Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle

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Synopsis

Nubs was an Iraqi dog of war who was the leader of a pack of wild strays who lived off the land, barely surviving. He had no home or person to call his own until Major Brian Dennis came into his life. Brian gave him all the attention and care that the little dog with cropped ears was craving, sharing his meals, playing with him, and giving him a warm place to sleep. Nubs bonded with Brian and became a part of his human "pack" until their unit had to move on. Nubs didn't understand that Marines weren't allowed to have pets, so he sadly followed their convoy each time they had to leave, wanting them to come back. One day, Nubs kept right on going, embarking on an incredible journey through seventy miles of unforgiving desert, determined to find his new best friend. Once they were reunited, Brian couldn't let Nubs go after all he'd been through, so he set out to make sure his canine companion would be able to live with him for the rest of his life in America.

Review

Nubs is a children's book that is the true story of a stray dog in Iraq that was rescued by an American service member. Nubs was the leader of a pack of wild dogs that hung out near an Iraqi army fort in the desert, scraping by on small animals they could catch and scraps the Iraqi soldiers fed them. When Major Brian Dennis arrived in the area with his team to help train Iraqi soldiers, the dogs raced out to meet them, all but Nubs. He approached more cautiously, but from the moment he let Brian pet him, Nubs became attached to the Marine. However, Brain was unable to stay, his mission taking him elsewhere, but every time he came back through the area, Nubs was there to greet him and always ran after the convoy when it was time for them to leave. On one such day, Nubs decided he was going to follow them no matter what. He trekked seventy miles through harsh desert terrain in search of the person he'd claimed as his own. After Nubs managed such a daring feat, Brian couldn't let him go even though he knew that keeping a dog was against military regulations. So he set out to find a way to get Nubs to America so that once his tour of duty was up, they could be together forever.

I'm a total sucker for all the stories of animals befriending American service members that came out of the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In fact, I wrote a book about one such fictionalized friendship myself. Nubs is the first book about this subject I've read that was written for children and it was fantastic. It's written in language that's very engaging and sure to hold kids attention, and although this is a story of war, there's nothing traumatic in it that might frighten youngsters, although the most curious ones may have questions. Nubs's story is also inspirational in that he survived a nasty wound that Brian and his medic treated, and then went on to pull a real-life incredible journey through the desert to be with the person he'd bonded with in much the same way the dog in my own book did. The story ends very happily and is accompanied by lots of actual pictures of Nubs and Brian, both in Iraq and after, once they were both safe in the States. I highly recommend this book for kids and parents alike who are animal lovers and for its inspirational story of perseverance.

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Major Brian Dennis @ GoodReads

Mary Nethery @ GoodReads

Kirby Larson