sharonskinner's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! How many times can one book make me cry? Several, if it's a book like this one. At first, I had a little trouble with the POV, but after a bit, I relaxed and just went with it. And it was totally worth the journey.
k_lee_reads_it's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this Young Adult book about Vietnam.
dgodek's review against another edition
3.0
This book is about a dog and his handler who served in Vietnam. This book is written for younger people (ages 10 & up), so that obviously impacts the story. I learned that the military's practice of letting handlers bring home their dogs after they served was suspended during Vietnam, and most of the dogs who served were either euthanized or given to the South Vietnamese. A good story. . .
jpmg2k's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
nerfherder86's review against another edition
5.0
Wonderful book about a boy who must give up his dog when he moves, and decides to let the Army take the dog into military dog training. But it is the Vietnam War, and when the war ended, those dogs who survived were considered property, not animals, and were left behind in Vietnam! So the boy must work to get his dog returned to the States. Very uplifting, an awesome dog book where the dog does NOT die in the end, and the author researched military working dogs and talked to dozens of handlers about their dogs, so the details are all very authentic. Great boy-and-dog story. Winner of the Buckeye Children's Book Award 2009 for grades 6-8.
librarybrods's review against another edition
2.0
Eh. There were parts I liked- but more parts I didn't like. Part of it was language and part of it was the narrator, I think. Her voice just didn't bring me into the Vietnam War experience. Interesting to hear about the dogs and handlers, though.
thebrainlair's review against another edition
3.0
Cracker!: The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata (2007)
heathertruett's review against another edition
I loved it and my 9-year-old loved it.
laura_sorensen's review
4.0
Liked this for what it was. It's a great overview of the army, special forces, and dog sniffer units that were on the ground in Vietnam. This one would be good for a boy who likes historical fiction. It does contain military stuff like swearing, booby traps, and peoples' heads getting blown off. But the story of Cracker and Rick is sweet and Kadohata's prose is clear and easy.
More...