Raised by Wolves by Tristan Bancks

Tristan Bancks you need to know the power of your story. There is a sentence early on this story that set me up to feel so much pain. Olive leaves her home to chase after her criminal father.

"If Olive lets dad go now, they'll never see it (the money) again, which could mean very bad things for their family. ... She slides the door closed behind her and leaps over the giant puddle at the back door, splashing down at the edge of it, bare feet snap-freezing. If she goes back for shoes, she'll talk herself out of this. ... She squints her eyes shut, musters every ounce of courage she has, then closes the gate behind her and sets out into the night." pg 45

Wait a minute! Go back a re-read this. Olive has no shoes on. I think I felt every step, every rock, every horrible surface over that terrible night as Olive chases her father across the dark, rainy city. Oh, and her phone battery is nearly dead too! How will she contact Ben, her brother. Ironically, he is training to be a police officer, but things are spiraling out of control and Olive really needs his help. 

Just to back-track a little. Mum is working hard to support the family so she is often late coming home. Olive is always on the alert checking the house and locking the doors and windows. Then one day she sees her Dad - the dad who stole over $900,000 five years ago. She follows him, talks to him and even shares a donut with him. Then dad asks her for money - $10,000!

At the heart of this story there is a theme of love and belonging. Olive knows her father committed a dreadful crime and that he put their family in terrible danger but she just wants to know - does he love her?

"Do you love me?' she asks and immediately wishes she could gobble the words back up. Dad looks surprised. ... 'Course I do,' Dad says. Olive feels a rush of blood from her chest to her cheeks. She has never heard Dad say this before. Technically, he didn't actually say it, but pretty much." pg 18

"She thinks of Dad. He's a bit rough around the edges, and he smells weird, but he's nicer than she remembers. And he loves me. She feels like an idiot for thinking it. Judges and lawyers need to be good at picking lies, but she believes him. She really does." pg 23

Maybe this is why Olive offers to give her father the $10,000 and why he finds their house and why he takes the bag with all the money that mum has been hiding and why Olive then decides she has to go after him to get that money back so that she and mum and Ben can possibly, perhaps, maybe, find a happy 'normal' life.

I read Raised by Wolves late into the night and continued into the early hours of the morning. I turned to the last page at 1.21am. It is very early in the year but I am absolutely certain Raised by Wolves will be a CBCA 2027 Notable title (fingers crossed the judges agree with me that it can stand alone because there is an awards rule about sequels). I highly highly recommend you add Raised by Wolves to your library - add it to your shopping list today. 

Publisher blurb: Twelve-year-old Olive Silver knows how to check every room with a knife when she gets home from school, how to survive alone and how to keep secrets. She’s had to – ever since her criminal dad abandoned her family five years ago and let them pay for his crime. But now, he’s back.

The day she spots him outside her school, everything tilts. Olive calls her big brother Ben, who’s two days from graduating the police academy, and follows Dad through rain and darkness, across railway tracks and through wrecking yards, desperate for answers. Does Dad love her? Or is he only back for the money? As the night spins out of control, Olive faces a choice: let Dad go or hunt him down and bring him to justice. Raised by Wolves is a tense, heart-stopping thriller about loyalty, betrayal and finding out who you really are when the people you trust most let you down.

There is a scene towards the end of Raised by Wolves at the airport - I suggest you use part of this as a way to book talk this thrilling story with your students. 

Raised by Wolves is the sequel to Two Wolves (2014) but this new installment can stand alone. That said, though, your reading experience of Raised by Wolves will be a richer one if you are familiar with Two Wolves. I read Two Wolves in 2015 and so I could only remember fragments of the plot but now I am keen to go back and read it again. In the US Two Wolves has the title 'On the Run'.

I highly recommend all of these other books by Tristan Bancks - we are so lucky here in Australia to be able to share books with our readers by this very talented creator. Pop each title into my search bar or go to this post.

Middle Grade Musings writes on Instagram about Raised by Wolves: I had high expectations for this book and they have been blown away. It’s incredible that Tristan was able to fit so much into 215 pages. It’s a book of 2 tales: the non-stop thrilling action that puts lives in danger and keeps you completely hooked - dodging trains, gun toting cowboys, barefoot pursuits, vicious dogs and much much more (no spoilers here). Then there is the portrayal of Olive’s inner turmoil, as her world falls apart around her and she is completely torn in 2 by the moral dilemma that she faces. Tristan so powerfully portrays the internal struggles of Olive as she deals with the ramifications of her father’s arrival back into her life. You can feel her genuine anguish throughout. It’s a credit to Tristan that he could capture this internal battle in a storyline so fast-paced and filled with action.

