Cracker!: The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata

From Barnes & Noble

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.

From the Publisher

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.

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.)

Children's Literature

Willie, a twelve-year-old boy, moves to an apartment building and must give up his purebred champion German shepherd, Cracker. He tries to pretend that Cracker is going on a vacation and she will return to him but deep down inside he knows he may never see her again. Cracker is taken to the army to be trained as a bomb-sniffing point dog responsible for the lives of the many soldiers who rely on her nose. Rick Hanski, a middle-class high school graduate joins the army to get out of his humdrum life in Minnesota and finds more adventure and danger than he ever expected. What he hadn't expected was to fall in love with Willie's dog, Cracker. He relied on her, trusted her, and put his life on the line for her. When he was wounded and MedEvac-ed from the field, he felt he had abandoned her. He spent days recuperating and writing letters to help find the dog. Cracker had a great memory and instinct for survival. After being separated from Rick, starving and dehydrated, on the verge of dying she believed she would find him once again and made her way across Vietnam back to the original base of deployment where she found Cody, one of Rick's friends. Cody notified Rick that Cracker was returning to the States. Rick wrote to Willie to help him greet Cracker at the airport. Willie understood that Cracker didn't belong to him anymore, but Rick said he could visit Cracker whenever he could. The story is compelling. It definitely brings an understanding of the role our soldiers and dogs played in the Vietnam War to today's children, and to adults who lived through that time, but never fully understood the conditions and dangers our soldiers faced each day.

VOYA

When Willie's family is compelled to move to a Chicago apartment where dogs are not allowed, the heartbroken eleven-year-old must give up his young German shepherd, Cracker. It is the 1960s, and the U.S. Army is looking for German shepherds and Labs to be trained for military service in Vietnam. At Fort Benning, Cracker is paired with handler trainee Rick Hanski, who enlisted in the Army straight out of high school, seeking more excitement than he expects to find in his family's hardware store in his small Minnesota hometown. Although Cracker never forgets Willie, she eventually bonds with Rick to form an effective team in an IPSD (Infantry Platoon Scout Dog) unit bound for Vietnam. There Rick and Cracker take point on dangerous jungle missions in which Cracker finds plenty of opportunities to locate deadly Viet Cong booby traps and sniff out enemy ambushes. The story is told from several points of view, human and canine. Scenes contrasting Cracker's feelings and reactions with those of the people around her are especially effective. Kadohata is best known for conveying the Japanese American experience through young female narrators in Newbery Medalist Kira-Kira (Atheneum/S & S, 2004/VOYA August 2004), and Weedflower (2006/VOYA February 2006). Here she chronicles a different sort of collision between Asian and American cultures, centering on a canine who loyally serves her handler, oblivious to the politics of the Vietnam conflict. She creates a good story for dog lovers and military buffs, including photos and factual information about the use of dogs in the Vietnam War.

KLIATT

To quote the review of the audiobook in KLIATT, September 2007: Willy can no longer keep Cracker (short for Firecracker), his young German shepherd, because his family must move to an apartment. She is given to the Army to be trained as a scout dog for the Vietnam War. Rick Hanski, a 17-year-old looking for a way to escape the family hardware business and "whip the world" by enlisting, is chosen as her handler. The strong-willed, confident Cracker proves to be a challenge to Rick, who is learning the necessary battle skills along with her, but in time their bond becomes powerful. After tough basic training they are flown overseas, where Cracker has ample opportunity to prove her worth by detecting Vietcong booby traps, scenting the enemy, and protecting Rick and the soldiers following them. Exceptionally vivid writing authoritatively portrays the jungles, villages, rice paddies, weather, and the daily perils faced by the American troops. Characterization is strong throughout, especially when the author imagines Cracker's thoughts and feelings. This exciting, moving book is much more than just a great dog story. But if you love dogs, prepare to be appalled by the way the dogs were treated as disposable military property. An author's afterword is included. Reviewer: Pat Dole

Vicki ReutterCopyright 2006 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.

