Banjo

July 15, 2019
Budding cowboy Danny is faced with a crushing moral dilemma. His border collie, Banjo, feral when adopted seven years ago, has been accused by a neighboring rancher's sons of joining wild dogs in attacking their flock. They say they had to shoot at Banjo to stop him. Now the neighbor wants Banjo to be euthanized, claiming he's dangerous. Danny knows Banjo wouldn't attack livestock, but his dog has clearly been winged by a bullet. His earnest father allows the 13-year-old two days to find Banjo another home. When no one will agree to take the dog, Danny and his older brother bring him into the mountains and drive him away with gunfire, hoping he'll recall his feral background and survive--then claim to have shot him. But Danny knows Banjo's chances are uncertain, and he suffers agonizing guilt: He's failed Banjo and deceived his father. Meanwhile, talented horse-whisperer Meg finds Banjo and cares for him but is determined to discover who would abandon such a good dog. Although Banjo's placement is eventually resolved and his innocence proven, the moral ambiguity of the teen's situation not only dominates the narrative, but will leave many readers wondering what other course he could have taken. White-default characters are carefully drawn, and the sustained suspense makes for an engaging tale set in rural Oregon. A page-turner that doesn't offer all the answers. (Fiction. 10-14)

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September 9, 2019
Salisbury (Hunt for the Bamboo Rat) sets his latest novel in Oregon ranch country, where he explores themes of loyalty, honesty, and the delicate balance between livestock and pets. Summer vacation seems off to a good start for 13-year-old Danny as he practices for the county fair and rodeo’s team-roping event with his border collie, Banjo. But everything changes when the unpleasant neighbor boys falsely accuse Banjo of attacking their sheep. Per the law of the land, Banjo must be killed, even though Danny is sure that his well-behaved pup is innocent. A botched scheme to save Banjo’s life lands the dog lost and afraid in a nearby woods, where he’s eventually rescued by Meg, a young animal lover who becomes fixated on finding Banjo’s owner. Salisbury transports readers with his evocative descriptions of the rural Oregon landscape, rodeo events, and the chore-filled days of life on a ranch. He adroitly builds suspense by relating Banjo’s journey in brief alternating chapters told from Danny and Meg’s points of view. A tail-wagging denouement wraps things up in believable fashion. Ages 10–up.

October 25, 2019

Gr 5 Up-Danny Mack lives on a ranch in Oregon with his father and brother and spends his spare time practicing his considerable rodeo skills. His dog, Banjo, is his faithful, loving companion-until one night when Banjo is wounded by a gunshot. The neighbors claim he was trying to attack their sheep with some wild dogs and Danny's father agrees that Banjo must be put down. Danny knows gentle Banjo wouldn't have attacked the livestock, but has no way to prove it. Instead, he and his older brother Tyrell take matters into their own hands and try to scare Banjo into running off. Days later and a few towns away, animal-lover and horse whisperer Meg Harris finds Banjo injured in the woods and takes him home. She's furious that someone could have abandoned an injured dog and is determined to find the owner to give them a piece of her mind. VERDICT This slim, fast-paced novel will be perfect for reluctant readers who love animals, especially horses and dogs. The engaging plot addresses animal welfare issues, but also the importance of reserving judgment until one knows all the facts. The two main characters are entering 7th grade; this book will appeal to kids grades 3 and up.-Laura Gardner, Dartmouth Middle School, MA

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2019
Grades 4-6 After a neighboring rancher reports that Danny's dog, Banjo, was seen chasing down his sheep, a sheriff arrives to take Banjo away. Thirteen-year-old Danny knows the penalty for dogs chasing livestock and pleads for his border collie's life. When that fails, he offers to shoot his dog himself. Unable to do so, he and his brother secretly scare Banjo off into a forest far from home. Later, 13-year-old Molly finds the traumatized collie. She takes him home, helps him heal, and tries to find his owners. Meanwhile, Danny faces a series of ethical dilemmas and, discovering that he can't live with his lies, tries to set things right. The author of Under the Blood-Red Sun (1994), Eyes of the Emperor (2005), and the Calvin Coconut series, Salisbury sets his latest book in Oregon, where he lives, though the first 19 were set in Hawaii, where he grew up. Danny's and Molly's first-person narratives shuttle back and forth, telling Banjo's story while revealing plenty about themselves. An absorbing novel with a distinctive setting.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)