Cracker!: The Best Dog in Vietnam

It's a wonderful book...heartwarming and beautiful. I just did not know from the onset when I bought it that it was technically fiction. Based on a collective of true stories and interviews but fiction nonetheless. I'm not too fond of fiction books.

This is supposed to be a “children’s book???” – sure glad I didn’t pass it up. Show a picture of a dog on the cover and I can’t resist it. Seriously though, this was a sad but very heart warming story. I felt so bad for Willie when he had to let his dog go. That feeling softened when Cracker was trained in the Army and did become the best dog in Vietnam. His handler, Rick, fell in love with this German Shepherd. I absolutely love the dependence they have to have with their dogs. Dogs are always trying to please – we have so much to learn from dogs. When I read/heard that dogs were being euthanized at the end of their jobs, I almost had a catnip!! Pardon the pun! How on earth, when the trainer loves the animal so much, could they not be given to the trainer? – almost died at that thought. I would have been willing to kidnap (or rather, dognap, I guess) the dog. For Cracker, as his life held in the balance, he was lost in Vietnam – sad and sad and sad.... don’t want to give it away!! My heart went out on a limb for sure. But, altogether a really good book. Now I know more about what happens and I’m so glad that these unlikely heroes are now saved.

Great Vietnam read/listen for Middle Grade readers (5th-8th grade). Our family enjoys animal stories regardless, but in this we got to hear what Cracker is experiencing, what her owner thinks, and then how her handler in the Army is motivated and communicating with Cracker. The different points of view are blended to drive the story forward and provide special insight into the setting. What does the jungle smell like? How does a trip wire sound?

This book also provides terrific exposure to the esprit de corp/brothers in arms camaraderie of deploying into war zones without focusing overly much on the darker sides of the war. There is blood shed, loss of life and limb, and some cursing (hells and damns) as is appropriate without being gratuitous. One aspect I particularly enjoyed was hearing the lingo of the soldiers at that time. An idea might be "dinky-dow"--a handler and dog "take point" and the unit is sent in to the village to "fix it."

Cynthia Kadohata does an excellent job of providing user friendly insight into the war, the role of the dogs, and she makes a time and place so foreign to most of us into a world we begin to envision. Good Writer. Gooooood Writer. ;-)

My grand-daughter purchased this book for me in school, from their school shop. Nov.5th, 2008, I was told «I got it for you Mema cuz it had a picture of a German Shepherd on it like Sadie (the other love of my life, family first), and I know how much you love German Shepherds, I hope you like it.» The joy I felt at that moment, that she, at 13, would spend money she was given that morning to get herself something, was almost comparable to the book I was about to read...or at least give a shot at reading, for her benefit. To my surprise, I was hooked immediately, and to this day, I still thank her for getting this book for me! This book goes to show that sometimes it's o.k. to judge the book by it's cover! Wow, was I surprised! I couldn't put this book down! Tip: Keep a box of tissues near when you read this story. It is THAT good, or should I say.... awesome! They weren't all sad tears either, there were just as many happy tears while reading this. And quite a bit of laughing out loud. The author hit all the notes with this one! Something, I feel, you only find in a really, really good book! Also, I'd like to add: You do NOT have to love German Shepherds, or dogs, but if you didn't before reading this...you will at least have a respect for them afterward. The author, Cynthia Kadohata, did a wonderful job, writing this not only from the human aspect, but also she wrote the dogs side of it...yes, dogs DO have feelings!...and thoughts?~if only my girl could talk to me sometimes! LOL To quote the author here, she wrote: «Though this book is based on fact, it is a work of fiction, and should be viewed as such.» Ms. Kadohata did her homework on this, and I also loved the old pics of the war dogs with their beloved military handlers! May God Bless ALL of our military men & women, and ALL our 4 legged K-9's, be it military, police, therapy, farming or whatever job they have, which for some of us, it's just being a great friend & companion. I highly recommend this book as a terrific read, a keeper for a re-read in fact. You won't be disappointed.