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)

Product Details

• Reading Group Guide
• Forewords & Introductions

Reading Group Guide

An Atheneum Guide for Reading Groups

CRACKER!: THE BEST DOG IN VIETNAM

By Cynthia Kadohata

ABOUT THE BOOK

Cracker, a prize German shepherd, once belonged to a boy named Willie, but now belongs to the U.S. military, which has trained her to sniff out bombs, traps, and the enemy. She never believes that she will find a master as loving as Willie until she meets seventeen-year-old Rick Hanski, an army private in basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia. Rick enlisted in the military knowing that he would go to Vietnam, but he never intended to go as a dog handler. To U-Haul,Rick's sergeant, Cracker and Rick are an unlikely pair, but when they get to Vietnam, they become a team and are sent on dangerous search-and-rescue missions, often in the "point" position. In one deadly battle, Rick and Cracker are separated, and Rick receives a serious wound and a ticket home. When he arrives at his parents' house in Wisconsin, he finds that he is a changed man, and the only way that he can ever be at peace with himself is to be reunited with his best friend — Cracker.

ACTIVITIES BEFORE READING

Have students look at a time line of the United States' involvement in Vietnam (http://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/timeline/index4.html). Engage them in a discussion about the difference between a conflict and a war. At what point did the Vietnam conflict become the Vietnam War?

DISCUSSION TOPICS

Willie knows that if he doesn't find someone to adopt Cracker, he will have to give her to the pound. Then he reads that the army needs dogs to go to Vietnam. Why is the pound worse for Cracker than going to war? Discuss why Cracker is especiallysuitable as a war dog. Cracker's name as a puppy was Magnificent Dawn of Venus. How does Cracker live up to her original name?

Rick's sister, Amy, graduated from MIT. His parents always felt that she had a "calling," but Rick, who wasn't a good student, was expected to work in the family's hardware store. Explain how Rick's jealousy of his sister's accomplishments contributes to his eventual success as a dog handler in Vietnam. Why does Rick's father agree to sign the papers for him to join the army?

Rick arrives at Fort Benning, Georgia, for basic training with an attitude — he wants to "whip the world." What is the toughest lesson Rick learns in basic training? Discuss why Rick is written up for "lack of tact and diplomacy." What does Cracker teach Rick about diplomacy?

The military sees the war dogs as specialized equipment. How are the dogs trained? Discuss the difference between a scout dog and a tracker. Why is the military only interested in scout dogs?

In the beginning, it is doubtful that Cracker is going to make it through training. Why is Rick upset with the army for assigning him to Cracker? At what point does Rick realize that Cracker is indeed going to become "the best dog in Vietnam"? Willie use to feel invincible when he was walking with Cracker. How does Cracker make Rick feel invincible?

Rick is disappointed that he doesn't win a trophy at the end of dog training. Discuss how winning isn't always about getting trophies. How does Rick win in the end? What is Rick's ultimate trophy?

Rick's parents taught him about fairness. How does basic training teach him about politics? Discuss how Rick uses politics to get Cracker returned to the United States.

Explain what the sergeant means when he says, "There are (Viet Cong) everywhere and nowhere." (p. 113) Why does this make the Vietnam War an especially difficult one to fight? Discuss Rick's thoughts the first time he and Cracker are taken into a "hot zone." How do he and Cracker become "dog and man — one creature"?

Rick is a little nervous when he and Cracker are sent on a secret mission. Discuss what Camel means when he says, "I wouldn't want to go with anyone who wasn't." (p. 178) Rick and Cracker are assigned the "point" position. Discuss how this is an especially dangerous position. How does "walking point" give Rick a sense of importance?

Rick sees courage, but he also feels it. What might he say is the most courageous act that he witnessed? Debate whether these acts of courage change his desire to "whip the world."

What happens if Rick doesn't read Cracker correctly? He says that a misread would make him feel guilty for the rest of his life. Discuss the relationship between responsibility and guilt. Describe Rick's feelings of guilt when Cracker is lost. Why does Rick feel that he owes it to Cracker to wear his uniform when he goes to pick her up in Chicago?

Compare and contrast Cracker's relationship with Willie and Rick. Discuss why it would have been difficult for Cracker to become Willie's dog again. What makes Rick invite Willie to Cracker's homecoming?

After basic training, Rick goes home for a visit before he deploys to Vietnam. Discuss why he doesn't feel comfortable in his old room. When Rick returns from the war, he knows that he doesn't belong in his parents' house. How is this symbolic of his journey to manhood?

RESEARCH AND ACTIVITIES

Ask students to read "Seeking to honor America's four-footed soldiers" by Lisa Hoffman (www.vdhaonline.org/Honor.aspx). Then have them write a brief essay called "Dogs as Soldiers."

Stars and Stripes, the daily newspaper for the U.S. military, features news of interest to troops stationed all over the world. Write a feature story that might have appeared in Stars and Stripes about Cracker and Rick's reunion. Include background information such as their training at Fort Benning, and their missions in Vietnam.

