Shiloh (Naylor novel) facts for kids
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First edition cover of Shiloh
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| Author | Phyllis Reynolds Naylor |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Atheneum |
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Publication date
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September 30, 1991 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 144 |
| ISBN | 0-689-31614-3 |
| OCLC | 21441925 |
| LC Class | PZ7.N24 Sg 1991 |
| Followed by | Shiloh Season Saving Shiloh A Shiloh Christmas |
Shiloh is an award-winning children's book written by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. It was first published in 1991. This book is the first in a series of four stories about a young boy named Marty and an abused dog named Shiloh. Naylor decided to write Shiloh after a tough experience in West Virginia, where she met a dog that had been mistreated.
The main character, Marty Preston, lives in the hills of Friendly, West Virginia. He finds an abused beagle dog that belongs to his mean neighbor, Judd Travers. Marty decides to go against the local custom of not getting involved in other people's business. He secretly takes the dog, names him Shiloh, and makes up many lies to keep his secret safe. When his secret is found out, Marty discovers Judd doing something illegal: shooting a deer out of hunting season. Marty uses this information to make a deal with Judd to buy Shiloh. Since Marty doesn't have the money, he works hard for Judd doing many chores.
Shiloh is mostly an adventure story about growing up. It shows the difficult feelings and growth of an 11-year-old boy. Some important ideas in the book are right and wrong, how our actions have results, and the special bond between animals and humans. Marty learns that deciding what is right can be tricky. He has to choose between two difficult options: saving the abused Shiloh by stealing and lying, or letting Judd continue to hurt the dog.
Reviewers generally gave the book good reviews. They were impressed by its suspense and the realistic way people talked in the story. Besides winning the Newbery Medal, Shiloh also received several state awards chosen by children. These include the Sequoyah Children's Book Award, the Mark Twain Readers Award, and the William Allen White Children's Book Award. In 1996, the book was made into a movie with the same name. The novel led to three more books: Shiloh Season, Saving Shiloh, and A Shiloh Christmas, published in 1996, 1997, and 2015. Shiloh is often read in many schools across the United States.
Contents
About the Author and Book's Creation
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor was born in 1933 in Anderson, Indiana. She grew up in Indiana and Illinois during the 1930s, a time known as the Great Depression when many people had little money. As a child, she didn't have many toys. Instead, books were a huge part of her early years, and she called it "the happiest part." Her parents read to her every night until she was 14, including Bible stories, The Wind in the Willows, and Mark Twain's novels. When she became a parent, she read to her own children in the mornings.
At 16, Naylor wrote a short story for a church magazine. In her early thirties, she published her first book. She has now published over 100 books! When she wrote Shiloh, her 65th novel, she was living in Bethesda, Maryland, with her husband, Rex. He was a speech pathologist, and they married in May 1960. She has two adult sons and four grandchildren.
Naylor writes books for children, teens, and adults. She usually takes several years to finish a book, writing bit by bit. She keeps about 10 notebooks near her workspace to jot down story ideas and character traits as they come to her. Shiloh was different because she finished the first draft in just eight weeks.
Jonathan Lanman edited Shiloh, and Atheneum Books published it on September 30, 1991. The novel has been translated into at least 10 languages, including Chinese, French, German, and Spanish.
Story Summary
The story takes place in the small town of Shiloh, West Virginia. An 11-year-old boy named Marty Preston finds a stray beagle dog wandering in the hills near his house. The dog follows him home. Marty names the dog Shiloh, after a nearby schoolhouse. The dog's real owner is Judd Travers, who owns several hunting dogs. Marty worries about the dog's safety because Judd drinks and treats his hunting dogs badly. Marty doesn't want to return Shiloh. However, his father insists that Shiloh must go back to his rightful owner, so they take the dog to Judd.
Shiloh soon returns to Marty, who then hides him from his family. Marty builds a wire pen in the woods and secretly brings food to the dog every evening. His mother eventually finds out Marty is feeding the dog. He convinces her not to tell his father. That night, a German Shepherd attacks Shiloh in his makeshift cage. This is how Marty's family discovers he has been lying and hiding the dog. After taking Shiloh to the town doctor, the family decides they must return the dog to Judd by Sunday.
