“Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen” by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Eric Rohmann
Schwartz and Wade books, New York, 2018, 245 pages, Grades 4-6.
Animals have long been the staple of books and films. Great novels like “Black Beauty” by Anna Sewell have thrilled readers for generations.
With the development of cinema, animals become vital parts of the visual landscape. Several dogs star in television shows and movies. The most famous example from the 1950s is the popular show “Lassie.”
Renowned writer Candace Fleming has written an exciting book of historical nonfiction about the first dog to star in the movies. Found in the Berlin police dog pound by a Hollywood movie director, Strongheart is the first superstar movie dog. Fleming writes his story with exquisite detail, excitement and affection. The name of this excellent book is “Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen.”
Named Etzel at birth, the puppy enjoys life with his brother and sister. Suddenly, his life changes. The Berlin Police are looking for guard dogs and think Etzel is ideal for the job. Taken from his happy home, Etzel is thrust into a brutal world of mean dogs and harsh masters. He quickly learns to obey and to attack on command.
At the same time in Hollywood, a film director named Larry Trimble is looking for a dog to star in a movie. Together with his fine writer Jane Murfin, they scour the country for a lead dog. Unable to find one, Larry travels to Berlin looking for his future star. There, he sees a beautiful German Shepherd named Etzel. Convinced of his possibilities, Trimble buys Etzel and takes the dog to California. He gives him the name Strongheart.
But Strongheart does not trust people and can be vicious. The director slowly gains Strongheart’s trust by playing games with a red, squeaky ball. Soon Strongheart learns to love and trust Larry, which leads him to accept other people.
The dog is so strikingly beautiful that Jane Murfin writes a starring role for Strongheart in a film. On the set, the actors and producers discover that the dog poses majestically and develops endearing movements. This encourages Trimble to complete the film. It becomes a phenomenal success upon release. Money and fame pour into the movie studio and a dog food company puts the picture of Strongheart on their products. Strongheart is a national sensation.
But greed moves two people to fake an accident with a young girl and blame Strongheart for an incident. The culprits then plan to sue the film studio for a large sum of money. Soon newspaper headlines get the story and portray Strongheart as a vicious animal. It sure looks like Strongheart is in trouble. But then a surprising turn of events occurs. What is it?
Did Strongheart cause the accident with the young girl? How can a judge question a dog? Who helps Strongheart during the legal proceedings? Which people are finally wearing the handcuffs at the end of the hearing? To find out the answers to these and other questions, go to the library and check out this outstanding book, “Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen” by Candace Fleming.
This is a great book. You will not want to stop reading until you have turned the last page. Strongheart’s story is so interesting that children (and adults) will want to know more about the famous dog. Candace Fleming is a brilliant writer and draws readers into the text. This book won the Golden Sower Award as the most popular book in Nebraska for middle school readers in 2021. Encourage your middle grade children to read this book. Better yet, read it yourself. I hope you like it as much as I did. Enjoy!
