SHILOH

Children and animals take to each other with singular love, loyalty, and respect. What do they know that we don't? When young Marty finds a nameless, frightened beagle at Shiloh Bridge, he quickly realizes that the animal has been mistreated. The dog's owner, a nearby hunter who grew up knowing only harsh discipline, demands “Shiloh” back, but Marty dreads what the dog will suffer if he runs away again. The boy's father maintains it's none of their business, but Marty decides to take a stand against a grownup who seems unmoved by any sort of appeal. Here's something rare: a winning, humane story (based on a Newbery Medal-winning novel), set in the real world, about a dog that isn't a superpooch with a 200 I.Q., a voiceover comedian, or a reincarnated private eye. Indeed, it's as much Marty's story as Shiloh's, showing how a youngster – especially a youngster – will stake everything on a principle he or she feels is right. (Recommended for children ages 8 and up) – Charles Cassady