Before returning Shiloh, Marty goes to Judd's house to try and convince him to let him keep the dog. Judd doesn't see Marty coming and shoots a deer out of hunting season. This is illegal and would mean a big fine that Judd can't afford. Marty lets Judd know he saw what happened and tries to make a deal to get Shiloh. Judd and Marty eventually agree that Marty can earn Shiloh for 40 dollars by working 20 hours for Judd.
At the end of the first week, Judd says he won't keep his part of the deal. He claims the evidence of the dead deer is gone, and the paper Marty made him sign isn't valid in West Virginia without a witness. Even though Judd complains about Marty's work, Marty keeps working for him. They start talking about dogs and Judd's father, who began hurting Judd when he was only four years old. In the end, Judd starts to like Marty, changes his mind, and lets Marty keep Shiloh.
Real-Life Connections
In a 1992 interview about Shiloh, Naylor explained how she writes: "Like a patchwork quilt, a novel is made up of things that have happened to me and things I have heard or read about, all mixed up with imaginings." Naylor often bases her characters on herself and her two sons.
She wrote Shiloh after a trip with her husband, Rex, to visit friends in West Virginia. Naylor and Rex were walking along a river when they saw a dog following them in the grass. The dog looked sad and scared. Naylor later said it was "the saddest, most mistreated-looking beagle I'd ever seen." The dog often trembled and crawled on her belly, making Naylor think she had been abused. Naylor whistled, and the dog ran to her, licking her face. The beagle followed them all the way to their friends' house and stayed under a tree during the rainy afternoon. Naylor cried on the way home that night.
Rex asked her if she would have a "nervous breakdown" or "do something about it." That "something" meant writing a book, which she did. She believed someone had abused the dog and started asking herself questions: "What if I knew who was abusing it? What if I knew who it belonged to? What if the dog kept running to me? Then, if you write for children, you think about what if I was 11 years old?"
Her friends lived near Shiloh, West Virginia, where Naylor found the abused dog in 1989. So, she decided to name the book's dog Shiloh. Because her friends' post office address was in Friendly, West Virginia, Naylor chose that town as the book's setting. Trudy and Frank Madden, Naylor's friends, adopted the abused dog she had seen. Trudy Madden said in a 1997 interview that Naylor's description of Shiloh, West Virginia, was very accurate. You could easily find the town's houses, mill, and schoolhouse by following the directions in Shiloh and its sequels.
Writing Style
Shiloh is told from the first-person point of view, meaning Marty Preston tells the story himself. The writing has a simple, country feel. Arlene Perly Rae of Toronto Star said the novel is written in the "uncomplicated style" that Naylor is known for. Jane Langton of The New York Times Book Review described the writing as "comfortable, down-home style." She noted that the main story, Marty's struggle with right and wrong, is "presented simply, in a way any third- or fourth-grade reader can understand."
Scholar Kathie Cerra praised the book for its "vivid sensory detail." This helps readers truly feel Marty's "inner life of thought and feeling." In Marty's lively narration, he shows how he feels when he lies to his parents and when he hugs the wiggling Shiloh.
Academic Leona W. Fisher pointed out that the novel uses a clever writing technique: the story is told mostly through Marty's thoughts, happening in the present moment. Marty's mind processes the rules of his community and the actions of adults, along with his own emotional pain and moral choices. Even though other characters speak, Marty is the only narrator, so his point of view is the main one.
Shiloh takes place over a short period, just a few weeks in the summer. This means the reader can focus completely on Marty's difficult moral decision. The mood of the novel is also mostly shown through Marty's thoughts and what's happening right now.
Scholars Alethea Helbig and Agnes Perkins wrote that the "Appalachian setting is well evoked," showing both its beauty and its rules of behavior that Marty must break to save the dog. Reviewer Ellen Mandel of Booklist said the "West Virginia dialect richly seasons the true-to-life dialogue."
