Me & Jack

by Danette Haworth

Joshua Reed is used to moving around since his dad became an Army recruiter and the Vietnam War broke out. But their newest home, in the mountains of Pennsylvania, feels special somehow. Josh has started to make a new friend, his dad has finally allowed him to get a dog, and Jack-with his strange glowing ears and the way he seems to understand Josh's feelings-is like no other dog Josh has ever seen. But in Vietnam-era America, conflict is never far away-even on the homefront. When a local boy is killed overseas, the town turns on the new army recruiter. And when a few late-night disturbances all point to Jack, it will be up to Josh to fight for his dog, his family, and his new home.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Childrens, Animals, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Dogs

241 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Amy Webster-Bo · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute dog, story ok, more for a kid, but had to do it for the middle grade challenge, so was an easy read,

[Charlotte Fairbanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was greatly written. I actually started crying when the dog got hurt, and only a brilliant writer can accomplish something as emotional as that! I recommend this for anyone!

[Natalee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this one on the bus during our middle school trip to Washington, DC last week and immediately handed it off to one of my 7th graders on the trip. Me and Jack is a wonderful story. It has humor, adventure, bullies, history, a lovable rare dog, true friendship... so much packed artfully into this middle grade novel. (Slight spoiler alert!) I have to admit, I was a bit nervous that it was going to be another one of those books where you're rooting for the dog and it dies. I was so relieved that Jack doesn't die. I think that is one of the biggest complaints of my dog lovers- books too frequently end with the death of the dog that you've come to love. This is a book that I will be recommending to many students.

Advance Reader Copy courtesy of the author.

[Maddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It kinda reminded me of Where the Red Fern Grows. . .

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book. Started it today, finished it today. Kept me turning the pages as swiftly as I could. Excellent characterization of both humans and the dog (Jack). This is a young adult book, but this "older" adult certainly loved it. I've now read three YA books by Haworth and have loved them all.

[nanu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written for kids but I will always eat up a book about a dog!

[Ericak · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Me & Jack" by Danette Haworth was a great book that was interesting from start to finish. As Joshua Reed's father and himself move throughout the states due to his father's job as an U.S. Army recruiter, they get a dog for Joshua to have as companionship. They move to the mountains of Pennsylvania during the Vietnam War. Due to being the new kid, Joshua struggles to fit in with the community. Once Joshua finds a friend, Ray, his cousin Alan does not plan on letting that happen. After a few incidents happen in the area, most of the community blames the Reeds. They attack the family and almost force them to move, but Joshua and Jack falsely accused again and again. The only part of the storyline that confused me is when the whole community blamed them and even made Joshua do work to make up for it. The other residents had no evidence that the Reeds were the one to blame, but Joshua continued to make up for all the incidents. I really enjoyed that the whole plot was not overwhelmingly full of romance and drama. I would recommend this book to anybody, but especially to those who need a consistent interesting storyline to enjoy a book.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

MG can be a hard genre in which to find good historical fiction book. There are many wonderful action/adventures, sci-fi based books. Be prepared to get your hands on this book! Me & Jack is set in Vietnam era US. The story opens with our MC, a young boy, moving to a new town in PA with his widowed father, an Air Force recruiter. Having lost his mom, his friends at the last base, Jack enters the picture. A boy and his dog is certainly a classic story set-up BUT the chosen era and Danette's lovely writing make this book well worth its reading time & money!!!






Please note: a copy of this book was recd as a first-reads win

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Danette Haworth's ME AND JACK is a wonderful, classic boy-and-his-dog story in some ways, but it goes far beyond that, too. Set during the Vietnam War, it takes a look at attitudes and biases from a handful of angles, most notably through the main character's father's position as a wartime recruiter new in town. Full of enough humor and adventure to appeal to reluctant readers, this is also a great look at the home front during the Vietnam years. Pair it with Cynthia Kadohata's CRACKER: THE BEST DOG IN VIETNAM for a really fascinating discussion about the war and the role the two dogs played in their owners' lives during a tough time.

[Annika Klein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me & Jack is a charming coming-of-age story about a boy, his dog, his father, and friendship during the Vietnam war. I couldn't put it down and I cried at the end. I've read all three of Danette's books, and they're all so different from one another. I couldn't choose a favorite between Me & Jack and Violet Raines, but I did give both to my husband immediately after I finished them, and I only give him books I really love.

[Jerilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dannette Haworth has done it once again. Not only has she written, successfully I might add, violet raines and the Summer of Moonlight Secrets and has now written Me and Jack. From her talented descriptions to her witty humor, there is nothing that she can change. I loved this book all the way, but mostly Danette. Me and Jack is a great book for really anybody, and I can't wait to read the next.

[Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was fortunate enough to get my hands on an advanced review copy. Loved the book for it's ability to entertain while also educate and shed light on a time and mindset that few kids today have though about. Given the fist person POV the author did an outstanding job of presenting the dilemma from several different angles. I immediately handed the book to my boys and they are now happily reading it.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The primary plot is classic "boy and his dog" which is nicely done but there are also some richer, more complex themes woven in and the result is an engaging middle grade novel with a good bit of depth. The climax was quite suspenseful.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a great book the write wrote from several point of views i enjoy reading it i got this book as a giveaway on goodreads.com and now my children are reading it so far there loving it

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great boy/dog story set during the Vietnam era, with realistic emotions, not at all sappy.

[Jacob Vanden Avond · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first saw the book I thought it wouldn't be that good. I started reading it and I couldn't stop reading it, that's how good this book is! I think this book would be great for anyone.

[Angie Fehl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joshua Reed is a military kid. His dad, Rich Reed, works as an Air Force recruiter during the Vietnam War, requiring the two to frequently move around the country (Joshua's mother is deceased). Their most recent move has them settling in to a small town in the mountains of Pennsylvania. While Rich does have a hired cook / housekeeper to help around the house while he's away, he's still concerned with his son being left alone too much, so he suggests to Josh that maybe they adopt a dog for protection as well as companionship.

Father and son take a tour of the local shelter, Rich being instantly drawn to a nice German Shepherd. Joshua's eyes, however, lock onto a unique looking dog with golden (almost to the point of glowing), slick fur. Feeling an immediate bond with this one, Joshua takes him home and names him Jack. Good thing too, since they come to find out they adopted "Jack" the day before he was scheduled to be euthanized!

Joshua's first attempt at building new friendships in this town is with the neighboring family, The Praters. Ray Prater is around Josh's age and they hit it off easily, but Josh quickly comes to find out that Alan, Ray's cousin, happens to be one of the biggest bullies in school.... and he has a crippling fear of dogs (revealed by Alan's adorable little sister, CeeCee).

Because it is a time of war, and an unpopular one at that, Rich, as a recruiter, feels extra pressure to appear likeable to his neighbors. He wants to avoid stirring up any unnecessary tension or disputes whenever possible and encourages son Josh to do the same. Josh tries his best for the most part, even going to extra efforts to try to befriend Alan. While Josh tries to build a good friendship with Ray, he feels obligated to extend all invites he gives Ray to Alan as well. Ray likewise feels obligated to cut Alan some slack from time to time because they are cousins, but he's absolutely fully aware of Alan's abrasive personality.

Though Josh really works at showing kindness to Alan, at least in the beginning of their acquaintance, it gets progressively more difficult, what with Alan taking everything Josh says or does as a potential challenge or argument. Tensions between them come to a head on the matter of Jack. When some mystery animal starts causing havoc to the personal property of several residents around town, Alan (*remember his dog phobia) takes the opportunity to place blame on Jack. Wanting answers and justice, Josh's neighbors are quick to jump on the hate-on-Jack bandwagon. Feeling the pressure to fit into his community, Rich warns Josh multiple times that "one more incident" and Jack is getting re-homed. But Josh suspects the real culprit is a coyote yet to be spotted. If he can catch the problematic critter on camera, hopefully all can be set to right once again.

It's a mostly cute story about a boy and his dog, with some dramatic moments thrown in to keep the reader hooked. Will Jack get to stay with Joshua? Will Alan ever be able to mellow out his aggressive nature? The characterizations are really well done, the dialogue flows nice and natural, and there's just a touch of historical fiction element to the plot, with everything taking place during the Vietnam War era. Honestly, through most of the story I forgot about the time period, except for moments when Rich has some important talks about the short fuses of many during that time and how we're all just trying to figure it out the best we can, etc. As literary fathers go, Rich was a good, solid, respectable man just doing his best to take care of his son and instill good values in him during a tough time. There's also a nice humor to Joshua, and an impressively strong character, when you consider all he's had to shoulder at a young age!

[Jubilee Decollibus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the book " me and jack " by danette harworth . I like it by the connection of Joshua reed and his best friend jack but the thing is , it is very interesting question . In real life , your best friend connection , is either between a boy or girl , but it usually only involves two people . But the thing is , you have a bond and and connection and you guys are always together . If you realize in the book , Joshua reed and jack are best friends , which is a goof thing , but the thing about their relationship is that it is between a boy and an animal , which shows how animals can maybe do the same thing as us humans can do for our best friends . I think you should read this book so you can see the adventures that these two best friends , Joshua reed , and jack take .

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nicely written and would be appropriate for grades 3 to 5 in my opinion. As a shared it read it could nicely lead to important conversations about relationships between family members; schoolmates and neighbors.

[ETHAN Sparks savage town · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book ever! really good book i would recommend to anyone at any age

[Amellia Hershey · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was very emotional. I had tears in my eyes by the end of the book. I love how the book describes his life and Jack's life also.

[Snapdragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

.More reviews like this one on my blog Snapdragon Alcove

A classic boy and his dog story set during the Vietnam War. The characters are well devolved and the tension Joshua moving and having to make a new friend. Can see the frustration Joshua's dad is going through for being a Air Force recruiter in a unpopular war.

