Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata

Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata is about Rick, a 17 year old boy from Wisconsin who decides to enlist in the army during the Vietnam War. This is also the story of Cracker, a German Shepherd who is given to the army because her owners cannot keep her in their new apartment. Rick gets chosen to be a dog handler and trains with Cracker. At first, Cracker is so sad about having to leave her family, especially the boy Willie, she is mean and won't allow anyone near her. Eventually, she and Rick form an inseperable bond and become one of the best dog and handler teams in Vietnam. They are even selected to go on secret, special missions, just based on their reputation. On one mission, Cracker and Rick become separated. Rick ends up being flown back to the United States with an injury, leaving Cracker behind in Vietnam. Rick makes it his mission to find Cracker, and writes letter after letter to everyone he can think of. Cracker makes it her mission to find Rick, no matter where he is.

I didn't think I'd like this book - I'm not the biggest fan of war novels. This one surprised me, though! I liked the way the perspective switched between Rick and Cracker. I also liked learning some of the history behind the army using dogs during wars and what happened to them afterward. I ended up liking this book a lot! This is one of the 2009 - 2010 Maud Hart Lovelace nominees.