Cracker!: The Best Dog in Vietnam

by Cynthia Kadohata

CRACKER IS ONE OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY'S MOST VALUABLE a German shepherd trained to sniff out bombs, traps, and the enemy. The fate of entire platoons rests on her keen sense of smell. She's a Big Deal, and she likes it that way. Sometimes Cracker remembers when she was younger, and her previous owner would feed her hot dogs and let her sleep in his bed. That was nice, too. Rick Hanski is headed to Vietnam. There, he's going to whip the world and prove to his family and his sergeant -- and everyone else who didn't think he was cut out for war -- wrong. But sometimes Rick can't help but wonder that maybe everyone else is right. Maybe he should have just stayed at home and worked in his dad's hardware store. When Cracker is paired with Rick, she isn't so sure about this new owner. He's going to have to prove himself to her before she's going to prove herself to him. They need to be friends before they can be a team, and they have to be a team if they want to get home alive. Told in part through the uncanny point of view of a German shepherd, Cracker! is an action-packed glimpse into the Vietnam War as seen through the eyes of a dog and her handler. It's an utterly unique powerhouse of a book by the Newbery Medal-winning author of Kira-Kira.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Animals, Young Adult, Dogs, War, Fiction, Historical

330 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Cynthia Kadohata is a Japanese American writer known for her insightful coming-of-age stories about Asian American women. Her first published short story appeared in The New Yorker in 1986. As she spent her early childhood in the American South, the author set both her first adult novel and her first novel for children in Southern states. The former became a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, and the latter--her first children's book, entitled Kira-Kira--won the 2005 Newbery Medal.

Reviews

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cracker! has a value all its own. I read this book in 2 days but only because I had to sleep and I fell asleep thinking about it. I was that enthralled. I adore Cracker, and Rick is a great owner. I can relate to Rick's frustration in the beginning of the book with both Cracker and himself.

I like that you get the perspective of Cracker, Cracker's previous owner Willie, and Rick; it makes the book more interesting. Rick and Cracker don't just make a team, but a relationship. They have a bond that grows with each trial they go though.

I also thought that the demonstration of war was well presented. It doesn't focus on how gruesome it is all the time but it does show you the seriousness of war. War isn't a game and you get that. That is why the dog handlers become so attached to their dogs, because their dogs will be there though the thick and thin of it. I truly felt for the dog handles and their dogs.

The ending was absolutely satisfying. A book I could read 30 years later and still enjoy. A definite most read.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This took me way too long to read! (And it was on my shelf for forever XP) Long story short, I unfortunately don't know tons about the Vietnam war so besides just being a book to read, I did learn a little about why America was part of it and what was sort of going on.
And Cracker. CRACKER!
When I started this out, Cracker was just a regular family dog "chasing" dead birds in an alley with her boy and I was like...uh oh, this sounds like it might be a bit cheesy if it's just about a family pet. (Someone forgot to read the whole description before I started it, I guess) The story picked up quickly and before I knew it, Cracker was getting ready to find her partner for in the war.
Rick and Cracker are honestly so adorable together. Rick is adorable on his own but the two of them I just can't 😍 Their teamwork is epic, and so is their friendships and complete dedication towards each other. The other guys and their dogs are pretty cool, too.
I loved everything about this book even with all the sad stuff going on.

Shout out to U-Haul XD (probably spelling his name wrong since I listened to it)

Content:
Language: Hel*, dam*
Sexy Stuff/Romance: some of the guys miss their girls back home. No kissing or anything.
Violence: war violence including things blowing up, injuries that are somewhat descriptive, and lots of shooting.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like a 3.5 stars. Cracker is used to the pampered life as a family dog, but that's about to change. Her owner is a young boy named Willie, but he has to give her up. So he sends her off to become a trained military scout dog in the Vietnam war. There, she is paired up with Rick Hanski. Rick wants to whip the world and prove to everybody that he is capable of serving in the army. While undergoing training, they slowly begin to trust each other - because if they don't then it could cost both of them their lives.

I have a strong feeling that if I was more into animals or had had a pet prior to reading this I might have liked the book more. Well-written but not extraordinary, so no extra points there. I liked watching the bond between Cracker and Rick develop, but it wasn't enough to sustain my attention throughout the novel. I wish Kadohata had added more conflict to the book before the last few chapters. Recommended for people that like dogs, or have an interest in them.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't sure how this book would be received. It's a bit more graphic and violent than other books we've read before. But they hung on every word and as soon as we finished the book, literally, the 2 youngest asked me to read it again. Starting right then.