War dogs used in Vietnam were unsung heroes. Faced with intense training combined with dreadful working conditions and constant danger, they had few rewards and were often left behind to survive on their own. This incredible book, although fictional, is based on real accounts provided through interviews of Vietnam War dog handlers.

Cracker, an amazingly intelligent German Shepherd, knows more than 90 words and lives the life of royalty that she deserves. It is her birthright. She has lived with (and slept with) Willie since she was about six months old, but before she is two, her life changes traumatically. Willie's father has been laid off, and the family needs to move to an apartment --- one that doesn't allow dogs. There are few options, and, according to the shelter, Cracker probably will be put down. Unable to locate a new family or home, they come across an advertisement from the military: Uncle Sam is looking for a few good dogs. Cracker is to enlist and join the army.

Cracker mourns for Willie, certain that his young master will rescue her as she is shipped to unfriendly locations, kenneled with lots of other dogs and then given to some strange man. Cracker is paired up with Rick Hanski --- who volunteered for duty in Vietnam at the young age of 17 --- to train for locating bombs, traps and the enemy. The lives of Cracker and Rick, along with those of thousands of soldiers, will depend on the success of their training and how well they are able to work together.

Author Cynthia Kadohata carefully crafts her narrative with two alternating voices --- Rick's and Cracker's --- as she describes their bond, fears, concerns and conditions. Rick is warned that he is never to take his eyes off his dog in the field, and Cracker must learn to separate a variety of alien smells in order to determine real threats. They do not work in complete isolation; instead, they develop close relationships with several other handlers and their dogs. But it is the unique bond shared between Rick and Cracker that rises above all else. Their attachment forms from complete respect, admiration, love and trust in each other.

Cracker earns the respect of all who meet her, as she truly becomes a hero and "The Best Dog in Vietnam." Due to the subject matter, CRACKER! is an incredibly intense and emotionally challenging book. Those who share a close relationship with a dog or two will struggle at times, but will admire and applaud the spirit and intelligence of this amazing animal. I live with two gifted and affectionate Labradors (also used as war dogs) and found myself snuggling a little more closely with them while reading. My apologies to Kadohata, but shortly after beginning the book, I absolutely had to flip to the last page before resuming the story.

In December 2005 I read John Grogan's MARLEY & ME, never putting it down once started. And in February 2007 the same thing happened with CRACKER! I applaud the spirits of both dogs and the skill with which the authors have depicted them.

--- Reviewed by Patsy Side

CRACKER
Cynthia,Kadohata

Life or death? Willies the owner of a great dog named cracker. But when his dad loses his job everything changes. They are forced to move to a apartment that doesn't allow dogs. Now they only have one month to get rid of cracker.

Cracker is a very big ,hiper and violent when she needs to be she loves the taste of blood she would do anything to make rick happy. Rick is Crackers handler at first rick hated cracker. But the more cracker got to be able to trust him they started working harder and harder. cody is a person that is always willing to help out almost always smiling he is a really good friend of rick's without cody a lot of people would be dead.

This is a GREAT STORY about life or death, family and friends.
I recommend this book to kids and adults of all ages how like action and adventure. If you like historical fiction or even story's about animals.
This book has enure twist and turns to hook you till the last page.
This is the BEST BOOK I have read by far and if you read it I bet you will say the same thing.

Magnificent Dawn of Venus, being the daughter of Felix Olympus von Braun, the great show dog, was expected to do great things. A badly broken leg that scars her for life ruins any chance of becoming a great show dog. Venus is then given to Willie. Now named Cracker, Venus's new family has to live in an apartment, but there is a strict "No pet policy". Willie's family then tries to find a new home for Cracker, but the only two places they can find are the army and the kennel. Willie would hate for his best friend to go to the kennel, so Cracker is then given to the army for the Vietnam War. Rick Hanski, 17, is just a normal guy in a normal town in a normal state who has decided to "whip the world" and he is going to do this by volunteering to be a dog handler in the Vietnam War. Rick and Cracker are then paired up for the war. They don't really trust each other and so are off to a bad start in training. After a game and a few wieners they start to trust each other and are soon at the top of the class. But when they get to Vietnam they realize that this is getting all too tough all too fast. This is war and there will be no playing around or misreading your dog's signal, for that could mean your life and thousands of others.

