Pretty good YA novel about an old sheepherder, a young boy learning the trade, and two sheepdogs. Short but sweet. I would have complained if I was forced to read this in elementary school, but I really enjoyed it now! I like the outdoors and dogs, but not necessarily sheep! I picked this up at a yard sale and read it in a couple of hours. ( )

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A coming-of-age story about a boy who spends a summer with a sheep flock and the old man who tends them, learning about friendship and life.
Meh. I think my Newbery Books about Boys Shepherding in the Wilderness compartment is chockablock full at this point. ( )

A boy (who is never named, but just called "the boy") goes on a long trek across the American Southwest with a flock of sheep, two dogs, and Old Ramon, an elderly, experienced sheep herder. Old Ramon, who has no formal education, has plenty of wisdom regarding what he does, and he imparts it patiently to the boy. The setting is beautifully described, and the story moves at the unhurried pace of a flock of sheep.
This is more of a short story than a novel. There are no characters other than the boy and Old Ramon; there are no sub-plots.
I found it irritating that the boy is never named. I had the same complaint with "Sounder." It's well done for what it is. If a boy learning about life and sheep herding from a wise old man sounds appealing to you, you'll love this book. If it doesn't, then skip this one. ( )

Every so often, I read a children's book, just because. This one has been in my shelf for a while, snagged at a used-book store out of my love for Shane and Monte Walsh. The rhythmic, running-on voice of Jack Schaefer is immediately recognizable in this little story. He uses repetition of words and phrases to create a rugged poetry and he manages to stir emotion for the Old West in a carefully placed adjective here and there, like the "brave" circle of light from Ramon and the boy's fire.

This doesn't feel like a children's book, really. It's a timeless book, a hundred pages of gently rolling prose that tells of another time and leaves much unsaid. The setting is, of course, a main strength; but so are the conversations and relationship between Ramon and the boy and their dogs, the wisdom and stories Ramon imparts to the boy (I was reminded a bit of Santiago and Manolin, though that old man is alone with his sea for much of the book). I might not have had the patience for this book as a middle-grade reader; but of the obscure Newbery Honor books, this one is worth picking up. A gem with subdued yet lasting shine. ( )