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| Publisher's Hardcover ©2019 | -- |
Human-animal relationships. Fiction.
Border collie. Fiction.
Dogs. Fiction.
Ranch life. Oregon. Fiction.
Rodeo. Fiction.
Horses. Training. Fiction.
Oregon. Fiction.
After a neighboring rancher reports that Danny's dog, Banjo, was seen chasing down his sheep, a sheriff arrives to take Banjo away. Thirteen-year-old Danny knows the penalty for dogs chasing livestock and pleads for his border collie's life. When that fails, he offers to shoot his dog himself. Unable to do so, he and his brother secretly scare Banjo off into a forest far from home. Later, 13-year-old Molly finds the traumatized collie. She takes him home, helps him heal, and tries to find his owners. Meanwhile, Danny faces a series of ethical dilemmas and, discovering that he can't live with his lies, tries to set things right. The author of Under the Blood-Red Sun (1994), Eyes of the Emperor (2005), and the Calvin Coconut series, Salisbury sets his latest book in Oregon, where he lives, though the first 19 were set in Hawaii, where he grew up. Danny's and Molly's first-person narratives shuttle back and forth, telling Banjo's story while revealing plenty about themselves. An absorbing novel with a distinctive setting.
Kirkus ReviewsBudding cowboy Danny is faced with a crushing moral dilemma.His border collie, Banjo, feral when adopted seven years ago, has been accused by a neighboring rancher's sons of joining wild dogs in attacking their flock. They say they had to shoot at Banjo to stop him. Now the neighbor wants Banjo to be euthanized, claiming he's dangerous. Danny knows Banjo wouldn't attack livestock, but his dog has clearly been winged by a bullet. His earnest father allows the 13-year-old two days to find Banjo another home. When no one will agree to take the dog, Danny and his older brother bring him into the mountains and drive him away with gunfire, hoping he'll recall his feral background and survive—then claim to have shot him. But Danny knows Banjo's chances are uncertain, and he suffers agonizing guilt: He's failed Banjo and deceived his father. Meanwhile, talented horse-whisperer Meg finds Banjo and cares for him but is determined to discover who would abandon such a good dog. Although Banjo's placement is eventually resolved and his innocence proven, the moral ambiguity of the teen's situation not only dominates the narrative, but will leave many readers wondering what other course he could have taken. White-default characters are carefully drawn, and the sustained suspense makes for an engaging tale set in rural Oregon.A page-turner that doesn't offer all the answers. (Fiction. 10-14)
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)Salisbury (
Gr 5 Up--Danny Mack lives on a ranch in Oregon with his father and brother and spends his spare time practicing his considerable rodeo skills. His dog, Banjo, is his faithful, loving companionuntil one night when Banjo is wounded by a gunshot. The neighbors claim he was trying to attack their sheep with some wild dogs and Danny's father agrees that Banjo must be put down. Danny knows gentle Banjo wouldn't have attacked the livestock, but has no way to prove it. Instead, he and his older brother Tyrell take matters into their own hands and try to scare Banjo into running off. Days later and a few towns away, animal-lover and horse whisperer Meg Harris finds Banjo injured in the woods and takes him home. She's furious that someone could have abandoned an injured dog and is determined to find the owner to give them a piece of her mind. VERDICT This slim, fast-paced novel will be perfect for reluctant readers who love animals, especially horses and dogs. The engaging plot addresses animal welfare issues, but also the importance of reserving judgment until one knows all the facts. The two main characters are entering 7th grade; this book will appeal to kids grades 3 and up.-Laura Gardner, Dartmouth Middle School, MA
ALA Booklist (Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)
Kirkus Reviews
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
School Library Journal (Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)
Danny Mack was pretty sure he'd just lost his thumb.
He'd caught the steer but lost control of his rope. He tried to wrap it around the saddle horn but wasn't quick enough. When his horse, Pete, dug in and pulled back, the rope snapped into place and ripped his roping glove clean off his hand.
"Ow!"
Danny grimaced and gaped at it. No blood. And his thumb was still there. He shook out the sting.
His best friend, Ricky, ran over from where he'd been manning the roping chute. "You all right?"
"I think so."
Summer vacation had just begun, and Danny and his dad were in their home arena practicing team roping, getting ready to compete in the Jefferson County Fair and Rodeo in a couple of weeks. Ricky and Danny's brother Tyrell were helping out. Tyrell was seventeen, four years older than Danny. As a team, Danny and his dad competed in community and open rodeos. Danny was the header, roping the horns. Dad, the heeler, roping the back feet. They were good at it, because they practiced.
Dad, who'd caught the steer's two back legs, loosened his rope and loped over on Mandingo. "You hurt?"
"Stings," Danny said, squeezing his hand. He had to focus on his dally--his wrap around the saddle horn.
Dad leaned in for a closer look. "You'll live. But be more focused. Roping's dangerous, which is why we're out here getting it right."
