What do you think?
Rate this book
Shiloh #3
Saving Shiloh
In Saving Shiloh, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor brings to a conclusion the trilogy begun with the Newbery Medal winner Shiloh and its sequel, Shiloh Season. Judd Travers is physically on the mend from the truck accident that nearly took his life in Shiloh Season. But is he healing inside too? Can Marty and his family and the community trust that Judd will not return to his evil ways? Marty's parents tell him that every person deserves a second chance. Most people in the surrounding community, however, are quick to assume the opposite and find ways to place Judd at the center of any trouble--even murder.
And then there's Marty, stuck right in the middle, wanting to believe in Judd, but afraid of anything that might place himself or his beloved dog, Shiloh, in jeopardy. Are his efforts to help Judd--and Judd's remaining dogs--worthwhile, or is Marty's friend David Howard right in seeing mounting evidence of the real trouble Judd is in? Finally something unexpected happens that puts Judd to the test--Judd and Shiloh, Marty and his sisters, the whole community, in fact.
And then there's Marty, stuck right in the middle, wanting to believe in Judd, but afraid of anything that might place himself or his beloved dog, Shiloh, in jeopardy. Are his efforts to help Judd--and Judd's remaining dogs--worthwhile, or is Marty's friend David Howard right in seeing mounting evidence of the real trouble Judd is in? Finally something unexpected happens that puts Judd to the test--Judd and Shiloh, Marty and his sisters, the whole community, in fact.
137 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1997
108 people are currently reading
1,606 people want to read
About the author
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
242Ìýbooks1,015ÌýfollowersPhyllis Reynolds Naylor was born in Anderson, Indiana, US on January 4, 1933.
Her family were strongly religious with conservative, midwestern values and most of her childhood was spent moving a lot due to her father's occupation as a salesman.
Though she grew up during the Depression and her family did not have a lot of money, Naylor stated that she never felt poor because her family owned good books. Her parents enjoyed reading stories to the children--her father would imitate the characters in Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer--and her mother read to them every evening, "almost until we were old enough to go out on dates, though we never would have admitted this to anyone."
By the time Phyllis reached fifth grade, writing books was her favorite hobby and she would rush home from school each day to write down whatever plot had been forming in her head - at sixteen her first story was published in a local church magazine.
Phyllis has written over 80 books for children and young people. One of these books, "Shiloh," was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1992, was named a Notable Children's Book by the American Library Association and was also Young Adult Choice by the International Reading Association.
Naylor gets her ideas from things that happen to her or from things she has read. "Shiloh" was inspired by a little abused dog she and her husband found. The little dog haunted her so much that she had to write a story about him to get it out of her mind.
Her family were strongly religious with conservative, midwestern values and most of her childhood was spent moving a lot due to her father's occupation as a salesman.
Though she grew up during the Depression and her family did not have a lot of money, Naylor stated that she never felt poor because her family owned good books. Her parents enjoyed reading stories to the children--her father would imitate the characters in Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer--and her mother read to them every evening, "almost until we were old enough to go out on dates, though we never would have admitted this to anyone."
By the time Phyllis reached fifth grade, writing books was her favorite hobby and she would rush home from school each day to write down whatever plot had been forming in her head - at sixteen her first story was published in a local church magazine.
Phyllis has written over 80 books for children and young people. One of these books, "Shiloh," was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1992, was named a Notable Children's Book by the American Library Association and was also Young Adult Choice by the International Reading Association.
Naylor gets her ideas from things that happen to her or from things she has read. "Shiloh" was inspired by a little abused dog she and her husband found. The little dog haunted her so much that she had to write a story about him to get it out of her mind.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 181 reviews
May 22, 2019
I read this a LONG time ago, so i will admit I don't remember many of the details from this book, but I do remember that I felt it was a satisfying follow-up to the first two Shiloh books.
November 23, 2008
This is the final book to the Shiloh trilogy. I have been listening to it in my car. I found it to be very exciting. I would recommend listening to this book on cassette or CD, rather than reading it. The background music heightened the suspense and the reader was excellent. He enhanced the story. I found myself holding my breath a number of times, as I listened. I could see using this book in a classroom as a read aloud, especially listening to it on tape or CD. That alone could be a lesson in the importance of reading fluently. The reader can make all the difference. I didn't like "Shiloh Season," which I also listened to on audio tape, as much. I wonder though if it is because I didn't like the way it was read, or if it was the story. That is something else that could be shared with students. Can a reader enhance a story or does it matter one way or the other?
March 16, 2018
The theme in this book is support and friendship. This theme shows when they try to help Judd even though they have heard that he may have murdered a man. They are persistent with helping him get to a better state of mind and health.
May 3, 2021
Yet another Shiloh story well done! Naylor is amazing!
October 21, 2022
3.75 stars
Read
May 3, 2021It was pretty boring through the beginning and the middle, but the end had a lot of suspense.
