by Jean Little
First published 2000
Marty Preston loves exploring the hills around Friendly, West Virginia. The eleven year old knows every trail and hollow near his home. One day he spots a young beagle wandering past the abandoned Shiloh schoolhouse. The dog seems scared and underfed. Marty recognizes the animal belongs to a local man who treats his dogs badly. When the beagle follows Marty home, his parents insist he return the animal to its rightful owner. Marty obeys but feels sick watching the dog cower as he hands it over. The beagle escapes again and finds its way back to Marty's yard. This time Marty makes a different choice. He hides the dog he calls Shiloh in a makeshift pen in the woods. Now Marty must keep his secret while figuring out how to protect an animal that isn't legally his.
Genres: fiction, animals, contemporary
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, underdog
Setting: Friendly, West Virginia
Period: 20th-century
137 pages · Paperback · Perfection Learning