Letters From Wolfie- Rebecca Caudill nominee 2008

Letters From Wolfie has quickly become one of my favorite books that I have ever read. I was a bit leery about reading it at the beginning because I knew it was based on events that happened during the Vietnam War. Not being a big fan of history, I was afraid that I would find this boring and a slow read. I could not have been more wrong. Mark is the main character in the story. His brother, Danny, leaves to go to war and Mark is left feeling inadequate in his family. Everyone is so proud of Danny for serving his country that Mark rarely gets attention. He finds out the the army is looking for German shepherd scout dogs to send over to Vietnam to help the soldiers. This would be his chance to be a hero just like his brother, so Mark decides to go for it and signs up his part German shepherd dog, Wolfie. He instantly regrets his decision as Wolfie departs. Wolfie has always been his best friend and they were inseparable. Being away from him is the hardest thing Mark has ever endured. He begins to send letters to Wolfie's trainer, in hopes that he will find out how things are going. The two write back and forth throughout Wolfie's adventure at war. Mark begins to grow more nervous as the war seems to be getting more dangerous. He hears warnings about how many dogs are dying and begins to fear more and more for Wolfie's safety. It would be wise to invest in a box of Kleenex and to have it handy when reading this book. It shows how brave one young little boy had to be to help his country in their time of need. You won't be able to put the book down as you wonder how Wolfie will ever make it through this awful journey.