This book is one of my favorite books! I absolutely loved the book! I would put aside my bedtime just to read this book. It helped me understand what people and dogs would go through in the wars.

Cracker! By Cynthia Kadohata is an inspiring book about a dog who goes to war in Vietnam after being taken from his young owner when his landlord makes him get rid of him. This book has been an inspiration to many and the plot is gripping and fun it will make you laugh and make you cry. I would especially recommend this book if you are an animal lover or are interested in wars.
"Cracker is the best dog in Vietnam." With Kadohata's great writing the reader gets in to the story and gets to know the characters and the dog very well. You get close to the dog and you don't want anything to happen. In the end it is a very sad story so if you don't enjoy reading sad books this would not be the best book for you to read. The authors writing style makes you fall in love with the book in the first few chapters. This is a book that is hard to put down.
The main characters in this book are a dog and his handler. They are an inspiring pair and they are so interesting to read about. The dog will affect you in many ways and you can relate if you have ever had to give up your dog. The emotion in the scene where the dog leaves is very well described. "Willie looked up at the third-floor window where he always saw Cracker waiting for him. He gasped when he saw that Cracker wasn't there. That mish mean they'd already taken her. She had ESP so she always knew when he was coming home, even when he was early. He started to trot..........Willie called out to the closed window: `Cracker! Cra-a-a-acker!' She didn't appear, and Willie broke into a sprint.
This tearjerker of a book will break your heart but still at moments make you laugh. The adventure and thrill included in this book make it a must read. When I read this book I could barely put it down the emotions run wild when you read this book. The characters become so important to you and the story is inspiring to you.
This book will appeal to all ages and genders because the plot includes war and such which is appealing to boys and the animal aspect of the plot will appeal to girls. It will appeal to all ages because it is a great story and I think that it has many lessons and older people were more involved in the Vietnam war and they would be more interested in this particular topic.
I would definitely recommend this book to someone. I would give it at least 4 and ½ stars. The writing is amazing and inspiring to all and the plot is gripping and adventurous at the same, which makes for a great read!
This author is amazing and has been a large inspiration to me through her previous books but until I read Cracker! I had no idea what a great author she could be. This book is especially appealing to me because of my love of dogs. I loved getting the chance to read a book that was about a dog. This was a great book and if you are ever looking for a great read you should pick up this amazing gripping tale of a soldier and his dog.

Will Cracker be the best dog in Vietnam? The book Cracker by Cynthia Kadohata explains the life of dog handler Rick and his dog Cracker in the Vietnam War. Cracker used to be a city dog. His original owner was a boy named Willie. His family had to move to a different city for his dad's job and the apartment didn't allow dogs. Willie found an ad in the newspaper about needing dogs to fight in the Vietnam War. Willie sends Cracker to the Army and Cracker's new handler was Rick. Since Cracker left home she was very upset and vicious to anyone. Cracker develops throughout the book. She becomes loyal and friendly to Rick. Cracker loves everything about Rick and her training sessions in the Army. This book is a must read. It is understandable and you really get interested in the story. The book Cracker is realistic fiction. Cynthia Kadohata has also written Weedflower and kira-kira, winner of the John Newbery Medal. Cracker is going to whip the world.

Griffin Kendall

In the book Cracker a young boy named Willie has his trusty dog Cracker both to best friends live together. But there is a problem Willies apartment doesn't allow pets. Willies parents then find an add in the paper asking for war dogs. Willies parents call the man to take the dog and Cracker was then was moved to a training camp to meet his new handler Rick. Rick and Cracker don't get along to well in the beginning but after a while cracker comes to like Rick and Rick becomes to like Cracker. Cracker and Rick both find friends that are also dog handlers. after months in training they are finally flying off for vietnam. Cracker and Rick and their friends go get settled in the barracks. after a few days getting settled they finally go out on their missions. after Rick has a few missions with Cracker he find out she is the best dog he could ever have. but on one missions rick losses Cracker in a gun fight and could never find her again. as Rick was departed back to the US he got a call from his friend 20 20. He told rick that some dogs were being flown back to the US. Rick got ready and rushed to the airport. He then finally was reunited with his pal Cracker. Cracker barked in joy for being back with her pal Rick. but also at the Airport the only kid who new crackers bark by heart willie. Willie rushed over to be reunited with cracker and got to meet his new best friend Rick.

