Cynthia Kadohata has written her best novel yet in Cracker! Best Dog in Vietnam.  (Sorry Ms Kadohata – in spite of the Newbery Award, I did not like Kira-Kira.)   The 2009 Caudill Award has a nominee on the subject of war dogs in Vietnam, but while they are on the same topic each approaches it in distinct ways. 

Letters from Wolfie (by Patti Sherlock) is a good introduction to the topic of war dogs, but its focus is primarily on the home front.  It provides an excellent overview of both the pro and con attitudes toward the Vietnam war.  (It rang true with my memories of those days!)

Cracker! puts most of the book’s action in Vietnam.  Readers who like war stories will be more than satisfied with the well-researched details and action included.  Cracker! breaks your heart right from the start with the original owner, Willie, giving up his dog – not for particularly patriotic reasons, but because he can’t keep him under the family’s reduced circumstances. Unfortunately the ending was a bit contrived and unrealistic.  The tragedy of the war dogs in Vietnam was that not one of the dogs returned to civilian life.  (http://www.uswardogs.org/id10.html).  Kadohata obviously felt compelled to give readers an unrealistic happy ending.  Rather than making this more suitable for YA readers, because the happy ending is misleading, I find it less suitable.  YA readers of historical fiction deserve the truth – at least in an author’s note.

A unique and very appealing element of the book is the voice which alternates between the handler, Rick and the dog, Cracker.  Unlike the usual approach, the voices are not in alternating chapters but embedded into the narrative.  This, amazingly, does NOT appear contrived and the narrative flows in an natural way between the two voices. 

It is about time we begin to see the Vietnam Era in books for YA readers.  Wolfie, by far, has the broadest appeal:  it works for dog lovers and/or history lovers.  Cracker! is quite a bit grittier and thus more appropriate for the dedicated readers of war stories.  In spite of it’s more narrow audience appeal, Cracker! is by far the better written book on war dogs in Vietnam. 

Cracker! Best War Dog in Vietnam = Cracker! Best war dog book on the shelf!

To read more on war dogs, their handlers, and the memorials see the resources on the Caudill web site.