Malaria is one of the infectious diseases that threatened the U.S. troops in Vietnam. Refer students to the Center for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov/malaria/faq.htm) for information about the cause and prevention of malaria, and how the disease is treated. Make a brochure that might have been given to the troops that answers some of their questions about the disease.

Willie's favorite cousin, Derrick, was drafted, but Rick Hanski volunteered for the military. Find out about the Military Draft. When was it started? What was the purpose? When did the government abolish the draft? Look at the various Draft Board Classifications (www.landscaper.net/draft.htm). What is significant about the draft lottery that occurred on December 1, 1969? Why is it likely that Rick would have eventually been drafted?

Willie's father supported the Vietnam War, but his mother didn't. Research the reasons why so many Americans disapproved of the war. Pick one point of view, and write an editorial that might have appeared in a major U.S. city newspaper on April 30, 1975, the day the last American soldiers left Vietnam.

Take a virtual field trip of the National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning, Georgia (www.infantry.army.mil/museum.htm). Take notice of the exhibits that deal specifically with the Vietnam War. Write a letter that Rick might write to the commanding general of Fort Benning asking that a special exhibit be created to honor the dogs of the Vietnam War.

Design a postcard called "Soldiers of Democracy" that might be sold in the store of the Infantry Museum at Fort Benning.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cynthia Kadohata is the author of the Newbery Award winner and New York Times bestseller Kira-Kira, her debut novel for children. She has published fiction for adults, including The Floating World, for which she was named a Whiting Fellow. Her short stories have been published in The New Yorker, Grand Street Magazine, and Ploughshares. A graduate of the University of Southern California, she has taken graduate courses in writing at the University of Pittsburgh and Columbia University. A great deal of Cynthia's writing inspiration comes from her travels across America: As a child, her family lived in Georgia and Arkansas before settling in Chicago, and as an adult, she explored the states on a Greyhound bus. She currently lives with her son in California. Weedflower, a novel about the Japanese internment camps, was published by Atheneum in 2006. Cracker is her third novel for young readers.

Forewords & Introductions

An Atheneum Guide for Reading Groups

CRACKER!: THE BEST DOG IN VIETNAM

By Cynthia Kadohata

ABOUT THE BOOK

Cracker, a prize German shepherd, once belonged to a boy named Willie, but now belongs to the U.S. military, which has trained her to sniff out bombs, traps, and the enemy. She never believes that she will find a master as loving as Willie until she meets seventeen-year-old Rick Hanski, an army private in basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia. Rick enlisted in the military knowing that he would go to Vietnam, but he never intended to go as a dog handler. To U-Haul,Rick's sergeant, Cracker and Rick are an unlikely pair, but when they get to Vietnam, they become a team and are sent on dangerous search-and-rescue missions, often in the "point" position. In one deadly battle, Rick and Cracker are separated, and Rick receives a serious wound and a ticket home. When he arrives at his parents' house in Wisconsin, he finds that he is a changed man, and the only way that he can ever be at peace with himself is to be reunited with his best friend — Cracker.

ACTIVITIES BEFORE READING

Have students look at a time line of the United States' involvement in Vietnam (http://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/timeline/index4.html). Engage them in a discussion about the difference between a conflict and a war. At what point did the Vietnam conflict become the Vietnam War?

DISCUSSION TOPICS

Willie knows that if he doesn't find someone to adopt Cracker, he will have to give her to the pound. Then he reads that the army needs dogs to go to Vietnam. Why is the pound worse for Cracker than going to war? Discuss why Cracker isespecially suitable as a war dog. Cracker's name as a puppy was Magnificent Dawn of Venus. How does Cracker live up to her original name?

Rick's sister, Amy, graduated from MIT. His parents always felt that she had a "calling," but Rick, who wasn't a good student, was expected to work in the family's hardware store. Explain how Rick's jealousy of his sister's accomplishments contributes to his eventual success as a dog handler in Vietnam. Why does Rick's father agree to sign the papers for him to join the army?

Rick arrives at Fort Benning, Georgia, for basic training with an attitude — he wants to "whip the world." What is the toughest lesson Rick learns in basic training? Discuss why Rick is written up for "lack of tact and diplomacy." What does Cracker teach Rick about diplomacy?

The military sees the war dogs as specialized equipment. How are the dogs trained? Discuss the difference between a scout dog and a tracker. Why is the military only interested in scout dogs?