While this book talks a great deal about Vietnam, you need an additional source to really understand the war, especially why we entered and why we left and what that meant long-term. This is more a personal story and talks about stuff that happened in-field. There are some bloody battle wounds/deaths, some swearing and smoking. Some good friends (and dogs) were killed or injured in action which was hard for the kids. It was tense towards the end when you didn't know if Cracker would make it back to Rick or if she'd even live or not. But even with all that, they wanted to keep reading.

The author isn't overly political, but there were times I felt I needed to stop and talk about people's attitudes and perceptions. We had to talk a lot about what can happen to a person during a war (post-traumatic stress), how people can crack, become depressed, make super bad choices or do something amazingly heroic.

Overall a good book, but not a stand alone. I would definitely pre-read for anyone younger than 15 to make sure you're okay with it for YOUR kids. And if a pre-teen/teenager is reading it solo I'd recommend you take the time to talk with them about it.

[Hayden Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

super cute. totally teary-eyed at the end.

[Pineapple Pie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing! Let me tell you. If your are interested in a good read then this book is for you. It entitles anything you would like to know about a war dog. Named Cracker. This dog was trained by military professionals to become the best dog in Vietnam. During the read of this amazing and cool book you will learn how all the other dogs that Cracker must compare herself to are also in competition for the top prize. This prize is what every owner wants as a Vietnam war owner. The dogs must be able to train to their top abilities if they want to be able to withstand the events happening during combat. This book is well priced in accordance to some of the other books in its category. Thanks for reading this review and I am very glad that took the time to appreciate this book.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Sally Kruger, aka "Readinngjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

This book tells the story of a Vietnam hero. It's not your usual run-of-the-mill war story because it's told from two points of view. A young soldier named Rick Hanski and a German shepherd he trained for the military share the spotlight as they recount their adventures from training camp to active duty in the jungles of Vietnam.

Cracker and Rick are paired together in training to sniff out bombs, booby-traps, and enemy soldiers. Neither one is too sure of the other at first, but they eventually become inseparable friends and soldiers. Rick's goal is to prove his worth and "whip the world," and Cracker is by his side throughout the experience.

Cynthia Kadohata gives the reader detailed descriptions of the dog training process, as well as a view of the dog handler/animal relationship. The scenes set in Vietnam provide a close-encounter type look that makes the reader feel part of the action.

Cracker is a book for anyone with a love and respect for the intelligence of animals and an interest in how they can interact with and serve humanity.

[Maci Fischler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was an outstanding book. It teaches you something about the handlers and dogs in the Vietnam war. I think if you like books about the wars or books about dogs this is a book for you. I was emotional at sometimes but other than that I would recommend this book.

[Natalie P · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really good! There is a lot of action and sadness. My favorite part is when Cracker and Rick see each other again. I definitely recommend this book!

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only reason I give it four stars is because the author used a few bad words. I realize this is a military book but I honestly could have gone without it. Over all it was a great book with a great story!

[Mr.me]

Cracker the best dog in vietnam is a book about a dog that is taken from her home in chicago to be trained as a military dog that has a hard time adjusting to the life swap. when she recived a new trainer Rick he would stay with her for the rest of the story...mostly. At first they go through training and meet some new people. When they get to nam they don't see alot of action but later in the story they go on a misson with the special forces wich dos't contibute to the stoy much. the next misson they go on seperates them. the squad they are in goes to inspect a hamlet(small village) and caomes under enemy fire from viet-cong rick gets wounded and cracker runs off into the woods. rick is put on a medivc and taked out of the hot zone without cracker. at the medical hooch(baracks) he has been seperated from cracker for two weeks and his injuries get him back to the U.S. and rick can't sleep at night worring about his dog. in the meanwhile craker is fighting her way throgh jungle and people to find rick. apon her travles she comes across the special forces base. after three days of rehabilitation she is healthy enogh to escape euthanasion and return to the states. where she is retured to rick and her previous owner before him ,but she goes home with rick and thats how my review and the book ends.

[Hunter Kimball · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good book. It wasn't my favorite book i ever read but i still was enough to make me want to read the whole thing. It's just a happy and sad book all in one about Willie the first owner of the dog having to live without Cracker because his parents are sending Cracker to Vietnam. Then the new owner rick not knowing how to train dogs makes Cracker the best dog and most known. This book is overall one of my favorites in my opinion and the end of the book is the best. I recommend this book to anyone that might like dogs and war, but not to people that don't like a little bit of killing and dogs dying.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cracker! was an incredible book that took me by surprise. I was not expecting the emotional connection to the dog or the humans within this book. It was a well written book that showed the truth of war as well as the connection between a dog and its owner. I would highly recommend Cracker! to anyone as it is more than just a story about a dog.

[Alexandra Juarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cracker! by Cynthia Kadohata is about a dog who sniffs bombs of the enemy. She has saved so many lives but some times she thinks about her previous owner. She had a good life before her bomb sniffing days. This is a great book. Which I recommend.

