Cracker!: The Best Dog in Vietnam

by Cynthia Kadohata Narrated by Kimberly Farr

Overview

Cracker is one of the United States Army's most valuable weapons: a German shepherd trained to sniff out bombs, traps, and the enemy. The fate of entire platoons rests on her keen sense of smell. She's a Big Deal, and she likes it that way. Sometimes Cracker remembers when she was younger, and her previous owner would feed her hot dogs and let her sleep in his bed. That was nice, too.
Rick Hanski is headed to Vietnam. There, he's going to whip the world and prove to his family and his sergeant-and everyone else who didn't think he was cut out for war-wrong. But sometimes Rick can't help but wonder that maybe everyone else is right. Maybe he should have just stayed at home and worked in his dad's hardware store.
When Cracker is paired with Rick, she isn't so sure about this new owner. He's going to have to prove himself to her before she's going to prove herself to him. They need to be friends before they can be a team, and they have to be a team if they want to get home alive.

Editorial Reviews

In Cracker!, Newbery Medal winner Cynthia Kadohata tells the story of a death-defying German shepherd who saved entire platoons during the Vietnam conflict. Cracker's ability to sniff out bombs and enemy troops placed her in dangerous situations that most humans never have to confront. Told from alternating perspectives of the heroic dog and her handler, this unconventional nonfiction book will appeal to a broad audience.

Publishers Weekly

Since winning a Newbery medal for her World War II book, Kira-Kira, Kadohata has ventured into the muddier world, literally and figuratively, of the Vietnam War (the "American War" to the Vietnamese). Cracker-bred as a show dog, raised as a pet and later trained as a booby-trap-sniffing military canine-is a heroic and sympathetic character. Some of the tale is told from the perspectives of her boy owner, Willie, and her partner/trainer, Rick, but the lion's share is from Cracker's vantage point. Farr narrates the piece with patience and perfect diction. Her calm tone is only broken whenever trauma rears its head, and though there is plenty of tension, overall her Cracker keeps a Zen-like innocence and calm throughout (with an occasional shout of "Wiener!" when a favorite training treat is detected). In the same way that Kadohata avoids discussing the reasons for the conflict, Farr's portrayal of Cracker successfully keeps listeners inside the world of a dog's mind, to great effect. Ages 10-up. (Mar.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

School Library Journal

Gr 5–8
Bred as a show dog, Magnificent Dawn of Venus von Braun was a German shepherd destined for greatness until a broken leg took her out of contention and into the arms of a boy named Willie. Reminded of the landlord's no-pet policy, the heartbroken boy answers a newspaper ad and Venus, now "Cracker," is accepted into a military canine unit to help soldiers sniff out booby traps in Vietnam. She and her handler, Rick Hanski, quickly bond and head to the front lines. Cracker and Rick's successful missions lead to more dangerous operations and they are ultimately separated during a siege. Critically wounded, Rick is sent home, not knowing what has become of Cracker, and it is a heart-wrenching wait for word on her whereabouts. Kadohata shifts point of view from Willie to Cracker and Rick. While the dog's thoughts and feelings supply the crucial visceral elements associated with her job and her relationship to Willie and Rick, she competes with Rick for top billing as main character. Willie is the story's casualty, as he realizes that Cracker now belongs to Rick. Divided reader empathy aside, the story is filled with action and accurately re-creates the experience of the military canine program, from aspects of training to the battlefield. It's likely to spark readers' interest in this little-known area of military history.
—Vicki ReutterCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

"But she and Rick had . . . something bigger. She wasn't sure what it was. All she knew was that when he came to her in the morning, she had no choice but to twirl around and chase her tail before sitting down in front of him." Cracker is a German shepherd, owned by the US Army, who sniffs out booby traps in Vietnam with her handler, Rick. Kadohata has deftly intertwined a classic dog story with that of a soldier's by writing from both points of view, remarkably well, though her talents with realistic voice and immediacy of setting that garnered her the Newbery Medal are put to the test here. Rick's colloquialisms are essential to his character, but sometimes fall flat on the page: "The more Rick trained, the more he started to feel that Cracker was kind of like reading his mind or something." The narrative is slow to engage, starting with Cracker's previous owner, and plenty of saccharine. There's not much information on the war, nor do Rick's internal dilemmas reach beyond the surface. Despite thin spots, the story succeeds on the strength of its characters, their struggles and their relationship, reaching a readership that doesn't get enough quality writing in this genre. (Fiction. 9-13)

AUG/SEP 07 - AudioFile

In this fascinating dog story with a twist, Cracker, an intelligent German Shepherd, sadly has to leave his boy, Willie. He is trained and sent to Vietnam, where he and his handler, Rick, search for mines, sniff out enemy locations, and rescue missing soldiers. Despite the quirkiness of telling the story partly through the dog's viewpoint, this production is filled with authentic, gritty details of the realities of war. Kimberly Farr’s voice is steady, calm, and reassuring, qualities that are helpful in tempering the emotional intensity and heart-wrenching suspense. Her accents sometimes sound forced, but she brings genuine expression to the main characters, Willie, Rick, and Cracker. And she delivers a terrifically hearty “Woof!” E.S. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171845445
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	02/20/2007
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	10 - 13 Years

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