"George Washington and the General's Dog" by Frank Murphy

Why don't they teach these stories in school (or maybe they do, and I was just out sick that day). George Washington and the General's Dog tells the story of George Washing finding General William Howe's dog and even though Howe was the enemy, Washington still returned the dog to the rightful owner. This book says so much about doing what is right and making choices that you can be proud of.

I was so impressed with this story. The writing itself isn't anything exceptional (but as this is a Step Into Reading book, that is totally okay), but there is so much that can be taken away from the plot. Working in a library, I get requests for books that can help spark a conversation about a problem going on with a family, within a household, with friends, etc. and it's up to me to try and find a book that can relate to said problem. This is going to be a book that I recommend a lot when dealing with honesty and doing the right thing. Though Washington very easily could have kept General Howe's dog or just not made any effort to return the dog to it's rightful owner, he made the decision to do the right thing. I can see this book being the perfect conversation starter for kids that are struggling with similar issues. I strongly feel that every kid should own a copy of this book. I get the feeling it will come in handy for many parents.

Happy Reading!
-Melly