[Rachel Polacek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dragged my way through the beginning of this book, but then I couldn’t stop reading the last 50 pages or so. I am not even a dog person, but I was incredibly moved by this story of Rick and Cracker in Vietnam.

[Kaedyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is about a dog that gets sent to vietnam she ends up being the best!this is such a great book.

[Shravan sreenivasan]

This book is one of a kind, because it shows how much loylaty a dog has

[Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cracker, is a historical fiction book by Cynthia Kadohata that explores the life of a Vietnam soldier named Rick and the dog by his side, Cracker. The book starts off with Cracker, a german shepherd, who was living in an apartment with his original owner Willie. Willie and Cracker developed a bond beyond compare, but soon the army was looking for german shepherds and other dogs to join and fight with them in the army. So soon Cracker was sent off to the army ,she was scared and frightened and couldn’t be paired with anyone until she met Rick. Rick struggled with Cracker at the start and almost quit on her but as they did more training together and started to work as a team they sparked and then Cracker started to think of Rick as his new Willie and that he was a great man who would always be there for him. And Rick felt the same with Cracker. The rest of the book follows the two as they go into combat and how Cracker proves to be one of the best dogs in the army and how Cracker and Rick turn into a key team in the Vietnam War. This a great read for people who love historical fiction and especially the Vietnam War as it really ventures into the life of the Vietnam soldiers and their dogs. It really gives you a great idea of what it was like for those soldiers and how much they depended on their dogs. It shows what deep connections that the dogs and the soldiers had and how that was what kept them alive in the field. “He’s the best dog in Vietnam,” Rick said. He said that so many time throughout the book showing the connection the had and that they would do anything for each other because where they were it was life or death. There are some points in the book that get a little slow and can sometimes bore the reader making it seem less intriguing and unrealistic but other than that it is a great book with a great plot that really shows you what it was like to be fighting in Vietnam with a dog at your side. The book gives both Rick and Cracker perspective which shows both sides of the story. The book takes you on a journey through the life of leaving your family to fight for your country but also risk death. It brings a new perspective of how the may have dogs felt in these times and how hard it was to not know why you had to leave your family. The book is very very good that shows the lives of the Vietnam soldiers and their dogs. The hardships, the exhaust, the pain and everything else they went through is brought to life for the reader to show the struggle yet incredible story of the Vietnam war.

[Abigail T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata published in 2007, a realiction fiction novel that takes place during the Vietnam War around 1955-1957 when a dog named Cracker had to leave its loving home and owner named Willie. Cracker was quickly taken care of by a guy who would be taking her to be in the war. She then meets Rick who would be her dog handler; they would have to work with each other. They grew a close bond and took on big tasks. They almost lost each other in war and was hard for them to think straight without each other. Cracker needed to find her way back and Rick needed to focus on resting and healing after being shot.
I recommend this for readers twelve and up due to the war setting and the graphic details of war. The ending is very satisfying knowing Rick gets to keep Cracker and also knowing Willie and Cracker met again, however I did not like the way Cracker reacted.
In my opinion, this book was full of action with multiple plots ;it kept me hooked. This book was great in my opinion.

[Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book by Cynthia Kadohata tells the story of Cracker, a very special German shepherd, and Rick Hanski, a soldier in Vietnam. Rick is trained to become a handler, in which he will be given a dog to seek out traps set up by the enemy. Rick is assigned to Cracker, who is at first rebellious and hard to control. Cracker is a very smart dog, but she is also very energetic and does not like to be controlled. Rick has a hard time getting along with her, but soon they develop an unbreakable bond. Rick soon becomes top of his class and is sent out on some large missions with Cracker. This is a story of a friendship between human and dog, and there are many adventures and surprises on every page.

[Sarah Schott · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book deserves ALL the stars. At first, I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it because of the lower reading level than what I’m used to. Wow, am I glad I kept reading! The language the author uses makes you feel like you’re Rick or Cracker the whole time. I was transported to Vietnam through this book.

I don’t remember the last time I cried so much over a book. SO emotional! Totally worth the read!!!

[Lisa Goldman · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids read this book as a Reading Olympic book and recommended it. It was a great hysterical fiction book and good discussion. I found it entertaining, well-written, and a quick read. I could sympathize with the character and dog.

[Anna Kemp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t read this book for probably 10 years, but it was recommended to me by a renowned reader-Rylee Fredrickson. One of the best books I’ve ever read.

[Gerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I listened to this audio book and at times it was hard. The Vietnam War is a hard story. This is the first time i ever really heard about the service dogs and what they did. And their handlers. The story is touching and a work of fiction.

