters. Shiloh is obviously scared of Travers and Marty feels like he has let him down.

Marty cannot get Shiloh out of his mind and is delighted to see him again when the dog turns up at the house when the rest of the Preston family are out. Marty promises Shiloh never to let Judd Travers take him back. He sets about building a pen where he can keep Shiloh in secret, making sure there is both shade and shelter in case of rain. He decides to start eating only half of his dinner and tells his mother he is too full to finish it but gets hungry again later, so that she keeps it for him without using the leftovers for soup. Marty is getting hungrier himself with only half his usual food but Shiloh is his priority. He pays a visit to the corner store where he asks to buy any food that is spoiled, knowing it will be cheaper. He is able to buy some cheese with a mouldy rind that he cuts off, frankfurter sausages and some sour cream. It's a little rich for Shiloh but he gulps it down, and even after a couple of days seems to be gaining a little weight. His ribs don't protrude anymore and there's more flesh on them. Marty's father is amazed to find food for him to take inside most of the mailboxes on his delivery route; clearly word has spread that the Preston's need food, and Marty knows his parents would be mortified if they realized Marty had given the town the impression that they were only able to afford spoiled groceries.

Marty loves to lie on the grass with Shiloh lying on top of him but opens his eyes to find his mother staring angrily down at him. Suspicious at his food hoarding after lunch she follows him up to the hill and finds out his secret. When Marty tells her Travers abuses Shiloh she is sympathetic but gives Marty twenty-four hours to come up with a plan because she is not going to keep Shiloh a secret from Marty's dad after that. Marty tries desperately to come up with a plan but cannot think of anything. That night the entire household is awoken by crying and yelping outside. Marty realizes that something has happenned to Shiloh and races outside but his father beats him to it and they find a neighbor's German shepherd with Shiloh's blood around his mouth. Shiloh is badly injured and barely breathing. Marty's father is furious with him for the deception but anxious to help save Shiloh's life so he drives Shiloh and Marty to see Dr Murphy; he is not a veterinarian but promises to use his medical skills to best help save Shiloh.

Marty is frustrated with his father for making him return Shiloh to Judd when he is better, knowing that Judd will abuse him more. He manages to buy some time and persuades his father to let him keep Shiloh whilst he is recovering, but knows he needs to come up with a longer term plan. When Doc Murphy brings Shiloh back to their house as he bounced back surprisingly quickly. Unfortunately a patient saw Shiloh at the doctors office and told Judd Travers who has been asking all over town where his missing hunting beagle and Judd arrives at their house to take Shiloh back. He is furious that Shiloh is injured and actually agrees that he should recuperate at the Preston home as he feels like they owe it to him to make his dog better. He gives them until Sunday to return Shiloh. Seeing how terrified Shiloh is of Judd, Marty's mother asks Judd if they can buy him. Judd refuses.

By Sunday, everyone is attached to Shiloh and nobody wants him to leave. Early on Sunday before anyone else gets up, Marty walks to Travers' house to confront him and tell him that he will have to fight him to get his dog back. As he walks he sees Judd deliberately shoot a deer and realizes this will be his bargaining tool; he tells Judd that if he lets him keep Shiloh, Marty won't tell anyone about his shooting a deer out of season. Judd is angry but agrees to sell Shiloh to Marty for forty dollars, and Marty will have to pay this by working for Judd on weekdays for two hours a day, earning two dollars an hour. Judd writes this down and signs it.

Marty quickly realizes that Judd is going to work him to exhaustion at jobs that a grown man would struggle with. One day Judd tells him their agreement was not valid since there were no witnesses. Marty is scared he may be right but works to fulfill the agreement anyway. At the end of the two weeks, Judd almost has come to respect Marty. Shiloh is Marty's and the Preston's have a new family member that they all adore.

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Shiloh Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Shiloh is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

In Shiloh, what is the rising action and falling action?

The rising action takes place in Chapter Seven, when Marty takes Shiloh in and builds him a pen.

The falling action takes place in Chapter Fourteen, when Marty spies Judd hunting deer off season. Judd tells marty that he can keep Shiloh if he...

I'm sorry, you have not included the chapter number for your question.

Marty justifies his lies with the knowledge that he is keeping Shiloh safe.

Study Guide for Shiloh

Shiloh study guide contains a biography of Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Shiloh
• Character List

Bobbie Ann Mason

Ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Bobbie Ann Mason's Shiloh . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

Shiloh: Introduction

Shiloh: plot summary, shiloh: detailed summary & analysis, shiloh: themes, shiloh: quotes, shiloh: characters, shiloh: symbols, shiloh: theme wheel, brief biography of bobbie ann mason.

Historical Context of Shiloh

Other books related to shiloh.

