Last year, KIND kids across the U.S. voted on their favorite animal books. At the top of their list were two novels: Shiloh and Shiloh Season, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. As you may know, both books are about a boy who rescues an abused dog.

KIND News spoke with Naylor recently. In our interview, we asked the popular author where she got the idea for Shiloh. Here’s the inside scoop on the true story.

Behind the Bestseller
It all began when Naylor went to visit some friends in Shiloh, West Virginia. Strolling on the bank of a creek, she noticed a small dog crawling along behind her. “She was the saddest dog I’d ever seen,” says Naylor. “Her ribs stuck out, and she was covered with ticks. When I tried to pet her, she shook. She was so afraid, I figured she’d been abused.”

Even after she left Shiloh, Naylor kept thinking about the dog who had followed her. “I wondered: What would I do if I knew who had hurt this dog? What would a kid do if he found her? I decided to put my feelings down on paper,” she says. By the time she was done, Naylor had written a book.

A Tale with a Happy Ending
Shiloh was an instant hit with young readers. And Naylor earned an important award—the Newbery Medal for children’s literature—for writing it. But what ever became of the real-life dog who inspired her story?

“My friends in West Virginia adopted her,” says the author. Her new owners named the lucky dog Clover. “She’s now the happiest pup in West Virginia. Neighbors are always giving her snacks. And children come to visit by the busload.” The kids usually bring copies of Shiloh—and ask for Clover’s pawprint!

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