I first heard this book when my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Holman, read it aloud to our class. I loved it so much that I checked it out of the library as soon as she finished it. I've been a voracious reader ever since. I don't care if the stories about Lad are true or not - Mr. Terhune has written a book that makes me believe that Lad was real. I cried my eyes out several times while reading the book, and I wished that I could have a dog just like Lad. I still cry when I read it, his writing is that good.