"Yes, sir."
Tyrell drew up on his horse, Half-Asleep. "What happened?"
"Rope almost took my thumb off."
"Looks like it's still there."
"Yep."
Danny turned in his saddle. His glove was lying in the dirt by the fence. He whistled. "Banjo! Get my glove."
Banjo, his border collie, snapped up, got it, and ran it over.
Danny leaned down and took it. "Good boy."
He pulled the glove back on.
Tyrell rode off to free the steer from the ropes and herd it back to Ricky at the chute.
"Let's give it one more run and call it a day," Dad said.
Danny nodded and coiled his rope. He loped Pete around the practice pen to calm himself down. This time, focus!
Tyrell and Ricky got the steer back into the chute.
Banjo trotted back to his place by the fence.
Danny backed Pete into the box on the left side of the chute, where he'd wait until the steer was released. Dad backed Mandingo in on the right.
When the steer was in place, Ricky glanced at Danny. "Ready when you are."
The idea was to stay in the box as short a time as possible. Get in, get ready, and hope the steer got up to the gate with his head aimed forward. That was the unknown, the steer.
Dad nodded to Danny.
Danny nodded to Ricky.
Ricky slammed the gate open. "Haw!"
The steer burst out running.
A split second later, Danny spurred Pete ahead.
The hardest part wasn't the roping but the riding, and Danny's balance astonished anyone who watched him. Dad once told him that he was about as good a rider as it was possible to be.
Danny stayed to the left, with Pete's nose even with the steer's hip.
Dad on Mandingo flew out of the heeler's box, staying about ten feet off to the right, keeping the steer on a straight path so Danny could get a good shot at its head.
Danny threw his loop--a clean catch over both horns. He made his dally around the saddle horn, doing it right this time. He slowed and pulled the steer to the left so the steer's hind legs flayed out as it turned.
Dad threw his loop and caught both back feet. He hadn't missed all day. He made his dally and turned Mandingo to face Danny and Pete, the horses pulling the ropes taut, the caught steer between them.
Dad nodded. "Do it like that two weeks from now and we'll be all right."
"Yep," Danny said. "Just like that."
"Not bad, little brother," Tyrell called. "You too, old man."
Dad grunted.
Ricky and Tyrell removed the head protector from the steer's horns and released the steer into the pasture. Dad and Tyrell took their horses into the barn.
Danny sat his horse, looking down on Ricky. "What you doing after this?"
"Chores, I guess."
"Want to do something later?"
"Like what?"
Danny looked back at the barn and out toward the pasture. "Oh, I don't know. Watch grass grow?"
Ricky grinned and walked over to his bike to head home. Danny rode Pete alongside him, while Banjo sniffed through the weeds.
"Thanks for helping out today," Danny said.
"No problem. You'd do it for me."
"Not with bulls, I wouldn't."
Ricky laughed.
Ricky was a junior bull rider, and Danny was not a fan of bulls. One wild kick and they could kill you. Danny knew of a rodeo bull from Texas that weighed 1,900 pounds. That one could kick you from Oregon to South Carolina. As a junior rider, Ricky rode bulls that were between 500 and 1,000 pounds.
Danny said, "You have more guts than brains."
Ricky laughed. "You're just jealous."
He whistled for Banjo, squatting as he trotted over. "You take care of that wimp on the horse, you hear? He needs help."
Banjo nosed Ricky's hand.
Ricky looked up. "Guess he sees my point."
"Get outta here," Danny said, smiling. "Wanna do some fishing? If not later today, then next week?"
"Sure. Call me." Ricky gave him a thumbs-up and rode off.
Danny whistled and slapped his thigh. "Banjo! Come!"
Banjo raced over and leaped. Danny caught him by the skin on the back of his neck and lifted him into the saddle. Banjo licked his face.
"I think you've earned yourself a treat, don't you?"
Together, they rode back to the barn.
Excerpted from Banjo by Graham Salisbury
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
In the spirit of of Where the Red Fern Grows and Because of Winn Dixie, this is a contemporary classic in the making about a boy and his dog, and a choice that will test their loyalty and trust.
Danny Mack is a rising rodeo star in rural Oregon. He lives on a ranch with his older brother, their dad, and his faithful border collie, Banjo.
Late one night, Danny is awakened by gunshots. Banjo has been wounded. The neighbors claim he was going after their livestock, which gives them the right to shoot the dog or have him put down. Dad reluctantly agrees. They must obey the law. Danny knows Banjo is innocent, and comes up with a desperate plan to save him--but something goes terribly wrong.
Days later, on a distant ranch, Meg Harris finds a frightened dog alone in the woods. Banjo. She takes him home and searches for the dog's owner, furious that he was abandoned. She's not going to give Banjo up easily.
Told by Danny and by Meg, this fast-paced, heartrending novel explores the deep connection between humans and animals, and reminds readers that you can't judge an animal--or a person--before you know their story.