In the beginning, it is doubtful that Cracker is going to make it through training. Why is Rick upset with the army for assigning him to Cracker? At what point does Rick realize that Cracker is indeed going to become "the best dog in Vietnam"? Willie use to feel invincible when he was walking with Cracker. How does Cracker make Rick feel invincible?

Rick is disappointed that he doesn't win a trophy at the end of dog training. Discuss how winning isn't always about getting trophies. How does Rick win in the end? What is Rick's ultimate trophy?

Rick's parents taught him about fairness. How does basic training teach him about politics? Discuss how Rick uses politics to get Cracker returned to the United States.

Explain what the sergeant means when he says, "There are (Viet Cong) everywhere and nowhere." (p. 113) Why does this make the Vietnam War an especially difficult one to fight? Discuss Rick's thoughts the first time he and Cracker are taken into a "hot zone." How do he and Cracker become "dog and man — one creature"?

Rick is a little nervous when he and Cracker are sent on a secret mission. Discuss what Camel means when he says, "I wouldn't want to go with anyone who wasn't." (p. 178) Rick and Cracker are assigned the "point" position. Discuss how this is an especially dangerous position. How does "walking point" give Rick a sense of importance?

Rick sees courage, but he also feels it. What might he say is the most courageous act that he witnessed? Debate whether these acts of courage change his desire to "whip the world."

What happens if Rick doesn't read Cracker correctly? He says that a misread would make him feel guilty for the rest of his life. Discuss the relationship between responsibility and guilt. Describe Rick's feelings of guilt when Cracker is lost. Why does Rick feel that he owes it to Cracker to wear his uniform when he goes to pick her up in Chicago?

Compare and contrast Cracker's relationship with Willie and Rick. Discuss why it would have been difficult for Cracker to become Willie's dog again. What makes Rick invite Willie to Cracker's homecoming?

After basic training, Rick goes home for a visit before he deploys to Vietnam. Discuss why he doesn't feel comfortable in his old room. When Rick returns from the war, he knows that he doesn't belong in his parents' house. How is this symbolic of his journey to manhood?

RESEARCH AND ACTIVITIES

Ask students to read "Seeking to honor America's four-footed soldiers" by Lisa Hoffman (www.vdhaonline.org/Honor.aspx). Then have them write a brief essay called "Dogs as Soldiers."

Stars and Stripes, the daily newspaper for the U.S. military, features news of interest to troops stationed all over the world. Write a feature story that might have appeared in Stars and Stripes about Cracker and Rick's reunion. Include background information such as their training at Fort Benning, and their missions in Vietnam.

Malaria is one of the infectious diseases that threatened the U.S. troops in Vietnam. Refer students to the Center for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov/malaria/faq.htm) for information about the cause and prevention of malaria, and how the disease is treated. Make a brochure that might have been given to the troops that answers some of their questions about the disease.

Willie's favorite cousin, Derrick, was drafted, but Rick Hanski volunteered for the military. Find out about the Military Draft. When was it started? What was the purpose? When did the government abolish the draft? Look at the various Draft Board Classifications (www.landscaper.net/draft.htm). What is significant about the draft lottery that occurred on December 1, 1969? Why is it likely that Rick would have eventually been drafted?

Willie's father supported the Vietnam War, but his mother didn't. Research the reasons why so many Americans disapproved of the war. Pick one point of view, and write an editorial that might have appeared in a major U.S. city newspaper on April 30, 1975, the day the last American soldiers left Vietnam.

Take a virtual field trip of the National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning, Georgia (www.infantry.army.mil/museum.htm). Take notice of the exhibits that deal specifically with the Vietnam War. Write a letter that Rick might write to the commanding general of Fort Benning asking that a special exhibit be created to honor the dogs of the Vietnam War.

Design a postcard called "Soldiers of Democracy" that might be sold in the store of the Infantry Museum at Fort Benning.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cynthia Kadohata is the author of the Newbery Award winner and New York Times bestseller Kira-Kira, her debut novel for children. She has published fiction for adults, including The Floating World, for which she was named a Whiting Fellow. Her short stories have been published in The New Yorker, Grand Street Magazine, and Ploughshares. A graduate of the University of Southern California, she has taken graduate courses in writing at the University of Pittsburgh and Columbia University. A great deal of Cynthia's writing inspiration comes from her travels across America: As a child, her family lived in Georgia and Arkansas before settling in Chicago, and as an adult, she explored the states on a Greyhound bus. She currently lives with her son in California. Weedflower, a novel about the Japanese internment camps, was published by Atheneum in 2006. Cracker is her third novel for young readers.