The Enchantment of Golden Eagle by Margaret Wild illustrated by Stephen Michael King

Margaret Wild: ‘I hope readers will understand that people can say something in anger (in this case, the curse put on the bird). And that those words can be regretted and forgiven. It would be good if this story can open up discussions about consequences, atonement and, especially forgiveness, because if we can forgive, there is the possibility that things can change for the better.’  Interview with Dr Robyn Sheahan-Bright (see the Teachers Notes)

After reading The Enchantment of Eagle here are some questions that occurred to me:

• Can you ever really 'own' a wild creature? 
• Did the eagle owe an extra loyalty to the family because they saved him when he was just a fledgling?
• Do you understand why the eagle needed to fly away?
• What is a curse?
• Should you always keep your promises? 
• What is guilt? 
• How do you repair a relationship when words are spoken in anger? 
• Why is it important to say sorry and how to you express this from your heart?
• Why are wolves always representative of danger?
• Think about feeling safe and unsafe and how this is explored in this book

Think about the title - enchantment - that is such a powerful word. It implies magic and has overtones of the fairy tale genre. And Margaret Wild writes of Golden Eagle not 'the' golden eagle. Is this a unique creature with magical qualities? Then we have the word golden. This implies precious and wise and important.

Symbolism of the golden eagle: The golden eagle is a powerful symbol that encompasses a wide range of meanings, including strength, freedom, ... and resilience. Its significance varies across cultures, but it consistently represents the ideals of power, guidance, and the ability to rise above challenges. Whether viewed as a divine messenger or a symbol of personal growth, the golden eagle holds a revered place in the spiritual and cultural narratives of many societies. Source

You will find some beautiful vocabulary when you share this book with your library group or young reading companion - fledgling; venture; gazed; summoned; exhilarating; "he batted about'; enfold; curse; pitiless; hollowed-out; tattered; rejoicing; and larking about.

Publisher blurb: One day, Ella and her little brother Leif found a fledgling with a broken wing. They took him home, wrapped and fed him, and watched over him for seven days and seven nights. In time Golden Eagle was well enough to fly away, but he loved the children, so he promised to stay with them at the edge of the dark forest. Until one day, the wind whispered and the breeze caressed his feathers, and Golden Eagle forgot his promise ...

The publisher links the themes in The Enchantment of Golden Eagle with another award-winning book by Margaret Wild - Fox - illustrated by Ron Brooks. With a group of older students, it would be good to compare these two books - read them side by side - and then talk about themes such as guilt; fear; promises; betrayal; and forgiveness. The Enchantment of Golden Eagle is one of those multilayered stories that you could share with your younger students and then also discuss with an older group. I would then pick up Robber Girl by Margaret Wild as another example of a text which showcases Margaret Wild's skill with writing.

The publisher page has a link to some detailed teachers notes. 

A new book by Margaret Wild is certainly something to celebrate. She has written well over 70 books and even at age 76 does not seem set to stop. I expect to see The Enchantment of Golden Eagle listed by the CBCA as a 2026 notable title. 

Read some reviews:

The publisher marks this as suitable for readers 7 to 12, older than the typical picture book market, and online Teaching Notes offer suggestions up to Year 6. This is valuable recognition of the potential of picture books to inspire rich learning well beyond the formative literacy stage. Story Links

Interview with Paperbark Word (Joy Lawn) I love the word “enchantment”. As you say, it is so evocative.  With its associations of spells, magic and mystery, I hope it will spark a reader’s curiosity to open the book and read on.

Highly recommended for all! Kids' Book Review

This is a compelling story that will have the reader turning the pages to the end so they can discover whether the eagle, seen by many cultures as a symbol of strength and freedom, survives the curse, whether it returns and what happens next. The Bottom Shelf

This is a gentle book that reminds us about forgiveness and letting go and loving what you have in life. The Book Muse

From Stephen Michael King: Golden Eagle is my seventh book with Margaret Wild. You might remember the piglet series: Piglet and Mama, Piglet and Papa – then there’s the pocket dogs (everyone’s favourite books). Margaret Wild was instrumental in turning me into a published author/illustrator (with my first book, “The Man Who Loved Boxes”), so it’s always a giant privilege to work with her. 35 plus years ago – when I was working as a General Library assistant, I created a display of her and Julie Vivas’s book “The Very Best of Friends”. I’ve loved Margaret Wild’s work from that very first visual.

