Cracker!: The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata

I put off reading this book for a really long time because I thought it was going to be a “sad dog book”, but actually it was more of an action-packed adventure story! Willie’s uncle gave him the best dog ever, Cracker. Unfortunately, Willie’s family is not allowed to keep a dog in their apartment and they decide to give Cracker to the U.S. Army to serve in the Vietnam War as a bomb-sniffing dog.

In the Army Cracker is paired with her handler, Rick. Rick wants to do something more with his life than just run his family’s hardware store, so when he turns 17 he convinced his dad to sign for him to join the army to serve in the Vietnam War. Rick becomes a dog handler and quickly bonds with Cracker and knows that Cracker will be the best dog in Vietnam. You’ll be on the edge of your seat when you read about the amazing missions that Cracker and Rick are sent on. This is a must read for dog lovers and action lovers!