Duke by Kirby Larson

This book is being considered for a Cybils award, so I'm not giving it my usual rating. Hobie loves his dog, Duke, a playful, loyal German Shepherd. His father enlisted to serve his country during WW II, but Hobie is questioning his own bravery and support for the soldiers. He decides to donate Duke to the military, and he has mixed emotions about it from that moment on. Meanwhile, Hobie must deal with the normal kid problems in the 1940's, with the bully picking on the new kid who's grandfather is from Germany, and with the fear of safety for his father and Duke.

The plot is similar to a less-intense version of Letters From Wolfie. It captures the innocence of kids hanging out together and blends it with the intense patriotism during the war. The author shared the conflicting emotions of fear, guilt, and bravery experienced by Hobie. Different concepts of bravery were shared.