Shiloh Blog

send a letter to author

My 9 year old granddaughter had an assignment to read a book and write a letter to the author and send it if they were still alive. She read “Saving Shiloh” and has written her letter. Is there an address she can send it to so she can complete her assignment?

The good news is I am still alive!

But if this website will not satisfy the teacher, and she must send me a letter through the U.S. mail, my address is 401 Russell Ave., Apt 713, Gaithersburg, MD 20877.

 

Shiloh

I have a few questions about Shiloh. First of all I love the book and I don’t want you to change it, but If your looking for feedback then I will tell you some but the book is great. So I have a question who is the main character Shiloh or Marty because you never said anything about that, and also at the end when Judd decides to just give Shiloh to Marty at the end does Marty but him or not, but other than that it is one of my favorite books and I don’t want you to change it unless you will add maybe a part 2 or something like that.

Who do YOU think is the major character?   Do you have to know in order to enjoy the book?  And yes Marty earned the dog by working all those hours for Judd.  If you want to know the full story, you’ll need to read the last three of the Shiloh books, because its one continued story:  Read Shiloh Season, Saving Shiloh, and A Shiloh Christmas.

Shiloh

what inspired you to make shiloh

Finding a dog like Shiloh in West Virginia

Shiloh

I love your book Shiloh. My sister also loves Shiloh to! My question is why did you write a book on Shiloh?

 

Because I came across a dog like that in West Virginia and couldn’t forget her.

Shiloh

Does Marty tell his mom and dad that Judd killed the doe. My favorite part of Shiloh is when Marty gets Shiloh and Judd gives Marty a collar for Shiloh. I learned that you should be honest and that you can get anything as long as you work hard. I also learned that everyone has good in them and is kind inside. I think Shiloh is a great book!!! Thank you for writing it!!!!

I didn’t ever solve that in the story.  My guess is that he did not, but that if Judd were to again hunt out of season and Marty knew it, he would tell them.  That was a good question.

Question about Shiloh

I am 10 years old, and I was wondering if the real Shiloh is still alive? My favorite part of your book was when Marty was able to keep Shiloh. I learned from your book that you should never lie, but in Marty’s case he was lieing because he needed to protect Shiloh. You also have to be brave even if you are really scared like how Shiloh was about going back to Judd.

No, Shiloh died in 2000.  The vet estimated that she was about twelve years old.  I had a gravestone placed over her grave.  Many of us will face a similar problem in our lives–not about a dog–but about which action to choose, when both have consequences.  Even voting can be a problem: neither candidate is perfect, and we have to decide which one would do the most for our country and which would do the most harm.  Huckleberry Finn faced the problem when he and the slave Jim took off on a raft, choosing freedom for Jim, even though at the time it was against the law.

Shiloh

My question about Shiloh/Clover is that did she have any puppies? My favorite part of the book is when Marty gets to keep Shiloh. I likes that part because it felt good to know that Shiloh is in good hands and after multiple times Marty finally gets to keep him. The lesson for the book that i learned is to not judge someone on how they are. Like people that Judd was really mean but in the end he was actually starting to show that he can be nice. I really likes the ending because 1 Marty got to keep Shiloh and 2 because it showed that Judd can be nice and 3 because everything in the other chapters was resolved at the end.

No, Shiloh did not have puppies.  One of the things I’ve learned from life is that most of the time, people who are mean are really miserable, and they often treat others the way they were treated when they were younger.  I’m so glad you liked the book.

Shiloh

I’m a big fan of your book Shiloh I think it’s super cool, and so is the fact that clover followed you home just like Shiloh followed Marty! I think you’re really awesome and a great writer. I love how you took that small moment in your life and made it into a wonderful story.  You’re awesome!

I’m so glad you liked the story.  Writing the book was the only way I could deal with the memory of this dog, and wondering what would happen to her.  When I heard from our friends that they had taken her in, I was so happy.  And all of us were astonished when Shiloh won the Newbery award.  That little dog became a celebrity in West Virginia, and on request, our friends took her around to some of the schools in the area so that Clover could “paw-print” their copies of the book.

Writing a letter to the author of Shiloh

I would like to know how you came up with the name Shiloh. I would also like to know how you made Marty’s family. Did you base Marty’s family off yours? Did someone like Judd scare you ever? If yes what was the persons name. Shiloh was such a wonderful story. I loved it at the end when Judd gave Shiloh to Marty. I think they that it was a wonderful story and i hope you do more! Do you like that they made it into a story? And did you think that they did a good job on the movie?

We found such a dog when we were visiting friends in the little community of Shiloh, West Virginia.  No, I didn’t base the characters on anyone I knew–I never do that.  I just think of the story itself, and what the different characters would be like and act like in such a situation.  I thought the movie was done well, and was very much like the book, even though they added a girl character and made the ending more dramatic.  They left out Marty’s friend, David Howard, but he shows up in a later movie.

Shiloh was great!!! Thanks for such a wonderful book!

why did Judd become a good guy? I thought he was bad. My favorite part of the book was probably the part where Shiloh met Marty for the first time because I thought it was cute. I did not like the ending because I think that if Marty’s parents were eavesdropping on Judd when he said “Boy, you are sure doing a whole lot of work for nothing” then heard that part about the witness, Judd never turned into a good guy, but Marty’s parents got Shiloh back.

It was Marty who got Shiloh back.  As mean and miserable as Judd was, I think he was impressed by this young boy who was willing to stick to his side of the bargain, no matter what.  There are four books in the Shiloh quartet and it’s like one long story:  Shiloh, Shiloh Season, Saving Shiloh and A Shiloh Christmas.  Once you read all four, you’ll find out what happens to Judd Travers and Marty and Shiloh in the end.