February 4, 2019
Judd Travers is a man who shortchanges the shopkeepers. He never met a person he liked or was kind to. His dogs have no names but curse words and are beat regularly. He hunts out of season, and on other people's land. He's shot at Marty Preston, and almost run over his dog. He's a mean, heartless man. Is there hope for someone like him? Marty and his father believe there is, and that they have seen some of it. Judd pet Shiloh the last time they visited. He let them into his trailer, and accepted the kindness offered him. Now that he's healed and his cast has come off - will he continue on the track of good will, or fall back to the meanness people have come to expect from him? Will the town even let him change?
Marty Preston wants to believe the best in Judd, but he can't seem to bring himself to. The town has blamed a rash of break ins on him, and even murder has been laid at his feet. Did he do it? Marty finds himself trying to differentiate between truth and gossip, and the difficulties that that brings. His family struggles similarly with whether or not people are capable of changing - and Marty finds that the experience he's had with Judd impacts even the way he views his sisters. Maybe they aren't so bad. Maybe kindness can go a long way.
These books are about more than just a dog, but the way one treats their dogs seems to reflect the way they treat others. I can't help but think that's true across the board. The best of us are those who extend kindness to those who can't speak for themselves.
Marty Preston wants to believe the best in Judd, but he can't seem to bring himself to. The town has blamed a rash of break ins on him, and even murder has been laid at his feet. Did he do it? Marty finds himself trying to differentiate between truth and gossip, and the difficulties that that brings. His family struggles similarly with whether or not people are capable of changing - and Marty finds that the experience he's had with Judd impacts even the way he views his sisters. Maybe they aren't so bad. Maybe kindness can go a long way.
These books are about more than just a dog, but the way one treats their dogs seems to reflect the way they treat others. I can't help but think that's true across the board. The best of us are those who extend kindness to those who can't speak for themselves.
December 13, 2020
I find the concept of the sequels extremely funny, because what kid read the first book and went, 'you know what I really want to read about in this universe? A Judd Travers redemption arc!' And yet Naylor went right ahead and wrote two books about this subject, lol. Extra star because this is one of the few books written in (mild) dialect that actually pulls that off, and because the Moral Lesson here is not too didactic, for a kid's book. If I were a teacher/parent I think this would be an excellent springboard to tackle the difficult topic of cycles of abuse.
Ah, who am I fooling. Extra star is actually because Shiloh remains a Very Good Doggo.
Ah, who am I fooling. Extra star is actually because Shiloh remains a Very Good Doggo.
September 2, 2019
Saving Shiloh is the last book of the Shiloh series. In the third book, the author doesn't really talk about Shiloh anymore. The center of this book really is Judd Travers, the antagonist throughout the whole series and in the third one, he seems to be transforming into a "good guy". I think the main theme of this book is: Everyone deserves a second chance. Nobody's perfect and mistakes are allowed.
Read
November 4, 2018I thought this book was very slow but when it got to good parts they were very interesting. This book is about a boy who lives near a mysterious man. This man has gotten into lots of trouble and the boy is very interested to find things out about him.
Read
November 12, 2024Cute, read this one for my study guide writing job haha
May 23, 2024
It was a super good book and the last to chapters were really exciting so good I recommend this book for 8 to 16
June 26, 2016
Summary:
Marty Preston wonders why it is that despite Judd Traver's attempts to redeem himself everyone is still so willing to think the worst of him. Marty's friend David is sure that Judd will be named as the murderer of a man who has been missing. Others are sure that Judd is behind a series of burglaries in the area. But Marty's parents and, with some trepidation, Marty himself persist in their attempts to be good neighbors and to give Judd a second chance. Now that Marty has Shiloh, maybe he can help Judd to take better care of his other dogs. Then again, maybe folks are right -- there's no way a Judd Travers can ever change for the good. Then a terrifying life-or-death situation brings this dilemma into sharp focus.
Plot:
I thought the plot was clever, and I found myself enjoying it throughout the book. Although, sometimes I was definitely zoning out, and skimming the text.
Writing:
The writing is nothing special, but Naylor is truly a talented writer. It's super easy to understand and is perfect for young readers.
Overall:
This was a good book, sometimes I was bored, and started skimming pages. I'm still glad I read this, and I'm excited for A Shiloh Christmas. There was heart warming messages in this book that brought joy to my heart.
Recommendations:
3rd+. Great book for around 4th graders. Even 7th graders could mildly enjoy this. The message was extremely wonderful and is relatable to everyone.
Marty Preston wonders why it is that despite Judd Traver's attempts to redeem himself everyone is still so willing to think the worst of him. Marty's friend David is sure that Judd will be named as the murderer of a man who has been missing. Others are sure that Judd is behind a series of burglaries in the area. But Marty's parents and, with some trepidation, Marty himself persist in their attempts to be good neighbors and to give Judd a second chance. Now that Marty has Shiloh, maybe he can help Judd to take better care of his other dogs. Then again, maybe folks are right -- there's no way a Judd Travers can ever change for the good. Then a terrifying life-or-death situation brings this dilemma into sharp focus.
