Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (2000, Paperback)

Here is another great book from Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. Shiloh offers readers a very interesting read. The storyline is one that people think that they have figured out at many times throughout the story but Naylor waits until the very last pages to finally get you there! Great visual pictures are painted with this story as there are many details that are described well. I have to admit, the reason why I rated this book a 4 instead of a five...is because it is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to read out loud! The text is full of Southern dialect and I have read this story out loud to many classes and let me tell you, it takes some serious pre-reading and mental preparation to get it right for them! Now...I will say that the dialect does NOT take away from the story. The book stresses that hard work and good moral values are the key to getting what you want out of life. It's hard to go wrong with that message to young children! I would recommend this book to be read silently for kids starting in 4th grade or read orally by a parent or teacher. To ask even an above average reading class to read this book out loud (such as a paragraph by paragraph oral reading session) would be time consuming. Great Accelerated Reader (AR) book...Also check the library for the video to conclude the lesson or to show at home when the story is over. The video (also called Shiloh) is virtually identical to the book...one could ALMOST read the book along with the movie lines! And speaking of reading along...there is also an audio version available for this book.

"Shiloh" (softcover)
Retail Price: $4.95
Current eBay Buy it Now price range: $0.49-$5.85