Reviewer Cecilia Goodnow noted that Shiloh is a story about growing up and an adventure novel. Marty changes both physically and emotionally as he tries to save Shiloh. After facing a difficult adult, he grows mentally, concluding: "I saved Shiloh and opened my eyes some. Now that ain't bad for eleven."
Main Ideas
Animal–Human Connections
Author Timothy Morris noted that Shiloh has many similarities to the 1940 novel Lassie Come-Home. In both books, boys fall in love with dogs owned by others. The dogs keep returning to the children, while the fathers, who believe in doing what's right, try to convince their sons not to go against their morals by keeping the dogs.
Morris wrote that Shiloh's loyalty to Marty is shown in very human ways. In the quiet, country setting of West Virginia, Shiloh becomes the close friend Marty didn't have. The beagle acts like the brother Marty never had. Marty strongly believes that Shiloh and other animals are creatures with feelings. Shiloh understands Marty's emotions, and Marty sees the beagle as a trusted friend. On the other hand, some adults in rural West Virginia believe animals are only useful for what they can provide to humans, like hunting or money.
Scholar Claudia Mills wrote that Marty's parents believe that because Shiloh is Judd's property, they shouldn't worry about how Judd treats him. They tell Marty: "You've got to go by the law. The law says that a man that pays money for a dog owns that dog." Marty disagrees with this idea. He strongly believes that love, not money, should decide who owns an animal.
Doing What's Right
In Shiloh, Naylor doesn't give a simple definition of "honesty" to her young readers, as journalist Nancy Gilson observed. Instead, she shows how "confusing and unanswerable" doing what's right can be through Marty's difficult choices and plot twists. To hide Shiloh from Judd and his parents, who believe in strict rules, Marty has to steal food and tell lies. His dishonest actions are a contrast to his usual good character and his kind act of saving the dog. Every night, Marty prays, "Jesus ... which do you want me to do? Be one hundred percent honest and carry that dog back to Judd so that one of your creatures can be kicked and starved all over again, or keep him here and fatten him up to glorify your creation?"
According to Judith B. Rosenfeld, Naylor suggests that children from loving families make good choices and do well in the end. In a 1994 interview, Naylor said: "One of the good things about writing for children is that the child might be reading about the subject for the first time. In Shiloh, there's a moral problem with no clear right or wrong answer; the character finds a middle ground. It might be the child's first time to realize that there are not sure answers. It's sort of thrilling to have a child meet a problem like this for the first time." Naylor believes there's a lot of "gray area between right and wrong." Instead of following a clear correct path, Marty is forced to choose between two difficult options. Reviewer Matt Berman believed the book's main lesson is that "nothing is as simple as it seems."
Consequences of Actions
In her essay "The Structure of the Moral Dilemma in Shiloh," Claudia Mills wrote that Shiloh explores how the results of actions can go against following moral rules. Marty was taught from a young age to respect others and worship God. But he is confused by the unfairness of Shiloh being abused. He tries to justify his dishonest actions by thinking that "a lie don't seem a lie anymore when it's meant to save a dog."
People who believe in consequentialism judge if an action is good based on its outcome. Marty's act of saving Shiloh actually makes things worse for Shiloh's health at first. After Shiloh is hidden in the woods, a German shepherd attacks the beagle, causing him to be permanently injured. Marty sadly thinks: "Worst of all, I'd brought Shiloh here to keep him from being hurt, and what that German shepherd done to him was probably worse than anything Judd Travers would have brought himself to do, short of shootin' him, anyways."
Mills noted that thinking about consequences means looking at the results for everyone, not just one person or animal. When Marty sees Judd illegally shooting a deer, he uses this to make Judd sell Shiloh to him. However, this puts other deer in danger in the future if Judd thinks he can get away with hunting out of season. Marty sadly reflects: "By lettin' him get away with this, I'm putting other deer in danger. He kill this one out of season, he'll figure maybe he can kill some more. To save Shiloh, I'm making it harder for deer." In the end, he chooses his personal love for Shiloh over a bigger principle.