Plot:
I thought the plot was clever, and I found myself enjoying it throughout the book. Although, sometimes I was definitely zoning out, and skimming the text.
Writing:
The writing is nothing special, but Naylor is truly a talented writer. It's super easy to understand and is perfect for young readers.
Overall:
This was a good book, sometimes I was bored, and started skimming pages. I'm still glad I read this, and I'm excited for A Shiloh Christmas. There was heart warming messages in this book that brought joy to my heart.
Recommendations:
3rd+. Great book for around 4th graders. Even 7th graders could mildly enjoy this. The message was extremely wonderful and is relatable to everyone.
December 5, 2008
This story is about a boy named Marty and it all started at Thanks Giving and his worst enemy Judd Travers is coming over and no one wants him to come, but the parents have to be polite since he hurt himself in a car crash a few months ago. So all the children are whining and saying why does he have to come. So on the day he was coming no one was happy or cheerful they were focused on what they were doing because they don't want him to complain about the food. After a few days have past Marty is thinking that Judd is changing he does not want to be a mean person he was before. But then when Marty's friend tells him that someone had died and he thinks it was Judd who killed the man. Marty stands up for Judd. When he got to school everyone was talking about Judd thin Judd that. So they through all of this trouble then they found out that Judd did not kill him, and he saves shiloh from a stream
December 22, 2009
I gave this book a four star because there was as much as intense as the first one. I think that Judd was a big impact on this book without him it wouldn't of been a good of a book. Because Judd pretty much keep the whole series going on and had the eager it building up inside me. I thought this book was a good and clear book and I thought that the characters were even better than the book itself. I thought that Phyllis Reynolds Naylor is a great author and I think she should keep on continuing the Shiloh series. One other reason I gave it a four star was I thought it had so much details like when she decribed something I could almost image that in my head. So that's why I picked four stars, for this book because I think she put so much effort into this book so other kids can enjoy it.
September 4, 2015
This is the third book to the Shiloh series.
This book was amazing it warmed my heart when Judd went into the water to save Shiloh. I also loved when Marty and David found all the stolen things and found tracks of the escaped robbers. I learned that you should never chain dogs because they will grow mean and tough and when you go up to them they will growl and try to scare you off because they are trapped to a chain and have no chance of fighting if needed.
This sadly is most likely the final book to the series but there were all really good.
This book was amazing it warmed my heart when Judd went into the water to save Shiloh. I also loved when Marty and David found all the stolen things and found tracks of the escaped robbers. I learned that you should never chain dogs because they will grow mean and tough and when you go up to them they will growl and try to scare you off because they are trapped to a chain and have no chance of fighting if needed.
This sadly is most likely the final book to the series but there were all really good.
Read
October 16, 2012I read Saving Shiloh; it's realistic fiction. I thought this book was good. It was interesting and it was good to learn about the series. I like that it showed detail and how it teaches a lesson of to believe peopple can change over time. It was a great story. I think Shiloh even though he's a dog is the most interesing character. He has a large story about his life and he is an amazing dog that even humans can learn from.
January 12, 2015
This was so good, I didn't want to finish it. I wanted to savor every word and chapter of the dramatic conclusion of the Shiloh trilogy.
Shiloh is simply a beautiful series about the belief that people can and will change for the better. It turns out that Marty and Shiloh's story really is Judd Travers's.
Shiloh is simply a beautiful series about the belief that people can and will change for the better. It turns out that Marty and Shiloh's story really is Judd Travers's.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2008
This book is the squeal to Shiloh. This book is very good. I love it. There is a cliff hanger at the end of every chapter. After I started reading this book I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend.
January 9, 2015
I think that Saving Shiloh was a very good book. I also think that it is a very good conclusion to the Shiloh trilogy. I thought that in some parts were funny and some were serious. for example one part that was funny was when Marty"s friend called him and said their was a dead man in the water.
May 24, 2007
More touching than two novel before (Shiloh and Shiloh Season). I like the ending.
March 15, 2008
VERY good ending to the series.
April 15, 2008
Unlike so many trilogies-this final story really goes somewhere and gives a marvelous ending to the story of Marty,Shiloh and Judd.
May 29, 2008
The movie is pretty good too.
June 27, 2008
this is defiantly my favorite one of the shiloh series.
July 27, 2008
This is a good ending to the Shiloh Trilogy. The main character, Marty sure has a bunch of courage.
October 10, 2008
now drunk man not so drunk and he save shiloh. happy ending
November 3, 2008
the final and last book of the shiloh trilogy. the three books and the thre movies is the best and the best story line ever. one of my favorites and will be on my shelf also.
Want to read
November 29, 2008Can't wait to read this book!!
January 28, 2009
COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 181 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.