Julie of the Wolves

Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Craighead George

I am coming upon the end of my time spent working in a middle school and as such, this is the last book I have read along with my sixth grade students. While some parts were pretty slow, others made up for it. The funny thing is that my sister saw me reading this book, remembered it from when she read it way back when and then proceeded to tell me the exact page number of a “dirty” scene. Interesting.

Known as Julie to the English-speakers and Miyax to the Eskimo, Julie lives in Alaska where the sun shone for months and then remained dark until the sun returned and brought life back. Her father is a skilled Eskimo hunter, but when he disappears while hunting, Julie must live with her conservative aunt that scolded Julie for speaking English and cutting her hair short. In an attempt to escape her aunt, Julie consented to an earlier pre-arranged marriage set up by her father. At the age of 13, Julie was married to a total stranger, lived with a whole new family, went to a whole new school and started to exchange letters with a pen pal in San Francisco. When her new “married” life became intolerable (see page 101, thanks sister), Julie decided to run away and take up her pen pal’s constant offers of going down to San Fran. Yet, running away was not as simple as she thought. Julie became lost on the tundra of the Arctic Circle and tried to survive with what Eskimo traditions her father had taught her from before. Just as she is about to starve, Julie takes a risk with a nearby wolf pack that eventually adopts her as their own. Julie is saved and becomes one of the tribe, with Nails, Silver, Sister, Zit, Zat, Zing, the friendly pup Kapu, the bold leader Amaroq, and the lone wolf who is constantly suspicious and never trusting of the new human Jello. Amaroq takes care of Julie after she learns the ways of the wolf and how to communicate properly. Living for months, lost on the tundra, Julie returns to the Eskimo ways of her ancestors, living with nature and accepting the name Miyax. Miyax appreciates her new way of life with the wolves, but when Miyax finds her way back to civilization during the hunting season, she must try to protect her new wolf friends from the bounty out on wolves for hunters.

I am very happy with the way the narrative of this novel was set up. It is split into three parts. During part one, Miyax is already lost on the tundra and must figure out a way to survive and learn how to get the wolves to accept her and offer her help before she starves. The sections on the tundra are pretty dry for the most part. Part two, though, goes back in time during Julie’s childhood to learn why Julie had run away and found herself in such a position. Part three has Miyax working with the wolves, but trying to find a new balance between old and new world traditions as she comes back to civilization. The tundra parts may have been slow but they were thankfully broken up in the middle. The ending to this novel is bittersweet, but I will admit that it was also confusing. On the last two pages, Miyax changes her mind for what seems to be 15 times and then finally she makes up her mind during the last sentence and I still have not yet decided if I like it. I say bittersweet because I like the ending and hate it at the same time. Or maybe I just hate the situation because of the characters involved and the conflict between a dying older way of life being put aside for a newer modern one.

This book has some very dry parts and the tundra scenes seem to last forever. I would not recommend this book for anyone who gets bored easily or has trouble paying attention when things get repetitive. However, do not let that stop you. I think this book has some great things to say and some actually stunning scenes that are both exciting and moving. And how bad can this book really be if it won the Newberry Medal? Enough said; read it.

“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island.”
- Walt Disney

The Call of the Wild

The Call of the Wild, by Jack London

I am surprised how long I lasted without reading this book or anything by Jack London. I was told that this book is a rite of passage for boyhood; it looks like I am a little late. This was definitely an interesting novel considering that I was not to eager to read a book whose main character was a dog.

Buck was kidnapped from his comfortable home in sunny California to be sold and transported up into the frigid Artic Canada where dogs were needed to work the ever-popular Gold Rush. After a grueling train ride, and an even more violent training session with “the man in the red sweater,” Buck was transformed into a dog whose spirit could not be broken. This novel portrays Buck’s growing assent to popularity in Canada as well as his journey from domestic to wilderness. He pulls sleds for many different men and learns how to grow in the ranks until finally becoming the lead sled dog. But one group of owners is too stupid and mean and for the first time Buck refuses to pull the sled and is almost beaten to death. He is saved when John Thornton removes him from the horrible owners, which works out well because both John and Buck witness their awful fate. Finally, Buck has found a man he can love and hopes that this one will not leave him like all the others. His growing dedication to Thornton adds to the legend of Buck after defensive attacks, rescues and feats of strength make him a well-known name. Slowly Buck comes closer and closer to the wild side the more he is exposed to the natural arctic world. This is the remarkable story of a dog born into luxury and how he becomes the leader of a wolf pack.

