Naylor people's her third novel in the Shiloh trilogy begun with Shiloh (Atheneum, 1992) and continuing with Shiloh Season (Atheneum, 1996) with the same down-to-earth characters readers have grown to know: the formerly abused dog Shiloh; resourceful young Marty and his foil, a town kid named David; the boy's sisters and his parents who remind him that everyone deserves a second chance; and the person his parents have in mind, Judd Travers. This is another heart-warming dog-and-boy story that is sure to please readers of the first two. (Ages 8-11)

Marty wonders if people really can change when Judd Travers is accused of doing something awful in the third book in the series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor that began with the Newbery Medal–winning perennial bestseller Shiloh.

Marty has always been taught that everyone deserves a second chance. But what about Judd Travers, the man who abused Marty’s beloved dog Shiloh and caused Marty and his family to live in fear? Judd seems so different now, but can he be trusted to not return to his awful ways?

Marty’s parents firmly believe that even Judd should have a chance to redeem himself—but the rest of the town is quick to assume he hasn’t changed one lick. And, with no shortages of crimes to blame on the man, it does seem as though he’ll never be able to escape the shadow of his past. Then something unexpected—and terrible—happens that might just change everything.