Hachiko Waits

 Newman, Lesléa and Kodaira, Machiyo. Hachiko Waits.  New York : Henry Holt, 2004.

 

 Plot: Kindly Professor Ueno works with his beloved akita, Hachi every day. In return, Hachi walks the professor to the train he takes for work and returns to walk him back home every day. Except, one day, the professor does not come back. He died unexpectedly at the university. Despite the affections of the train's workers and passengers, Hachi refuses to go home with any of them. Yasuo, a little boy, worries and cares for him. Hachi, later known as Hachiko, waits for ten long years for his master's return. One day, Yasuo, no longer a boy, finds Hachiko dead. Wishing to respect the faithful dog, he, as well as many of the train's daily passengers, create a statue in the loyal dog's honor. Yasuo later proposes in front of the statue, promising to show the faithfulness of the akita to his wife to be.

Genre: Historical Fiction, Animals

Reading Level: Ages 7-11

Similar Titles: Greyfairs Bobby, Hachi: A Dog's Tale

Personal Thoughts: There really was an akita named Hachi. Like the story, he waited a decade for his master's return to the train station and did have a statue built in his honor. While the statue was melted during World War II, it was later rebuilt. Apparently, it is a popular meeting place in modern Japan.