Summer
of the wolves by
Polly Carlson-Voiles
340
pgs.Target audience: Ages 10-13
Rating: Wizard
Nika
and her brother have been subjected to the foster home shuffle for almost two
years straight when a phone call gets them sent to stay with their long lost
uncle, Ian McNeil, who lives and studies wolves in the remote wilderness of
Minnesota. Surrounded by lakes, thick forests, and wild, raw nature, Nika
wonders what her new life will be like. While her younger brother, Randall,
stays with a family on a neighboring island, Nika joins her uncle on a mission
to find a tracked wolf. What they find instead is a lone wolf pup whom they
bring back to the cabin to raise. Nika forms a close bond with the pup who fills the hole in her heart left by
the death of her mother. She names him Khan and through their relationship Nika
learns all about wolf behavior and habitat. She knows he’ll never be able to
survive in the wild again and that he belongs in a protected habitat with other
wolves. This poignant and heartwarming story is about finding family in
unexpected places and understanding the fragile balance between loving wild
animals and leaving them be. It will tug at the heartstrings of all animal
lovers. For those like me who stress over the fate of animals in books, Khan survives.
This book would serve well as a source for environmental projects and reports.
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