Faith and Morals
Reviewers noticed that faith plays an important role in Marty's moral choices. When Marty secretly takes a bite from his sister Dara Lynn's chocolate Easter rabbit and won't admit it, his mother is disappointed. She tells him: "Dara Lynn don't know who ate the ear off her candy rabbit and I don't know who did it, but Jesus knows. And right this minute Jesus is looking down with the saddest eyes on the person who ate that chocolate." Marty's very religious mother teaches him that people shouldn't sin, or they will be "separated forever from God's love."
Academic Claudia Mills wrote that Marty decides to save Shiloh in a scene that reminds readers of Huckleberry Finn's famous decision to save Jim from slavery: "All right, then, I'll go to hell." Thinking about the lies he has told to save Shiloh, he believes he is headed for hell. He thinks: "If what Grandma Preston told me once about heaven and hell is true, and liars go to hell, then I guess that's where I'm headed. But she also told me that only people are allowed in heaven, not animals. And if I was to go to heaven and look down to see Shiloh left below, head on his paws, I'd run away from heaven sure."
Near the end of the book, Judd refuses to keep his agreement with Marty because there was no witness. When Marty asks his mother what a witness is, she replies: "Somebody who knows the Lord Jesus and don't mind tellin' about it." Even though Judd won't honor the deal, Marty keeps his part of it. He decides: "I got no choice. All I can do is stick to my side of the deal and see what happens. All in the world I can do." After finally giving Shiloh to Marty, Judd asks: "What you going to do with that dog once he's yours?" Marty's simple answer is: "Love him." Scholar Claudia Mills noted that: "The problem is solved when Marty, in a way, becomes a witness, in his mother's religious sense of witness, for a belief in love, shown clearly in his love for Shiloh."
Awards and Recognition
In 1992, Shiloh received the John Newbery Medal. This annual award, given by the children's librarians' group of the American Library Association, honors "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children." Shiloh was a surprise winner for the award. Rudine Sims Bishop, a professor and member of the 1992 Newbery committee, said in an interview that Shiloh was a "sleeper" that became a serious contender during their discussions.
After the announcement on January 27, 1992, that Shiloh had won the Newbery Medal, Naylor was swamped with phone calls, interview requests, and mail. In an April 1992 interview, Naylor joked: "Frankly, to go the bathroom, I have had to take the phone off the hook." The book was also chosen as an American Library Association Notable Children's Book.
In January 1994, over 60,000 third to sixth graders in Oklahoma chose Shiloh from 23 nominees as the winner of the Sequoyah Children's Book Award. Naylor received the Sequoyah Award in April 1994 during the yearly Oklahoma Library Association conference. On April 14, 1994, Shiloh received that year's Mark Twain Readers Award at the annual conference of the Missouri Association of School Librarians. The Mark Twain Award is decided each year by a vote from fourth to eighth graders in Missouri. On October 29, 1994, Naylor received the William Allen White Children's Book Award for Shiloh. This award is decided by the votes of over 55,000 children in Kansas.
In 1997, The Virginian-Pilot newspaper chose Shiloh for a "community-wide effort to get people of all ages reading and talking about books." Starting in October, the newspaper published Shiloh in parts, printing two chapters every week until the end of November. It also created a book guide about Shiloh and printed 1,000 copies for parents and teachers. An online chat room was set up for children to ask questions and share comments about Shiloh. In 1999, Shiloh was chosen as a recommended novel for children ages nine to twelve in the Read Across America program. In 2000, the Shiloh series ranked number seven on the National Education Association's Children's Top 100 book list. Naylor was very happy that children had ranked her work so highly. Shiloh is taught in many American elementary school courses.
More Books in the Series
Shiloh has three more books in its series: Shiloh Season, Saving Shiloh, and A Shiloh Christmas. These were published in 1996, 1997, and 2015.