[Victor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a dog who needs to go on a journey to Vietnam Saigon and fight for her country.
I really like this book because it teaches me by not giving up you would succeed and get what you want. In the past, people need to give their dog to the military to be in the war and most of the dog never given back to them. This book is very emotional and I nearly cried in the 3 last subject it is so sad.
This book is very fun to read and also very emotional.

[Leilani Cordova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cracker by Cynthia Kadohata is a great book. It is about this dog named Cracker and her owner Rick. Crackers previous owner Willie had to give her away, so they gave her to the army. Cracker is paired up with a man named Rick, she had no clue why her previous owner Willie gave her away. First, they had to become friends before they could be a team and then try to survive in Vietnam, for all of these things to be possible there are a series of challenges. This is definitely a book to spend your time on.

[leo · Rating 5 out of 5]

childhood favorite

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good dog. Great book! Cracker! is an exciting story that will appeal to canine lovers of all ages. It’s also a good humane ed reading list choice for middle school-aged boys, who are so often reluctant readers.

Cracker the German shepherd must leaver her stateside family—and her beloved boy Willie--when the military puts out a call for trainable service dogs. Over the course of the book Cracker goes from a heartbroken and confused pup to a tough military scout dog, fiercely devoted to her handler, Rick.

The bond between Rick and Cracker is touching, and I appreciated that the author reinforced that even the toughest guys can love, and be gentle with, their animals. Through the characters’ words and actions, the author was also critical of the military’s cold approach to its service dogs during the Vietnam era.

One character states:

“They changed the policy with this war. The military considers dogs equipment, and equipment is expendable.”

Another exchange between characters goes thusly:

“They’re sending a few of the dogs home if they pass the health exams, but they’re either giving the rest to the South Vietnamese Army or putting them down.”
“The army’s putting down its own dogs?”
“Yeah, it’s the Vietnamization, man. They’re leaving behind or destroying unnecessary equipment.”

I think one would have an even more difficult time taking the view that animals are merely expendable, inconsequential “equipment” after reading about the Vietnam War dogs’ sad true history. Kadohata writes in an Author’s Note at the conclusion:

During the Vietnam War, dogs were considered military equipment; at the war’s end they were considered surplus military equipment. Although precise records were not kept, most historians agree that at least 4,000 dogs served during the war, and are credited with saving some 10,000 human lives. About 1,000 dogs died in the country from combat, jungle diseases, or other reasons. At war’s end, only approximately 200 dogs were reassigned to other US military bases. The remaining dogs were either euthanized or given to the South Vietnamese Army. The fate of those dogs remains unknown.

After the Vietnam War, military policy was changed to allow war dogs to come home. Today the policy is known as No Military Working Dog Left behind.

[Cornerofmadness · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book via the mystery date from the library where you get a wrapped book and don’t know what it is until you check it out. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have read this one. I’m not a fan of war novels and I’m not a giant lover of animals that ‘talk’ to the reader and this is both. Also for those who hate omniscient point of view, this is also that, bouncing between Cracker’s thoughts and Rick (and Willie, her original owner).

The beginning is rather sad, Willie’s family has hit a rough economic patch and had to move into an apartment, forcing him to give up his beloved German Shepherd, Cracker. Rather than send her to the pound and most likely put down, Cracker is given to the military to be an ordinance and other booby-trap scent dog.

Enter Rick Hanksi. Rick is a self-professed ‘generalist,’ a straight C if he’s lucky student who wanted to do more than live in the same small Wisconsin town running his dad’s hardware store. He enters the military and doesn’t do much better there but a friend gets him into the dog handler training and he’s paired with Cracker, who frankly isn’t the best dog there. She is rather wild (and remains that way throughout the book. I think the author is channeling Cracker’s inner wolf) and doesn’t want to listen to him.

The bulk of the book is Rick and Cracker training along with Rick’s two dog handling friends, Cody and his dog, Bruno and Twenty-Twenty and his dog Tristie. All three get sent to Viet Nam and in the same company. I’m not sure how likely that is but okay I’ll go with it. The actual battle scenes aren’t that numerous which is probably good since the writing in this feels geared to the younger side of the YA group. But it also doesn’t shy away from the realities of Viet Nam and how the dogs were treated by the military back then. People get hurt. Not everyone makes it. You can probably figure out what happens to Rick and/or Cracker.

There is a happy ending but it doesn’t seem all that probable but there is at least an attempt to explain why it happened that way. It’s not a bad book but it’s not really my sort of thing. I will give the author credit for doing her research. The book is filled with military slang. And I do like that she is shining a lot on the war dogs of Viet Nam. It’s a story that deserves to be told.

[Ruby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't let the cover deceive you! This is an amazing story that everyone should read.