Run by Sarah Armstrong

Cas (short for Casper) has experienced some dreadful things in his short life. He is only twelve. His mum left him and his dad when Casper was just four years old. He has no real memory of her, but he has so many unanswered questions. Did she leave because he did something wrong? Does she miss him? Where does she live now? Cas is left with his dad but that's when life becomes even harder because dad cannot cope. He does not buy food, he has no job and he shows no affection towards his young son. Cas is forced to scavenge for food in dumpsters. If anyone offers him the tiniest touch of affection it almost overwhelms him. Eventually Cas is sent to live with Mel - his father's sister and his aunt. She tries hard and is able to give Cas a stable home but then, unbeknown to Cas, his father wants to resume contact. Mel organises for Cas to spend a day with his father but he absolutely does not want to go. At the last minute Mel is unwell and so she sends Cas with her former partner Kimberley. 

Cas is seething, so when Kimberley's car veers off the road, Cas takes his chance and dives out of the car and runs away. Note the title of this book - run! Cas is now running. He thinks of the way people survive on television series like Alone. Of course, he lacks skills and equipment, and he knows he has put himself into a dangerous situation and then he meets three people - a father and his two daughters. They have been living in the bush for two years but why? And who are these people? Can he trust them? How will he find his way home without them? But then there is a major landslide and it seems he is stuck. 

Waking up in the middle of the night and wanting to keep reading is a sign of a great book. I started Run at about 9pm one night and by the middle of the next day I finished off the whole book. I think this action thriller will greatly appeal to readers aged 10+. It is a survival story but is it also a story about forgiveness and about 'growing up'.

Publisher blurb: Cas thought running away from home would solve all his problems. But he didn’t count on getting hopelessly lost in the tangled Australian bush. Alone and afraid, Cas has given up all hope of rescue when he stumbles upon a strange family hiding out in the wilderness. He won’t survive without their help. But when he discovers they’re also on the run – from something so big, they won’t even talk about it – he realises his problems are just beginning …

This is a fast-paced survival story that also manages to thoughtfully address themes of family and forgiveness. Set in the bush, it’s an exciting read filled with strong, memorable characters. The plot is gripping, yet written with sensitivity and an inclusive approach. Readings Melbourne

Without giving away too much that would spoil the suspense or the story itself, it really has many layers and moral dilemmas entwined throughout and will have you questioning what you would do if you were not only in Cas’ situation, but also that of Mack, Pearl and Viv. And then there are the feelings and emotions that his family and friends are going through, not knowing where Cas is, or if he is even safe. A suspenseful and fast-paced story of survival, with many twists and turns, but also a story of family, friendship, trust and belonging, and is suited to those in lower secondary and also to those in upper primary as well. Lamont

Companion reads:

The Honest Truth

Cop and Robber

Being Jimmy Baxter

The Lovely and the Lost

Sunshine

Pax

A Different Dog

The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Kira has been a lost child. She has been rescued by Cady and her son Jude but she still has scars - visible and invisible that have damaged her from her time 'alone' in the wilderness. 

Cady is an expert with training and using tracking dogs. Kira, perhaps because of that time spent alone surviving in the wild, has a special bond with the dogs especially a rescue dog named Saskia. Cady has been called to the small town where she grew up because a very young girl named Bella is missing. But as the story unfolds finding this missing girl is not the only reason Cady needed to come home.

This is one of those stories where reading feels like viewing a television show. Nearly every character has a back story and as a reader you will want to know more about each key person and discover how they are interconnected. Of course, the plot is also driven by the desperate need to find young Bella. 

Readers who enjoy survival stories and who have a special affinity with dogs are sure to love this book. The ending will be a surprise and as with all good Young Adult titles there are still a few loose ends. 

I recommend this book for readers aged 13+ mainly because there is a very violent scene towards the end when Kira is taken for interrogation by the local sherif. He is a vicious and nasty man who exposes parts of Kira's story that are utterly dreadful and harrowing. If you look at my labels for this post you will have a better idea of some of the issues raised in this story.

I bought this book by accident but I am glad I found and read it. I was browsing one of our city bookstores (Abbey's York Street). As usual I had found one book to buy but I decided I needed two! Abbey's have a good shelf of front facing newer titles and this one caught my eye. I thought I had heard of the author Jennifer Lynn Barnes but in fact she is new to me. High School readers, this is a Young Adult book, are sure to have heard of her book series The Inheritance Games. The Lovely and the Lost was published in 2020 but my copy is the UK 2025 edition. 

You can read a long description of the plot on the US publisher page. 

Blurb from the author page: Kira Bennett's earliest memories are of living alone and wild in the woods. She has no idea how long she was on her own or what she had to do to survive, but she remembers the moment that Cady Bennett and one of her search-and-rescue dogs found her perfectly. Adopted into the Bennett family, Kira still struggles with human interaction years later, but she excels at the family business: search-and-rescue. Along with Cady's son, Jude, and their neighbor, Free, Kira works alongside Cady to train the world's most elite search-and-rescue dogs. Someday, all three teenagers hope to put their skills to use, finding the lost and bringing them home. But when Cady's estranged father, the enigmatic Bales Bennett, tracks his daughter down and asks for her help in locating a missing child, Kira's memories threaten to overwhelm her at every turn. As the danger mounts and long-held family secrets come to light, Kira is forced to question everything she thought she knew about her adopted family, her true nature, and her past.

How did I decide this was a Young Adult title? What are some things I should have noticed?

• The print size is very small
• The bookshop price sticker (these are always worth exploring) says "Young Adult Fiction"
• The cover endorsement - 'A propulsive mystery-thriller ... You will cling to this book until you reach the end' Maureen Johnson - not a name I know - this should have been a strong hint

The hardcover edition of this book certainly has a Young Adult image:

Foxlight by Katya Balen

"I feel like I'm looking at something I have known forever and something I don't know at all. It's like a golden thread of light is spinning out from my chest and right into the eyes of this wild creature 

and we are joined and connected by something fragile and strange and familiar. The fox is freedom."

Two babies are found in the wilderness near a home for abandoned babies. 

"Rey and I were found at foxlight. That's what Lissa tells us. Right at that very moment when quiet twilight met the dawn and the sun and the moon and the stars wove their own light together and the orange streaks of foxes could be seen brushing against the awakening sky. ... We were curled up small and quiet like question marks in a swirl of snow and orange fur and white teeth. Lissa nearly didn't see us because she wasn't looking for babies out there right at that wild untamed border."

Lissa is the gentle carer of young found children. Each of the other children has a story and each has been found with a note from their mother - all except Rey and her sister Fen (our narrator). 

On Sunday nights Zaki, Alex, Jasmine, Alice, and Robin write letters to their mothers. Lisa has given each of these children a middle name that links with the time they were found but Fen and Rey were not found with a note or keepsake from their mother. It is Lissa who names them Fen and Rey but they feel desolate every Sunday evening because they have no one to write to.

Let's just take a minute to notice these prophetic names. Rey made me think of the folktale name Reynard. And with Fen I thought of the fennec fox.

To comfort themselves the girls have created a whole imaged world featuring their mother. Every night they tell each other stories. It is a game they call "Let's play imagine". 

It seems a little bit trite to use this expression, but I thought of the words 'loose lips sink ships' when Rey and Fen overhear something said by an elderly man who visits to repair the broken fence after an attack by a fox who has killed one of their precious chickens. 

"That blinking woman used to feed them, the wild one, no shoes, wandered the wildlands with the rest of those nutters."

"There was a group of them once, load of blinking barefooters. Wilders, they called themselves. Living out there ... they thought they could bring it all back to life. Those lands been dead longer than I've been alive. ... No one comes back from the wildlands."

Go back to the quote at the top of this post. The girls, especially Fen, believe the fox can lead them to their mother. This woman described by Marl surely is their mother. The believe their mother is waiting in the wilderness for them to return. Finding their mother will give them answers to all their life questions. Taking very few supplies they set off walking into the unknown. 

This is such a different reading experience. The whole story has the feel of a fable. The name of the house hints at this:

"The house is called the Light House because it's the only flickering glow in a wild and empty land and everyone knows how to find it. Its light guides the mothers towards it so they can leave their babies safely."

The first night the sisters sleep outside and an animal, possibly the fox, ransacks their supplies. This broke my heart but then on the second night they find a small cabin. It has clearly been abandoned but it contains food, a can opener and a map! They discover that the wilderness contains many small houses or huts. 

The pace of this story is also interesting. The girls make their journey to find their longed-for mother but, apart from daily survival, there is no real urgency to their journey. I'm sure you have noticed most stories involving a journey or a quest have a layer of time - a deadline - which moves the plot along with a sense of dread that time is running out. There is no real deadline here except the girls' desperate search for answers and for the mother of their imagining. 

I also loved the way Katya Balen gave each girl a different personality - one quiet and contemplative and the other impetuous and boisterous. But then this changes and we see Rey express herself in an unexpected way. Fen finds herself alone. This was the part enjoyed because it was such an unexpected plot twist and because as twins these two girls feel like two parts of a whole. With one girl missing everything felt out of balance. I think I held my breath from pages 176 to page 212 (36 pages). 

"I feel so small and alone. There is not second heartbeat, no quiet wild sister. We have never been apart for more than minutes. I keep opening my mouth to talk to empty air. It feels like I have been ripped in two and my edges are jagged."

The writing in this book is so atmospheric. It is also interesting to think about point of view in a first-person narrative. I'm not sure I would read this book to a group of students, but it would be a beautiful one to read aloud in a family or to put into the hands of an avid reader aged 10+ especially a reader who is looking for a gentle, emotional reading experience.

Author blurb: Fen and Rey were found curled up small and tight in the fiery fur of the foxes at the very edge of the wildlands. Fen is loud and fierce and free. She feels a connection to foxes and a calling from the wild that she's desperate to return to. Rey is quiet and shy and an expert on nature. She reads about the birds, feeds the lands and nurtures the world around her. They are twin sisters. Different and the same. Separate and connected. They will always have each other, even if they don't have a mother and don't know their beginning. But they do want answers. Answers to who their mother is and where she might be. What their story is and how it began. So when a fox appears late one night at the house, Fen and Rey see it as a sign - it's here to lead them to their truth, find their real family and fill the missing piece they have felt since they were born. But the wildlands are exactly that: wild. They are wicked and cruel and brutal and this journey will be harder and more life changing than either Fen or Rey ever imagined ...

There is an almost mystical quality to this story ...  I found it compelling, and incredibly moving, and I cannot emphasise enough how utterly beautiful the writing is. ... there are no whizz-bang adventures or dramatic encounters with dangerous beasts or whatever. The challenges that face these two girls are more of their own making often, though it is true they are also battling the elements, which are truly wild and often brutal.  ... Perfectly engrossing and enchanting in equal measure.

Read October October also by Katya Balen.

October October

Sunshine by Marion Dane Bauer

When Ben was just three years old his mother left. One day she was there the next she was gone. Ben has spent his life wondering. Why did she leave? Did he do something wrong? Is there something he could do to persuade her to come back? Is any of this connected with his own anxiety? Ben is afraid of heights and the dark.

One of the ways Ben has been able to cope with his life circumstances is through the deep friendship of his beloved dog named Sunshine. 

Now that he is older Ben asks his father if he can spend a week staying with his mother. She lives on a very remote, off grid island in the middle of north Minnesota. His father takes him to meet his mother and she arrives in a small canoe. The journey to her home will take several hours and about half way the canoe will need to be portaged (or carried across some land) before the journey can continue.

Very early in the book though, readers are given a hint or two about Sunshine. Ben reaches out to pat her and his father says "you're doing it again, aren't you?". Doing what? Later in the cafe Ben drops a few cold chips for Sunshine:

"Ben drops another French Fry on the floor. It lands next to the first, pale and limp, but Sunshine, lying with her chin on her paws, doesn't even glance at it. He likes to feed her leftovers, but she not much for eating them."

Wait a minute - do you know any dog who would leave a chip, even a cold chip, lying on the floor? Then Ben steps into the canoe and realises his dog is missing. 

"Why did he think he needed to go looking for Sunshine anyway? She's there. Just the way she always is. Right in front of him ... "

Perhaps you have worked out something about Sunshine (read the Kirkus review for plot details). Over the course of a few days with his mother Ben will learn things about himself and more importantly things about his mother and the events from her past that lead her to leave her precious young son. This is a very moving, deeply engrossing and emotional story. It is a short book with 193 pages so I read it all in one session. Readers who love dogs will recognise the relationship between Ben and Sunshine. I really enjoyed the vivid outdoor scenes on the island and the mention of Loons - birds I found fascinating when I lived in Canada.

The Kirkus Star review says: Richly character driven, immersive, evocative, and painfully sad, this effort can’t fail to move young readers. Ben and his family seem to be White.  An outstanding exploration of childhood trauma from a masterful author.

