Shiloh Blog

The Shiloh movie

Comment:
My class read Shiloh and we loved it. I loved Shiloh because there is a lot of suspence and action. I also loved the plot and how Shiloh ended. My class just finished watching the movie and thought it was a bit different than the book. I would like to know if you liked how the movie was made and if that was how you imagined how the story would be like?

Phyllis replied:

I did like the move, and enjoyed the scene they added where Shiloh comes into the house at night and into the parents’ bedroom.

Did you like the movie?

Comment:
We read and watched the movie and I was wandering if the you liked the movie? What are you doing on the holidays? I’m going to Indiana to see family. I really liked the part in the book where Marty gets Shiloh after he worked for two hours each day for Judd. Write me back.

Phyllis replied:

I liked the movie very much.  They changed a few things and added more action, but that was fine.  I am going to visit our younger son and his family over the holidays.

Shiloh

Dear Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, I just wanted to say that I love your books! And I really want to read the next one Shiloh Season! You are a really good author. And do you know any other books I might be into that you wrote? Thanks! Oh, and my favorite part of Shiloh is when Marty works for Judd to get Shiloh back!

Your friend,
Koa

My favorite part of Shiloh

Comment:

I just wanted to say that I love your books! And I really want to read the next one Shiloh Season! You are a really good author. And do you know any other books I might be into that you wrote? Thanks! Oh, and my favorite part of Shiloh is when Marty works for Judd to get Shiloh back!

Phyllis replied:

That was my favorite part too.  Marty kept his part of the bargain even though a grown man would not keep his, but I think that this made Judd respect Marty in the end.

More Shiloh books

Comment:

I absolutley love your book Shiloh! My class read the book and we also watched the movie. Personally I like the book better. you are so amazining. Are you going to write anymore books?

Phyllis replied:

There are  three more Shiloh books, and they tell the whole story of Marty and Judd Travers.

The movie Shiloh

Comment:

I really like your book, Shiloh! At first, I thought that I wouldn’t like Shiloh. It turned out that I loved it, and I’m begging my mom to read it, too! I have one question. Did you like the way the movie turned out? Was it like what you imagined?

Phyllis replied:

I thought the movie stayed very close to the book.  The final scene had much more action–movies tend to do that–but I thought all the actors were wonderful.

When did you get interested in writing?

Comment:

my class in Ohio just finished reading this book!I loved it so much! One of my favorite parts is when Marty and his family got to keep Shiloh,but the very interesting part was when Shiloh ran to Marty and,also when Marty built Shiloh his own pen so he could sleep in.The very exciting part was when Marty and his friend and his family found out that Shiloh was okay.I have two questions one is,how did you get interested in writing? Also why did you name this book Shiloh?

Phyllis replied:

I’ve been interested in writing stories as far back as I can remember.  Before I learned to write or print, a teacher wrote down the stories that I told her.

Shiloh–sad and serious

Comment:

We just read your book Shiloh in class and it is a very serious and sad book. and I really enjoyed it.I liked the rivalry between Judd Travers and Marty for Shiloh. These are a couple questions I wanted to ask you.What year did you come up with the idea for Shiloh .And why did you decide to make the setting West Virginia. your fourth grade friend.

Phyllis replied:

I found the dog in West Virginia in 1988 so I placed the story there.

Letter From A Fan/Student

Comment:

I go to Flint Hill School. I am almost done reading the last book in your series of Shiloh. Before my dad started to read Shiloh to me we were reading a book called A Dogs Life. My dad loves dogs and we have two so whenever we watch a family movie my dad always wants to watch a movie with dogs in it. That’s how we picked Shiloh because it had a dog on the cover and it looked like a really good book.
After researching things about you I’ve found some things that I can connect to. On the Fun Facts section on your website you said that your desk is the messiest part of your house, I make a connection to that because the messiest parts of my house are my room, the guest room, and our basement.
Then on the Frequently Asked Questions page on your website you said that you grew up with lots of cats and a Springer Spaniel dog name Pepper. I have two dogs, Bongo and Dallas, but because my dad is highly allergic to cats, we can’t have any. So sometimes I visit Patriot Pawsabilities which is a cat cafe where you get to spend time with cats & kittens before deciding if you want to adopt one. Also on the Fun Facts page you mentioned that your favorite color is teal, and teal is also one of my many favorite colors.
I was wondering why in the first book and a half you chose Judd to be mean, then chose him to become nicer the more you read? I think that you chose to make Judd mean then become nicer because of how his father treated him when he was younger. His father abused him and wouldn’t let him go near Ray’s (Marty’s dad) house. As a result of being abused, Judd was angry and unfamiliar with feelings of kindness and friendliness. Later in the books when Marty treats him with kindness he becomes nicer. I wonder if this was what lead to him being nice.Thank you for taking the time to read my letter! I hope to hear from you soon!

Phyllis replied:

I can tell that you really do love animals, and I’m glad that you found the Shiloh books.  You are exactly right that Judd’s growing up with an abusive father played a large part it how he turned out as a man.  If he had not been a mean person who mistreated his dogs, there wouldn’t have been any story.  Not this story, anyway.  A good book has to have conflict and suspense; it has to make you feel emotions–anger and sympathy and hope.  If you are reading the very last book in the Shiloh quartet, you will see how things finally turn out between Judd and Marty.  Thank you for writing to me!

Why?

Comment:
I am a fourth grade student. Why did you choose the name Marty?
Why did you choose the name Shiloh? I think the book was really good. Why did you make Judd shoot a doe?

Phyllis replied:

I don’t know why I chose “Marty.”  Just seemed a good name for a boy like him.  I named the dog “Shiloh” because that’s where I found it, in the little community of Shiloh, W. Va.  Judd shot the deer so I could have Marty blackmail him.