Letter from Minnesota parents

Dear Ms. Naylor,

I was dissatisfied with the education my 4th grade son  was receiving this year as our schools are still closed while we struggle with the pandemic, so I withdrew him from school to teach him at home myself. I found a language arts curriculum online and the first book they recommended was “Shiloh.”

I have been reading the book aloud to our son in order to better evaluate his homework assignments. Little did I know how powerful your book would be. I have never read a piece of literature that has made me this emotional in my lifetime. The thorny ethical situation and the high stakes of the decisions Marty makes have made this an exceptionally rich reading experience. I often have to pause in my reading to finish the tears I shed, otherwise my words would sound unintelligible. I should mention that I am not even a dog owner!

I am certain you have received numerous letters and messages like mine, but I wanted to thank you myself. Thank you for writing this fine book. We look forward to following Shiloh and Marty’s adventures.

Please accept our warmest wishes from Saint Paul, Minnesota.

J

You can’t know how happy I was to learn that you read the book to your son–how delighted I am when I hear from teachers who reward their class each day by reading aloud another chapter in a beloved book.  The happiest part of my childhood–growing up during the Depression–was the half hour or more that either Mom or Dad read to us aloud every evening with great expression and drama.  I will never forget Dad’s reading of  Huckleberry Finn.   Or the way we laughed at Toad and his motor car in Wind in the Willows.  There is nothing, I think, that spurs a child into wanting to grab a book and read it himself as there is in listening to and watching his parents enjoy a good book.  P.S. I cried some too when I was writing Shiloh.