Other books by Margaret Wild with art by Stephen Michael King:

And two sequels

Fortunately by Remy Charlip

There is a simple pattern here of fortunately followed by unfortunately. Young readers will quickly anticipate each page turn but the actual outcome of each incident is sure to be a surprise and yes the ending - spoiler alert - is also a surprise - it is in fact a surprise party with a setting you could never have anticipated.  

Fortunately, Ned was invited to a surprise party.
Unfortunately, the party was a thousand miles away.
Fortunately, a friend loaned Ned an airplane.
Unfortunately, the motor exploded.
Fortunately, there was a parachute in the airplane.
Unfortunately, there was a hole in the parachute.

This pattern is not new. Here are a couple of other books that follow this format:

Here are some other books that end with a birthday party:

Fortunately was published over sixty years ago in 1964 but oddly I had not heard of it until recently when someone on Instagram made this puzzling statement. (Note most of the content from this US Teacher or Teacher-Librarian is behind a paywall). 

This book is a masterclass in mercenary page turns

If you are reading this blog and you can explain this idea or this terminology - mercenary page turn - I would love to hear your ideas. I did comment on her post and ask for an explanation but I didn't get an answer. Kirkus say: This book is more of a word game for group use than a story.

I did find this book listed as still available here in Australia also here. 

You can see Betsy Bird reading Fortunately here. 

Remy Charlip was an American illustrator. He died in 2012 and wrote or illustrated over 40 books. 

Weird Little Robots by Carolyn Crimi illustrated by Corinna Luyken

 

Penny Rose loves creating things from found and recycled materials. Her latest project is the creation of five robots. 

"She had made them with odd items that pleased her, like a meat thermometer, a cell phone, a calculator, a pair of old dentures. One robot had a marble eye that Penny Rose had found in the town graveyard."

The robots have cute names: iPam, Fraction, Clunk, Sharpie and Data. On the night of her birthday something happens to her robots - something magical:

"And maybe it was the force of her determination, or a few stray whiskers from her cat, Arvid, or that northerly wind blowing in through the window that changed every single item in that shed on that cool September afternoon. Or maybe it was simply a desperate wish from a lonely girl."

Her family have just moved to this new town and Penny Rose would like a friend. Her robots are her friends but there is a girl right across the road called Lark. Perhaps there is a way Lark might become her friend. Sure, this can happen but there will be complications along the way along with some special discoveries about those quirky robots who now seem to have their own agenda. 

This is a sweet little story about the importance of friendship and the wonderful things that can happen if you believe in magic and there is just the right amount of tension to keep you turning the pages. I think readers aged 8+ will enjoy this book. I do like the subtitle: Two science geeks, five robots. One incredible adventure.

Penguin Random House blurb: Eleven-year-old Penny Rose has just moved to a new town, and so far the robots she builds herself are her only company. But with just a bit of magic, everything changes: she becomes best friends with Lark, has the chance to join a secret science club, and discovers that her robots are alive. Penny Rose hardly remembers how lonely she used to feel. But then a fateful misstep forces her to choose between the best friend she’s always hoped for and the club she’s always dreamed of, and in the end it may be her beloved little robots that pay the price.

Here is a set of teaching notes and questions from the US publisher Candlewick. The US copy has a different cover:

There are so many things to love about this charming little tale of friendship and creativity, science and magic. The girls are interesting and interested in the world around them. But it's the robots who steal the show. Reading Style

Carolyn Crimi’s prose is crisp and inviting. Believable dialogue helps move the story forward as does the overall paragraph/chapter structure. Corinna Luyeken’s sweet illustration have an earnestness to them that adds emotion and light throughout. Cracking the Cover

You can see books by Caroline Crimi on her web site. Here are some other books illustrated by Corinna Luyken:

And ... by Philippe Jalbert

"No! Don't touch the butterfly! If you do, it will fly away and ... "

Open to the very first page of this book and stop - the story has begun. A little girl sees a pretty butterfly hovering near a red flower. She crouches down for a closer look but her mother says - no! If you touch this butterfly it will fly away, a flower petal will fall and it will land on a dung beetle and his ball of dung will roll into a river and this will cause the water to rise and the dam wall will break and ...

"I promise I won't touch the butterfly, and ... "

Make sure you turn to the very last page because it is the perfect 'oh no' moment.

This book was originally published in French with the title Et...  Take a look at other books by Philippe Jalbert.

Here is another other picture book about the butterfly effect:

And here are my favourite books about actions and consequences: