content: This is the perfect book for any animal lover. The main character's devotion to a stray is something that is very important to share in a time when adoption areas and shelters are desperate to find happy homes for unwanted, unloved animals. Sharing this story with a younger reader will help encourage them to treat animals fairly and older readers will take from it the emotion that comes along with keeping a secret for all the right reasons. Is it right to tell a lie that saves an animal's life? Are there consequences?Well written and perfectly "spoken" by a country boy, this story will touch the heart of anyone who picks it up. It's almost a guarantee that you won't be able to put this book down. It easily deserves the Newbery Medal that it won.