This book is for every child who has been abandoned and for every child who has been hit.  This book is for every child who believed they were the reason the bad things happened to them. An adventure in the wilderness and an adventure in the pain of children whose parents have let them down, this is the story of any child who cries on the inside and aches to be loved and wanted. A Book and a Hug

Readers who enjoy the outdoors, will find Ben and his mother’s exploration of this pristine an remote island appealing — like Ben’s first encounter with the lake’s loons and a mother bear and her baby. The week is one big adventure for Ben and he discovers he can be resourceful and brave. Children's Books Heal

Companion reads:

October, October

Small as an Elephant

The Secrets we Keep

Years ago I read these two books - terrific junior verse novels - so I have had the name Marion Dane Bauer in my mind and that is what led me to firstly add Sunshine to my very long "to read" list and then later, just this week, to buy it because the $28 hardcover was reduced to less than $10!

Little Dog Lost

Little Cat's Luck

A Wolf called Wander by Rosanne Parry illustrated by Monica Armino

"I begin in darkness and my nose tells me everything I know. 
I have a brother Sharp. Bigger than me, and all growl. I have sisters. Pounce, who loves to wrestle, and Wag, who talks with her tail. And best of all my brother Warm, who likes to curl up under my chin, the only pup small than me."

This is a quote from the beginning of A Wolf called Wander and I think it gives you an idea about the tone and style of this writing.

Over the course of the story we follow Swift as he wanders alone after his pack are attacked by a larger and more ferocious enemy wolf pack. He travels a huge distance through forests and plains searching all the time for a companion. Every day is about survival - food, water and a safe place to sleep. Luckily Swift does have one unlikely helper/companion - a raven. "Ravens do things for a reason. She is talking to me. She knows where to find meat. But for all their savvy, ravens have the wrong beak for opening a hide. They need someone with teeth to get at the meat." Swift also has to navigate past humans with their guns and their black rivers (roads) which seem impossible to pass safely.

I have a fascination with books about wolves and books written from their point of view. Perhaps this goes back to my reading of White Fang by Jack London when I was in Grade Six.  A Wolf called Wander is not for the feint hearted. As a part of his survival Swift (his name is changed to Wander at the end of the book) must kill and dismember animals such as elk. These scenes may distress a young reader.

The best scenes are when Swift is reunited with Warm, when he witnesses the birth of a wild horse foal and the final scenes when he meets his mate called Night and their pups are born. Reading this book you will feel as though you are inside the true thoughts of a wolf - his instinct and emotions. Rosanne Parry often says Swift has to "sit on his wag" when he is excited about something. I just love those words.

Listen to this audio sample from page 3. A Wolf Called wonder is an illustrated novel. The line drawings by Monica Armino are fabulous.


The book is from Swift’s perspective but I should be clear that this is not an attempt to anthropomorphise wolves – their behaviour and communication is in keeping with the animal. It’s almost like Parry has translated the behaviour for our benefit and understanding. Roachie's Review

Other books I have read and enjoyed about wolves include The Wolf Wilder; First Born and Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver.

North - The Greatest Animal journey on Earth by Nick Dowson illustrated by Patrick Benson

They are all embarking on one long, intense journey that will take them across oceans and continents, for thousands of miles - braving predators, starvation and extreme weather conditions - to reach the very top of the world. LoveReading4Kids

Just last week another Teacher-Librarian and I were talking about special non fiction books with exquisite illustrations and a rich narrative style.Today I spied this book in my local public library. North is an excellent example of this 'genre'.  Patrick Benson has created the Arctic world so vividly you will almost feel cold reading this glorious book.

"At the very top of our world is a huge wild place called the Arctic. Here in winter, the sun sinks away, blizzards fill the darkness and even the seas freeze deep."

It is winter and the only animals stirring in this harsh expanse are the polar bear and arctic fox but when spring comes plants appear along with visitors from the far reaches of the world. Grey whales from Mexico, terns from Antarctica and godwits from New Zealand.

There are lots of other birds too such as snow geese and white cranes. Pregnant caribou arrive with hungry wolves close behind. We see walrus and the mysterious narwhal.

"By late May, travellers crowd together near the very top of the world where even the coldest frozen seas are melting."

Babies are born and new life abounds but then the seasons cycle again. Days grow shorter. "Soon all the visitors will journey south - back to where they winter" leaving behind polar bear, fox, musk ox and arctic hare to "roam the frozen night alone."

On the final pages of North you can read brief facts about the Arctic. Over 180 different animals migrate there every year in spring. Sadly this important cycle is threatened by global warming. Nick Dowson also includes a glossary and index - important features in a non fiction book.