I read Cracker!This book is by Cynthia Kadohata. This is a

very good novel that explains the dog's thoughts about the world in Vietnam War time.

This book is juvenile fiction.

Cracker is about a German Sheppard that lives with a boy named Willie. Unexpectedly,

Willie's father loses his job and has to move and rent a house where pets aren't allowed

Willie is forced to give Cracker away and finds out that the Army is looking for German

Shepherds to locate bombs in Vietnam. Cracker gets paired with a handler named Rick

Lanski. Rick has never had a dog and has no experience with dogs. Cracker and Rick's

relationship starts out bumpy and then Cracker becomes the one of the best dogs in

Vietnam (well Rick thinks she is). One day Rick gets injured with a piece of shrapnel

in his leg. Rick didn't know that Cracker went right and he went left, they had gone in

different directions and were separated.

Cracker intended for the average 10 to 12 year old but adults will enjoy it

too. This book's vocabulary is perfect for the average middle school

student. This book is very good!

Love this historical fiction book!! Readers follow the story of a book who must give up his dog, Cracker, and see the dog become a powerful part of the military in the Vietnam War. Well written. Have tissues nearby when reading this book!!

Topic aside, this is a good story that would appeal to many kids. Its an animal story- and its an adventure story. Its not the fastest read, but it carries itself forward well, unlike "Kira Kira" which got a little bogged down in places. True to Kadohata's style, its realistic, but the violence is not gratuitous--and its appropriate for the readership age.

When I heard about the plot of this story before it was published, I wasn't sure it would fly, but was glad I checked it out. Its a great picture of some of the different sides to the Vietnam War without being too preachy. Unlike some other books written about war where the author's story has a definite pro- or anti- war leaning (The latest I've read was "The Silver Donkey" by Sonya Harnet--which was good, but without a doubt, very "anti") Kadohata leaves room for the reader to ask their own questions. I think its got just the right camera angle for a middle grade reader and I'm sure teachers and educators will appreciate it for the springboard to discussions it will provide.

I absolutely love this book. This book is close to my heart. I found this book in the book store not long after I lost my dog cracker. I couldn't believe the book was named after my dog. When I started to read the book I couldn't put it down. It was so well written! I never have read a book that made me cry as much as this book. I loved this book I have read it 3times to this day. Every time I read it I still cry. Well worth the time to read.

This book is a great story about the relationship between a man and his dog the bond that no one can ever break. IF I could I would give this book to every single person in the world and trust me I would. The book will excite you, make your hair even stand on end, and this book will even make you shed a tear about the life Cracker had with Rick in the missions they had together. When u read this book it's like u r really in the book like all the action is happening in front of your eyes.I recommend this book for ages 10 and up because the book does contain some bad words.

I'M 12 years old and in 7 th grade and I'm reading this book for a assignment for the summer and I love this book with all my Hart.
PLEASE READ THIS BOOK

This was an amazing sad but yet heart warming book that made me also look up a couple things about the war. How she described the battle scenes was great even when she was describing life at the camp it was great to feel as if you were there living at the camp. I am 12.5 years old and I enjoyed the book immensely.

Cracker! The best dog in vietnam, was one of Kadohata's finest pieces ever! She showed the point of view of Rick Hanski who is just a seventeen year old wanting to prove to everyone he is cut out for war, and also the point of view of Cracker, Rick's dog, who has just been sent to be trained as a boom sniffing dog in the Vietnam war. At first the two don't get along but later on they have to work together to be the best team in Vietnam. This book is great for anyone over 13. Kadohata really makes the reader feel as if they are really in the true action and lives of the main characters. I've read this book soooooo many times and i can never get sick it:)

Cracker is a terrific story about one of the unsung heroes of the Vietnam War, namely the K9's. It's great the way the author has written from both the soldier and the dog's point of view. It's also great to see that war dogs are finally getting some attention. This book also introduces the Vietnam War to a new generation of kids. The war and the dogs that saved so many lives should never be forgotten. Anyone interested in another war dog historical fiction--this time a World War II real war dog hero should try Chips a Hometown Hero. Chips: A Hometown Hero Both of these books are great for any dog lover's collection!