• Full Title: “Shiloh”
• When Written: Late 1970s/1980
• When Published: October 20, 1980
• Literary Period: New American Fiction
• Genre: Short fiction, literary fiction
• Setting: Western Kentucky
• Climax: Norma Jean tells her husband Leroy that she is leaving him
• Antagonist: Norma Jean Moffitt, Mabel Beasley
• Point of View: Close third person

Extra Credit for Shiloh

What’s In a Name. Shiloh, Tennessee is famous for being the site of a bloody Civil War battle, but in a Biblical context, the word “Shiloh” is generally associated with peace, tranquility, and righteousness. In Genesis 49:10, Jacob tells his son Judah that Judah will not be parted from his scepter until “Shiloh” comes. Scholars debate whether the verse speaks to the arrival of a messiah on earth or simply to the arrival of peace, acceptance, and rest. 

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I guess I've been writing for about as long as I can remember. Telling stories, anyway, if not writing them down. I had my first short story published when I was sixteen, and wrote stories to help put myself through college, planning to become a clinical psychologist. By the time I graduated with a BA degree, however, I decided that writing was really my first love, so I gave up plans for graduate school and began writing full time.

I'm not happy unless I spend some time writing every day. It's as though pressure builds up inside me, and writing even a little helps to release it. On a hard-writing day, I write about six hours. Tending to other writing business, answering mail, and just thinking about a book takes another four hours. I spend from three months to a year on a children's book, depending on how well I know the characters before I begin and how much research I need to do. A novel for adults, because it's longer, takes a year or more. When my work is going well, I wake early in the mornings, hoping it's time to get up. When the writing is hard and the words are flat, I'm not very pleasant to be around.

Getting an idea for a book is the easy part. Keeping other ideas away while I'm working on one story is what's difficult. My books are based on things that have happened to me, things I have heard or read about, all mixed up with imaginings. The best part about writing is the moment a character comes alive on paper, or when a place that existed only in my head becomes real. There are no bands playing at this moment, no audience applauding--a very solitary time, actually--but it's what I like most. I've now had more than 120 books published, and about 2000 short stories, articles and poems.

I live in Bethesda, Maryland, with my husband, Rex, a speech pathologist, who's the first person to read my manuscripts when they're finished. Our sons, Jeff and Michael, are grown now, but along with their wives and children, we often enjoy vacations together in the mountains or at the ocean. When I'm not writing, I like to hike, swim, play the piano and attend the theater.

I'm lucky to have my family, because they have contributed a great deal to my books. But I'm also lucky to have the troop of noisy, chattering characters who travel with me inside my head. As long as they are poking, prodding, demanding a place in a book, I have things to do and stories to tell.

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Book Review: Shiloh

The book Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor is about Marty Preston and his willingness to, in a sense, serve an abused dog. The dog is named Shiloh after he runs away to young Marty, after being abused by Judd Travers. He keeps the dog in secret for fear of being caught by his family or Judd. Unlike other typical dog books or even movies, the book shows a very deep bond between Shiloh and Marty, in which Marty has to earn Shiloh by working for Judd. Every single character put into the book is well developed and plays some sort of part in the story. Several other conflicts, such as Marty's mother not wanting to keep secrets from her husband, arise, and they are all well though-out. Overall, the book is a very emotional book, and should be deeply felt by the reader. I would recommend the book to any sort of animal lover or people who like realistic fiction.

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SAVING SHILOH

From the shiloh quartet series , vol. 3.

by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor & illustrated by Barry Moser ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 1997

In this story of a boy and his dog, and the brutal, angry man who finds the road to redemption at last, Naylor rounds off a trilogy that began with Shiloh (1991). The good news is that the dog doesn't die, although Marty, the narrator, gives readers that impression on the first page. Judd Travers has stopped drinking and become less hostile; nonetheless, years of bad feelings have left their mark, and his is the name that comes up most often in conjunction with a murder and some local robberies. Marty is half-willing to give Judd the benefit of the doubt—and so defends the man to schoolmates on the bus, and even pays him an occasional visit. Judd shows signs of authentic human feeling, actually laughing and joking (readers of the first two books will be shocked), and grieving when he must kill one of his hunting dogs. Judd proves innocent of the crimes, too, and in the climax risks his life to save Shiloh from drowning. That earns a hug from Marty, and only readers familiar with the first books will be able to appreciate how far Judd has come when he hugs back. Subplots and extraneous incidents loosen the story's weave, but Naylor's use of present tense adds immediacy to events, and Marty's path to reconciliation with Judd, and to a parallel truce with his pesky little sister Dara Lynn, will go straight to readers' hearts. (Fiction. 10-12)

Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1997

ISBN: 0-689-81460-7

Page Count: 137

Publisher: Atheneum

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1997

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

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by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor ; illustrated by Vivienne To