In Shiloh Season, Naylor brings back the conflict by making Judd hostile again and adding his drinking problems. Marty worries that Judd will take Shiloh back and break their deal. While Shiloh explores the confusing idea of right and wrong, Shiloh Season makes Marty face the idea of evil.
In the third book, Saving Shiloh, Marty's parents convince him that people who have done wrong deserve forgiveness. When several robberies and a murder happen, the community quickly blames Judd. Marty wants to give Judd a second chance and tries to help him. Meanwhile, Marty and his family must deal with life's challenges, like death, hostility, and sibling rivalry.
The fourth book, A Shiloh Christmas, was published on September 22, 2015, by Atheneum. A severe drought hits Marty's community, and a new pastor arrives, blaming people who have sinned for causing it. Looking for someone to blame, community members point fingers at people like Judd, who used to drink too much and abuse animals but has since changed. A fire destroys several houses, including Judd's, leading Marty and his family to help the homeowners rebuild. One day, Marty and a friend find Rachel, the pastor's daughter, locked in the pastor's toolshed. This event makes Marty's parents wonder if the punishment has gone too far and become abusive. The book ends with characters who have very different views sharing a peaceful Christmas meal together.
Naylor wrote the sequels because of "the surprising degree of hatred which children show toward Judd Travers." She noted that Judd's life had been shaped by the abuse he suffered as a child. She hoped the novels would help children see Judd as a person, like Marty, who also has to make difficult moral choices.
The first three books in the series were also made into movies: Shiloh in 1996, Shiloh Season in 1999, and Saving Shiloh in 2006.
Movie Versions
In 1996, Warner Bros. Pictures released Shiloh, directed by Dale Rosenbloom. This was the first of Naylor's many books for kids and adults to be made into a movie. Blake Heron played Marty, and Scott Wilson played Judd Travers. The movie cost less than $2 million to make and was filmed in 30 days in October 1996 in Topanga, California.
Rosenbloom's movie was different from Naylor's novel in a few important ways. In the book, Marty's family is poor, and there aren't many job opportunities. Their four-room house is old and hasn't been updated in decades. In the movie, the family is wealthy, and there are many ways to make money. Their two-story house is a "stunning showplace" with nice wood, colors, and decorations. Marty earns money very quickly by doing various chores. By making Marty's family rich instead of poor, Rosenbloom changed the conflict between Marty and Judd from being about money to being more about emotions. In the book, Marty and his family hunt animals, but in the movie, his father doesn't hunt. Author Timothy Morris says that the movie tries to make humans and animals seem very similar. Judd is changed from a local person in the book to an outsider in the movie. He has the opposite view, believing that humans and animals are different, and that "[a]nimals were put here for us. They ain' got no other purpose or feelin's."
Most of the book happens inside Marty's thoughts, like when he thinks about lying to his parents. Because major film studios thought the book was "very internal," director Dale Rosenbloom worked hard to make the movie more outward. Rosenbloom added new characters and scenes to the story and sent each change to the author. Naylor wasn't afraid of Rosenbloom's changes and even suggested some herself. After the movie came out, Naylor said that Rosenbloom "did a very good job." Rosenbloom said, "We did do right by the book and her ... She lives by her code and if you honor it, she appreciates it." By June 1997, Naylor had seen the movie six times. In an interview that month, she noted that she was always amazed by how quiet the theater became and how the movie captivated everyone, even the children.
Even though the movie didn't do great in theaters, it sold very well on video. Roger Ebert ranked Shiloh as one of his top 10 movies. He praised it for being a "remarkably mature and complex story about a boy who loves a dog and cannot bear to see it mistreated," showing "the real world with all of its terrors and responsibilities." Shiloh won "best film" at the Chicago International Film Festival.
Audio Version
The audiobook version of Shiloh was released by Bantam Books in 1992. Peter MacNicol performs the three-hour-long audiobook, which is the complete story. Author John Wynne praised MacNicol's reading, writing that he "does character voices well—both male and female—and creates a folksy atmosphere appropriate to the material."