The writing was good, but this story made me want to die. This book will tell you the horror of war, the corruption and vileness of the US government and their lies. I'm an adult, I've cried reading books before, sure, but this book had me sobbing. I can't even tell other people about it without sobbing. The fact that they make it home alive really doesn't make up for the torture and torment this dog suffered. Maybe if you are a cold, hard hearted person, you can read this but otherwise skip it.

Cracker, a book by Cynthia Kadohata tells the story of a German shepherd who is paired with Rick Hanski and their mission to sniff out threats against U.S. troops. The story tells of the common bond between man and his dog and what they must endure to ensure each other's survival to make it back home. Along the way, they must endure perilous missions that mean loss of life that neither man nor dog will forget and will be engrained in them forever. Cracker tells the story of a man and his dog and how they grow into an inseparable team that must do their job before they can go home and be at peace.

Without a doubt, Cracker is one of the best books I've ever read. I didn't want to set this book down. I carried it with me everywhere incase I had a spare minute to read. I actually held my breath in anxiety hoping Cracker would return safely on each mission. Don't miss this book!

This different view of the Vietnam War is filled with adventure, the danger, and the hardwork on the part of a young soldier and a German Shepard. The author's method of telling the story from two points of view adds to the knowledge of the war experience. What a surprise to learn that the dogs were not brought home again after their time in Vietnam! Luckily Cracker's fate was positively different.

Cracker tells the story of a German Shepherd given to the US Army during the Vietnam War. The author takes the reader inside the dog's head in a realistic manner. This book is filled with strong emotion, action, danger, and fierce loyalty. My sixth graders all loved it. Cracker recently won the California Young Readers Medal, which is chosen by students throughout California.

My friend reccomended this book to me because i love dogs! When i sarted this book,it was sad because the government took Cracker away from her master. At first she doesn't like any one,but then she bonds with her new master and proves her self in the war. I would reccomend this book to any dog lover.

My friend reccomended this book to me because i love dogs! When i sarted this book,it was sad because the government took Cracker away from her master. At first she doesn't like any one,but then she bonds with her new master and proves her self in the war. I would reccomend this book to any dog lover.

Disappointed about the book in general. I bought it for my daughter; who, informed me that it was a kids book. I did not see anything describing an age group. She felt bad and I felt worse. I thought it was an adult reading level book.

This is book for children. I should have known this because Kadohata has written several children's books (Newberry Award on some of them) and the story line is appropriate for children, not deep enough for adults. The happy ending, although I'm not sure it could have happened that way considering the rules that the military enforced at that time (Vietnam War), could only be appropriate for children.

The rules have changed since this book was written, though, and I wonder if the change of rules would have made for any kind of story compelling enough to write a book about.

Kadahota, you should be ashamed of yourself!!!! How do you sleep at night knowing you are influencing young boys (your book is recommended for 10 and up) to look at girls in a sensual manner, curse, be crude, and glamorize smoking! Thankfully, my son came to me so I can sharpie out all of the inappropriate parts. Is there any innocence left with our children anymore? Surely, you could have gotten your point across without it!
Parents, if you are comfortable with these topics, then it is a great historical story. It is great for boys who have an interest in the army and gives a great description of the Vietnam War. At least you have the foreknowledge that I wish I had before giving it to my son.

BEWARE: This book is an amazing story, but, be warned it is full of curse words and talks of smoking in positive light etc... I am glad I have a child that came to me upon reading the first bad word. I then blacked out the word and all the ones in the rest of the book. That done ...it is a great book. It is too bad the author felt that she should put this in what otherwise would have been a good story. I don't think it is too much to expect a children's book to be free this.