Shiloh Essay, Research Paper

SHILOH

Wow, this is a fantastic book. Shiloh was well-written by Phyllis Reynols Naylor. This

book good for any age, go to your library and get Shiloh.

This book takes place up in the hills of Friendly, West Virginia. The two main

characters are Shiloh a mistreated hunting beagle with ticks and fleas and a caring, loving

boy named Marty, and eleven-year-old from a very poor West Virginia family.

Marty’s mom is a homemaker and Marty’s dad is a mail carrier. He has two sisters

Becky, who is three and Dara Lynn who is seven.

It all started when Marty went up in the hills for a walk, and to shoot his gun for some

target practice. He sees a young beagle dog. The dog cringes and sinks to the ground

when Marty calls it. He can tell the dog has been abused. His ribs are sticking out.

The dog follows him but doesn t get to close, not quit trusting Marty. He follows Marty

most of the afternoon keeping a safe distance from him, Until Marty whistles, the dog

comes running up to him then and they become friends. He decides to take him home,

even though he knows the dog has on a old collar and belongs to someone.

When his Dad gets home and sees the dog he ask the boy were he found him. Marty

tells him by Shiloh school house. This is how Shiloh got his name.

He only gets to keep the dog a little while before his Dad makes him take him back to

Judd Travers, his owner who has a bad temper, and mistreated and abused dogs that

belong to him. He is mean to Shiloh and will not feed him but makes him watch the other

dogs eat. Shiloh runs away form Travers, when he takes his dogs hunting and returns to

Marty. Marty decides to hide the dog from Travers. He builds a pen in the woods where

he thinks Shiloh will be safe and sneaks food for him from home.

Unfortunately he does not build it high enough and a German shepard dog jumps in the

pen and attacks the beagle. Marty has no choice but to tell his parents and take the dog to

the vet or it will die.

Judd Travers is told by someone that sees the dog lying on the vets porch, that Shiloh is

there. He then goes to claim his property.

Marty talks Travers into letting him work of the cost of the dog Travers agrees. He

makes Marty into his slave. He has to work very hard to pay of the dog. He learns from

talking to Travers reasons from his past that he acts the way he does.

Finally Marty gets to keep the dog Shiloh and bring him to a safe and happy home.