Cracker: The Best Dog in Vietnam (book review)

I read Cracker! The Best Dog In Vietnam, by Cynthia Kadohata, for the four-legged friends challenge. This book was about a boy named Willie, a dog handler named Rick, and a German Shepard named Cracker. It took place during the Vietnam War. When Cracker was taken away from her owner, an 11-year-old boy named Willie, she didn't know what was going to happen. She was paired up with a man named Rick Hanski for military training. But Cracker wasn't so sure about Rick. If he wanted her to trust him, then he had to prove himself to her. By the time the two finally left for Vietnam, they had developed a close bond with one other. However, Cracker was separated from Rick during a battle. Rick was shot, and at the end of the battle, he was picked up by a helicopter and taken to a hospital and then back to America. Would he ever see Cracker again?

This book was very well-written and the characters were very believable people. It was a very sad book, however. Willie lost Cracker and after letting her go, she belonged to Rick and the military. Rick experienced the pain of losing someone close to him when his friend and his friend's dog were shot. His friend ultimately survived and went back to America, but his dog, Tristie, died.

I loved this book and I recommend it to dog lovers and anyone interested in historical fiction.

I give this book nine out of ten stars.