Me & Jack

May 1, 2011

Joshua, 11 or 12, knows all the hidden rules for making new friends, because his father is a frequently transferred Air Force recruiter.

When they arrive in rural Pennsylvania in the midst of the Vietnam War—a hard time to be a recruiter—he's delighted when his father gets him a large (and rather unruly) dog from the pound. Jack turns out to be a Pharaoh hound, a rare breed of hunting dog. When trashcans are overturned, then a cat is killed and a horse attacked, neighbors believe Jack must be responsible, creating a witch-hunt atmosphere and doing nothing to improve Joshua's friend-making prospects. Ray, a boy of his age, seems like a good friend-candidate, but he's usually paired up with angry, spoiled, rich boy Prater, who plays with guns and seems to hate the newcomer from the start. Almost as bad, Joshua's father, conscious of his own unpopular place in the community, sides more with the neighbors than with his son, leaving the boy on his own in his efforts to prove the dog's innocence. While other characters are predictable and lightly sketched, Joshua is vividly depicted through his first-person narration and amusing interior monologues, and the conflicts he deals with are effectively realized.

In all, it's an entertaining boy-and-dog adventure set against a not-often-depicted era of political strife that's notably similar to the present. (Historical fiction. 9-13)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

May 1, 2011

Gr 4-7-Joshua Reed's mother passed away a few years ago, and he and his dad are constantly moving because his father is an air force recruiter during the Vietnam War. It's not the easiest of circumstances for a sixth grader. In his newest home, in the steep hills of Pennsylvania, Joshua and his father decide to adopt a dog from the local pound. Jack spooks and scares most of the community because he's so strange looking (he's actually a Pharaoh hound). He is blamed for breaking into the chicken coop, knocking over garbage cans, and more. Joshua has to defend Jack and determine who or what is frightening the community, while simultaneously making a comfortable place for himself. The constant presence of the Vietnam War plays an integral role in this novel. When attending church for the first time, Joshua and his father hear the pastor congratulate a local family on their son's upcoming return and empathize with a family whose son is MIA. Me & Jack is well paced and keeps readers focused and concerned about the characters and their development.-Patty Saidenberg, George Jackson Academy, New York City

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2011
Grades 3-6 Joshua Reed and his Vietnam-era military-recruiter dad relocate to Cheslock, in the mountains of Pennsylvania. Because its summer and Josh will be alone all day, Dad suggests getting a dog; Josh chooses a rare Pharaoh hound and names him Jack. The two bond quickly, but the dog soon becomes the town scapegoat after he instinctively kills a rabbit, leading people to assume he is also responsible for overturned garbage, a dead cat, and an attack on a horse. Joshua believes that the real culprit is a coyote, but he cant prove it. Haworth, the author of The Summer of Moonlight Secrets (2010), here mines her own experiences as the daughter of an air force recruiter. She addresses the Vietnam conflictespecially the difficulties faced by returning veteransand weaves issues of bullies, friendship, children using guns, and the loss of a loved one into this quiet story. Readers interested in learning more about the war will also appreciate Walter Dean Myers Patrol (2002) and Frances ORoark Dowells Shooting the Moon (2008).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2011
Joshua's dad is an Air Force recruiter during the Vietnam War. Father and son, and their dog, Jack, are greeted with suspicion in their new town, especially after one soldier comes home and another is killed. The story touches on bullying, violence, war, friendship, and trust. Though there are some plot contrivances, the complex characters are well defined.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)