RED-EYED TREE FROG

by Joy Cowley ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1999

Bishop’s spectacular photographs of the tiny red-eyed tree frog defeat an incidental text from Cowley (Singing Down the Rain, 1997, etc.). The frog, only two inches long, is enormous in this title; it appears along with other nocturnal residents of the rain forests of Central America, including the iguana, ant, katydid, caterpillar, and moth. In a final section, Cowley explains how small the frog is and aspects of its life cycle. The main text, however, is an afterthought to dramatic events in the photos, e.g., “But the red-eyed tree frog has been asleep all day. It wakes up hungry. What will it eat? Here is an iguana. Frogs do not eat iguanas.” Accompanying an astonishing photograph of the tree frog leaping away from a boa snake are three lines (“The snake flicks its tongue. It tastes frog in the air. Look out, frog!”) that neither advance nor complement the action. The layout employs pale and deep green pages and typeface, and large jewel-like photographs in which green and red dominate. The combination of such visually sophisticated pages and simplistic captions make this a top-heavy, unsatisfying title. (Picture book. 7-9)

Pub Date: March 1, 1999

ISBN: 0-590-87175-7

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Scholastic

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1999

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by Joy Cowley ; illustrated by Giselle Clarkson

by Joy Cowley ; illustrated by Kimberly Andrews

by Hye-Eun Shin ; illustrated by Su-Bi Jeong ; edited by Joy Cowley

THE TIGER RISING

by Kate DiCamillo ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2001

Themes of freedom and responsibility twine between the lines of this short but heavy novel from the author of Because of Winn-Dixie (2000). Three months after his mother's death, Rob and his father are living in a small-town Florida motel, each nursing sharp, private pain. On the same day Rob has two astonishing encounters: first, he stumbles upon a caged tiger in the woods behind the motel; then he meets Sistine, a new classmate responding to her parents' breakup with ready fists and a big chip on her shoulder. About to burst with his secret, Rob confides in Sistine, who instantly declares that the tiger must be freed. As Rob quickly develops a yen for Sistine's company that gives her plenty of emotional leverage, and the keys to the cage almost literally drop into his hands, credible plotting plainly takes a back seat to character delineation here. And both struggle for visibility beneath a wagonload of symbol and metaphor: the real tiger (and the inevitable recitation of Blake's poem); the cage; Rob's dream of Sistine riding away on the beast's back; a mysterious skin condition on Rob's legs that develops after his mother's death; a series of wooden figurines that he whittles; a larger-than-life African-American housekeeper at the motel who dispenses wisdom with nearly every utterance; and the climax itself, which is signaled from the start. It's all so freighted with layers of significance that, like Lois Lowry's Gathering Blue (2000), Anne Mazer's Oxboy (1995), or, further back, Julia Cunningham's Dorp Dead (1965), it becomes more an exercise in analysis than a living, breathing story. Still, the tiger, "burning bright" with magnificent, feral presence, does make an arresting central image. (Fiction. 10-12)

Pub Date: March 1, 2001

ISBN: 0-7636-0911-0

Page Count: 128

Publisher: Candlewick

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2001

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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Shiloh Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources Author: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

This page contains Shiloh lesson plans, teaching resources, and student activities.

Shiloh Lesson Plans

Dog shaped book report project templates.

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Shiloh Lesson Plans Dog Shaped Book Report Project Templates Author: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

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Classroom bulletin board display of completed Shiloh group book report projects.

Your students will be "dog-gone" enthusiastic about completing this dog shaped group project together!

I hope that these unique Shiloh lesson plans will help you to create an engaging and fun book report project activity for your students.

Author: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor Dog Shaped Book Report Project Templates

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Table of Contents

Reading group guide, about the book.

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About The Author

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor has written more than 135 books, including the Newbery Award–winning  Shiloh  and its sequels, the Alice series,  Roxie and the Hooligans , and  Roxie and the Hooligans at Buzzard’s Roost . She lives in Gaithersburg, Maryland. To hear from Phyllis and find out more about Alice, visit AliceMcKinley.com.

Product Details

• Publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books (September 20, 2016)
• Length: 272 pages
• ISBN13: 9781481441537
• Grades: 3 - 7
• Ages: 8 - 12
• Lexile ® 940L The Lexile reading levels have been certified by the Lexile developer, MetaMetrics®

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• Children's Fiction > Holidays & Festivals > Christmas
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Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Some students come to us saying, “ Write my essay on children’s literature, I’m too busy studying important stuff,” and we are happy to oblige, of course. However, we must stress that no topic is insignificant – may this sample serve as proof.

Sometimes literary giants engage us in a manner that is either awkward or bluntly provocative. This can be illustrated by the manner the author of the book Shiloh has singularly attempted to do. It can be as well illustrated by the manner the author has explored the philosophical theme which encompasses the compassionate social fabrics. For instance, by delving into the subject of what the masses needs or wants, he presents a challenge to any reader who fails to grasp the literary dogma involving the use of imagery, illusions as well as knit and compact plot to broadcast his observation. Hence, the predominant concept which the author can be said to have anchored his argument is resolved within the perimeters of morality. In essence, according to the novel, morality tends to be confined in archives of the social plebiscites who more than often question the tenets of morality, that is, the elements of respect, empathy, transparency as well as decency.

Therefore, delving into the plot of the novel, it would be…

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