Banjo is definitely a book to tug at the heartstrings of the reader.
Danny is in the seventh grade. He rides in the rodeo with his Dad and together they rope calves. Danny, his dad, and older brother, Tyrell, live on a working Oregon ranch, farming cattle (it seems, that was kind of unclear) while their neighbor, Mr. Brodie and his sons, Ben and Billy, run sheep.
One night, Danny and Tyrell wake to the sound of rifle fire and run outside - and their dog, Danny's dog, Banjo, is missing. Danny and his friend Ricky find Banjo the next day, wounded - and Mr. Brodie drives up to let Danny know Banjo's been harassing his sheep and needs to be put down. Danny insists Banjo would never chase sheep but no one listens, not his Dad, not the county sheriff. So Danny and Tyrell try to find a new home for him but no one in ranching country is willing to take a dog who chases livestock.
Meanwhile, a county over, Meg is showing her ability to work horses by hosting a demo wherein "anyone can bring a horse and she'll saddle it". A man brings in a spooky horse who hasn't been ridden in three years and Meg is able to get him saddled and ride him around the ring. At home, she's working with an abused BLM Mustang she bought* and her family knows she'll rescue just about anything.
When Meg's out riding her horse, Molly Montana (not the Mustang), she heard gunfire. It's too late in the day to search then but she and Molly go back the next day to find a border collie with a wound on its flank. Rescuing the dog, she and her family work to find the owner - only to discover Danny and his family.
To keep from shooting Banjo, Danny and Tyrell drive him to the forest and dump him, scaring him off with rifle fire. Danny's sick over it, realizing maybe he could've given Banjo to the Humane Society or something else rather than scare his dog away but what's done is done. Everyone believes he's shot Banjo and the lies compound, with only Danny's friend Ricky, his brother, Tyrell, and a few other friends knowing the truth.
This all comes to a head at a rodeo where Meg and her family have gone, hearing Danny will be riding, so Meg can confront Danny over Banjo.
While this was a book younger me would've enjoyed there would've been a few things I'd have liked to have, even then - Danny's supposedly famous but there's no mention of his rodeo skills until about halfway through the book, or maybe the last third, just that he team ropes with his Dad. He's more worried about making a good showing for his Dad, who I thought was the rodeo star. There's a mention of ribbons and Danny hoping to get a rodeo scholarship but again, those are later in the book.
I also would've loved some more description as it would've made the book that much more rich. Still, it's a good book and very enjoyable, even though the ending is a bit sad, it was ultimately a hopeful rather than a happy ending.