Hachiko Waits

Hachiko Waits

by Leslea Newman
Trade Paperback, 96 pages
Current Retail Price: $7.99
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Historical Setting: Japan

"What a good dog you are. What a fine dog you are. Hachi, you are the best dog in all of Japan."

Professor Ueno speaks these words to his faithful dog before boarding the train to work every morning. And every afternoon, just before three o'clock, Hachi is at the train station to greet his beloved master. One day, the train arrives at the station without the professor. Hachi waits.

For ten years, Hachi waits for his master to return. Not even Yasuo, the young boy who takes care of Hachi, can persuade him to leave his post.

Hachiko Waits, a novel inspired by a true story, brings to life the legendary Akita who became a national symbol for loyalty and devotion. This is a must-read for dog lovers of all ages.

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  Make the World A Better Place
AJF of Michigan, 6/17/2019
Hachiko Waits is a historical fiction book by Leslea Newman. It is set in Japan in the early 1900s.
Hachi is a dog who is owned by Professor Eizaburo Ueno. Every day, Hachi follows his master to the train station to see him off. At five minutes to three, Hachi returns and meets the professor. One day, the professor does not return. Every day the dog comes to the train station, waiting for someone who will never come. A young boy named Yasuo and the stationmaster care for him. During this time Hachi earns the name
Chuken Hachiko, faithful dog Hachiko. For ten long years he waits.
The ending will not be given away here, because no one wants to be a spoiler.
Hachiko can be compared to Matt in The Sign of the Beaver. They both wait for someone and are both pressured to stop waiting and come live with other people. They both continue to wait.
Hachiko teaches an important lesson about loyalty. He waits because he believes his master will come.
He waits because he loves Professor Ueno and wants him to come back. He waits because he does not know what else to do.
If everyone were as loyal as Hachiko, the world would be a better place.