Soldier Dogs: Secret Mission: Guam (Stryker), by Marcus Sutter (Harper Collins/Childrens, 2019, 185 pages, $7.99, grades 3-7, ages 8-12)*
History Comes Alive Again With a Canine Hero – This Time, A Messenger Dog
Soldier Dogs is a series that teaches more history than a history book! Stryker, a Doberman, was actually a Marine dog not an Army dog, as all Marines will be quick to point out.
The Second Battle of Guam - Inspiring
Each chapter features a different drawing of Stryker, a Doberman. Perhaps the reader can guess how it foreshadows what will happen in the chapter. In addition, much of the book is told from the dog’s point of view.
Bo is a Chamorro 12-year-old in the Mariana Islands, one of which is Guam. He lives with his mother, father and sister in a Japanese camp but the camp is sent on a force march and he loses his family only to find a girl Teresita who is caring for a baby and a toddler. Together they hunt for food in the jungle, become separated, are hunted by a Japanese soldier and hook up with our hero, Stryker, the Dobie messenger dog. You can’t get more exciting than that!
Lessons Learned
“It must have been rough. . . Even for a kid as tough as you.”
“I’m not tough.”
“Not tough? You’re the kind they write stories about.”
“I’m not! I’m scared all the time! I’m just doing the best I can.”
“Kid,” the marine said. “That’s what tough is.” (p. 136)
New Words and Conversation-Starters
New vocabulary introduced includes D-rations and pillboxes and perhaps the following quotes will spark a conversation or two:
The fight was ugly, desperate and breathless. . . “You okay?” the man asked, looking at Stryker. . . “Of course you are. You’re a marine.” Stryker licked the man’s bleeding arm. You need to lick wounds so they heal. Everyone knew that – except humans. (p. 72)
Poor humans. They were good at reaching things in high branches, but other than that they couldn’t manage much by themselves. (p. 99)
Walking around on two legs was ridiculous. Stryker didn’t know how they even balanced. (p. 133)
Could it be?
One Marine featured mentioned that he had trained his family dog, Chief – could that be the Chief in the first book of the series, Air Raid Search and Rescue?
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Caveat: This book was purchased for review.
The complete series, each with a poster of the dog:
3. Stryker – Capture the Island (Doberman)(Secret Mission – Guam)
4. Ace – Victory at Normandy (Boston Terrier)
5. Boss – Battle of the Bulge (Alaskan husky)
6. Buster – Heroes on the Homefront (yellow lab)
7. Jack - Shipwreck on the High Seas (Boxer)
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