I was not sure how much I would like this book once I found out it was about a dog. I was not sure what to expect. I was thinking it would be something akin to Disney’s animated 101 Dalmatians but it is much closer to the Glenn Close version of the film. The story is told in third person so you never fully get inside Buck’s head. Instead, you learn about Buck through his actions and through the dialogue of the human characters that come in and out of his life. I never felt like I was reading a silly story about an animal, I liked the presentation London offered. The story was told well and had a great plot with constant action that kept the adventure going.

This action and adventure story is perfect for younger readers who want to be proven wrong that books are boring. This book is definitely not boring. It holds an amount of action and violence to remain heart pounding, while still remaining appropriate for all ages. And don’t let the fact that the main character is a dog stop you from reading this book as it almost did me. You will still be invested and rooting for a character you can relate to, even if you don’t have four legs and are covered in fur.

“Read, read, read.”
- William Faulkner

The Cay

The Cay, by Theodore Taylor

Seeing how many issues and conflicts can be brought up in such a short number of pages, I understand why so many middle school teachers love this young adult novel. From war to racism to learning how to care for yourself, this book has it all.

Phillip Enright is a normal boy except for the fact that his father got transferred to Willemstad, which is on the island of Curacao off the coast of Venezuela. He adjusted fine, learning Dutch to go to the regular school with other students his age. It is not until World War II is brought to their shores in the form of German submarines that his mother becomes more intent on returning to the United States. While leaving his father behind, Phillip and his mother board the Hato to return to the States. The trip is interrupted, however, when the ship gets attacked and Phillip wakes up in a raft out at sea with a seventy-year-old black man named Timothy, a stray cat and a large bump on his head. Thanks to his mother’s influence, Phillip was brought up not to trust black people, but this is something he must get over when his recent head injury causes him to go blind. Unable to see, Phillip must depend on a man he was brought up to hate in order to survive. Finally reaching an island in the middle of nowhere, Phillip must learn how to co-exist with Timothy who is totally different from him, learn how to do things by himself while blind, as well as try to get rescued and survive a hurricane.

Taylor is able to weave a compact novel that seems adventurous without being overly so. The plot keeps readers engaged as well as asks them to think about social issues. His use of dialogue can be distracting with Timothy’s Caribbean vernacular, but I never got lost in what the character was saying. Phillip was able to show true growth through Taylor’s work and after reading this, I feel like maybe I could survive on an island, too.

This was a quick read, but a good read. It may not be for anyone who does not like LOST, Gillian’s Island, Cast Away or Survivor, but it could be great for those thrill seekers who want more than just action sequences. With this book, they will get that.

“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.”
- Joseph Brodsky

Jaguar

Jaguar, by Roland Smith

As some of you know, I have been working with sixth graders all semester as part of my secondary teaching certification program. My students are starting a new themed unit called “the need to survive.” Some of these books sounded interesting, so I volunteered to take one home with me and see what it was all about. I took home Jaguar, and I am so happy I did. Simply amazing book!

Jacob “Jake” Lansa, after spending a year with his father in Kenya, is upset when he is left behind to live at his grandfather’s retirement home while Jake’s father, Doc, goes off to Brazil to start up a jaguar preserve. When Jake finally gets a chance to visit, he hopes to convince his father to let him stay in the Amazon instead of being sent back to Poughkeepsie, New York. After a violent accident, Doc has no choice but to let Jake come along if the jaguar preserve is going to be created. However, more danger seems to follow as they hire a suspicious boat driver and Jake believes a man with a scar is following the expedition. Jake is a valued member of the team, but has some difficulty trying to accept the fact that while his father was away in Brazil, he never tried to contact Jake, not even when Doc started to date a botanist named Flanna. Not only does Jake have family issues to deal with, but he also has to find a way to survive in the jungle and save the day when serious peril catches up with the group trying to set up a wildlife preserve.

Roland Smith is a research biologist as well as a children’s author. It is no wonder then that so much of his book is extremely detailed towards the environment of Brazil and what happens to the plants, animals and indigenous people when explorers come in search of resources. The characters are dynamic and the plot is captivating. I kept thinking to myself that I would love to see this as a movie. Even though it is intended for ages “10 and up” and has a fifth grade reading level, I really think anyone with a sense of adventure can love this book. It has mystery and excitement, all wrapped up in a brilliantly written plot where things intertwined perfectly throughout the novel. It is a very well thought out plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat while also educating readers about issues in Brazil and the rainforest.

I loved this book. It definitely fits into the adventure category and had me constantly turning pages to see what happens next. I did not feel like I was reading a young adult novel and therefore feel comfortable in recommending this book to everyone with eyes. I really want this to become a movie, just so more people know about it and because I think it would be good. I’d pay to see it.

“There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all.”
- Jacqueline Kennedy

I think it is also fitting to know that I read and completed this book on Earth Day. Ironic.