What I didn't like is when Joshua herd the coyote the story doesn't indicate that anyone else herd it. Like sound doesn't echo off the mountains. When I was staying with some relatives in upstate New York. I was camping outside on the mountain and coyotes were howling down in the valley in the middle of the night waking up everyone that was camping outside.

I did say this is a classic boy and his dog however, it takes a different turn. The dog does not die at the end. I'm so glad that didn't happen. I can't stand those types of stories.

Points:

Characters: 5/5

Writing: 4/5

Plot: 5/5

Total: 14/20 = 4 *stars*

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joshua Reed's father is an army recruiter, so he is used to moving around and making new friends. After a move to the mountains of Pennsylvania, his father surprised him with a visit to the pound where he picks out an unusual dog, who he names Jack.

As Joshua tries to make friends in his new town, a neighborhood boy immediately takes a strong disliking to his new dog. When garbage can start getting knocked over and chickens are killed, fingers start pointing at Jack...

A fairly good 'boy and his dog' story set in the Vietnam era.

I was really glad this didn't turn out to be one of those stories that end up with life lessons via dead dog.

I probably would have loved this book when I was in middle school.

One (probably minor) sticking point with me, I don't see it as likely that a lone coyote would attack healthy horse. Eating house pets, getting in garbage, sure. But a horse?

[Kathie Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Vietnam war is on and Joshua and his father, an Air Force recruiter, just moved again, this time to the mountains of Pennsylvania. Josh's mom died a few years back and he's having a hard time trying to make new friends once more. Things start looking up when Joshua's dad gets Jack, an odd-looking but wonderful dog, whose distinctive looks get Joshua noticed by some kids in the neighborhood. Then all of the sudden bad things start happening - property damage and pets turning up dead - which have the neighbors blaming this new, strange dog. This fast-paced book draws parallels between Joshua and his recruiter father, both facing hostility and being treated as outsiders, yet fighting with dignity against the assumptions people make about them. This is a wonderful high-interest, easy reading book which I'd highly recommend for both genders but it will especially appeal to your reluctant boy readers.

[Linda George · Rating 4 out of 5]

A boy and his dog-a theme that is very popular again this year. Add the many emotions about returning soldiers from the Vietnam War and you have an historical novel that kids will enjoy and learn from. I know for me, someone who moved often and who lived through the madness and sadness of the returning soldiers, the feelings in this book resonated with me.

Other issues that that are handled well are bullies and guns.
This book has a lot to offer. I think it went on a bit too long but still, I enjoyed it and would like to have kids have a discussion around these topics.

Kids should enjoy this book.

[Joscelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book it is full of adventure. Joshua reeds which is one of the main characters just moved to Pennsylvania which is pretty cool cause his father is in the air force so he moves a lot. he meets a dog named jack and Joshua feels that jack is special because of his glowing ears which I think is amazing. Joshua finds out that the glowing ears are able to understand Joshua's feelings which I think is really sweet. this book is about the relationship that one boy loves unconditional between him and his dog. I really enjoyed this book because it was a fast read. I hope you enjoy this book too like I did.

[Gage Reiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE BOOK "ME AND JACK" SETTING IS IN THE MOUNTAINS OF PENNSYLVANIA WHERE THE MAIN CHARCTER JOSHUA REED IS MOVING THERE BECAUSE HIS DADS A RECRUTIER OF THE US AIR FORCE WHEN THE VIETAM WAR BROKE OUT. WHILE JOSH IS UP IN THE WOODS ALONE WHEN HIS DAD ISN'T THERE JOSHUA'S DAD WANTS HIM TO BE SAFE. HE IS GONNA BE SAFE BY GETTING JOSH A DOG TO PROTECT HIM. THE DOG THAT JOSHUA'S DAD WANTS IS A GERMAN SHEPARD, WHILE JOSH WANTS THE DOG IS UNKNOWN OF ITS SPECIES. JOSH FINDS OUT LATER IN THE BOOK THAT JACK IS A FAMOUS PERSONS OLD DOG. THE BOOK DOSENT TURN OUT TO BE FOR OLDER PEOPLE.

[Cheriee Weichel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I liked it more than a bit.

"What transforms this novel into more than a great story about a dog, a boy, and friendship, is the backdrop of the war and the role it plays in how the characters interact with each other.

It is well written with an engaging plot. The characters themselves are rich and multidimensional. I cared for all of them, including Prater."

You can read the rest of my blog post here.
http://dickenslibrary.blogspot.ca/201...

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

good historical fiction read. It is shorter in length so it might to appeal to boys. It is set at the time of the Vietnam War (so that might to appeal to the boys as well). The boy has lost his mother and is living with his military recruiter Dad during the Vietnam war. It deals with how the war was perceived at that time. The boy develops a bond with an Egyptian breed dog and he has to endure the prejudices against the dog.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a much better story then I expected! It takes place during the Vietnam War era, which most kids would not be familiar wit, so they'd need some background about how soldiers were mistreated upon return to the states.

This story lends itself to themes about bullying, friendship and war veterans.

I liked it a lot.