If you are unfamiliar with the work of Patrick Benson take a look at these:
Night sky Dragons
Owl Babies
The Little Boat

You could also look for an excellent book about the migration of the godwit by Jeannie Baker called Circle. This book is another example of a non fiction text with amazing art work and a narrative text.

Here are some other books in this style which explore the Arctic and the animals of this unique region.

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

"And then came the last crate. It followed the same path as the others, but instead of crashing against the rocks, it sloshed against the remains of the first four crates. Soon, more waves were heaving it up out of the water. It soared through the air, spinning and glistening until it slammed down onto a tall shelf of rock. The crate was cracked and crumpled, but the robot inside was safe."

I love reading a book where I have an internal dialogue with the author.  All though The Wild Robot I was having a discussion with Peter Brown about his inventive plot choices.  Crates of robots wash up on an island after a ship wreck but only one unit survives - ROSSUM unit 7134 or Roz for short.  Roz sets about using her computer brain to make sense of her environment and find ways to communicate with the animals she encounters. Luckily for Roz this island has no human inhabitants.

"Once fully activated, I will be able to move and communicate and learn. Simply give me a task and I will complete it. Over time, I will find better ways of completing my tasks. I will become a better robot."

Readers can only guess the real purpose of a robot like Roz but she certainly has an important role on this island. Even though Roz cannot really feel emotions herself there are some very powerful emotional scenes in this story.  One example early in the story is when Roz accidentally falls down a cliff onto some trees and she smashes into a goose nest. The geese are dead and four eggs are smashed but one egg survives.

"The robot gently cradled the fragile thin in her hand. Without a family, the unhatched gosling inside would surely die."

The gosling hatches but Roz does not know how to care for him so she has to ask the forest animals for help.  They are all very suspicious of this monster and they find it incredulous that Roz does not want to eat them in fact she does not eat at all. Roz and Brightbill, however, seem made for each other. Roz has so much to learn, Brightbill is learning as he grows and their shared paths help forge their new friendship and lead to understanding among the other animals too. Roz brings 'human' things to the island such as fire, shelter and she even uses the skills of the beavers to fashion a new foot when hers is lost. Island life is hard but it does feel like utopia until the day an airship arrives carrying three RECOs who have been sent to claim the lost cargo.  Here is a shortened version of the first conversation with Roz.

'We are here to retrieve all ROZZUM units.'
'Where have you come from?'
'Do not ask questions,'
'Where will you take me?'
'Do not ask questions.'
'Why must I leave?'
'Do not ask questions.'

I said earlier there are no humans on the island.  For me this is an important point. Peter Brown is exploring the dynamics between a man made machine in this case a robot and nature. The inclusion of humans would have given us an entirely different story - possibly one that would not be so powerful or interesting.  This is a story with layers which at times feels like a fable.

The stage is set for book two which I am hoping to grab as soon as it becomes available next month.

Brown has written a lively tale that is sure to engage young readers.   New York Times

This book would make a perfect class read-aloud. Here is a set of teachers notes. This review examines the way Peter Brown prepared to write his story of a robot in the wilderness. The School Library Journal also has a detailed review. Karen Yingling  interviewed Peter Brown for SLJ. I think this book is destined to become a classic - I do hope so.

I also enjoyed the way each chapter begins with italics and the generous illustrations which one commentator rightly suggested would look even better in colour.

Our story begins
As you might know
I should remind you

I do have a fascination with books about robots.  One of the books on my top book list is Eager by Helen Fox and the sequels.

Firstborn by Tor Seidler

I am so glad Firstborn does not contain any illustrations apart from some maps, the cover and the title page - this is quite a blood thirsty tale at times as we read the gory details the details of wild animals killed for food by this small group of wolves living in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho.

"And it was Blue Boy who caught the scent and gave the cry of the chase: the same bone-chilling cry I'd first heard on that split-rail fence back on the triple Bar T ... he was standing over a deer stretched out on a platter of blood-soaked pine straw."

Not to mention the fights for supremacy of the wolf pack itself.

"When I could bring myself to look up the slope again, Raze's father lay on his side with blood gushing from his torn throat. Blue Boy lifted his bloody snout and let out what must have been an instinctive howl of triumph."

The heart of this book is about relationships - between Maggie the magpie and her 'family' of wolves, between the wolves themselves and also one special relationship firstborn son Lamar forms with a coyote called Artemis.  The tenderness these wolves show for one another and for Maggie and the way they look after each litter of new pups is very special.  I don't think this is a book everyone will enjoy but if you like survival stories and animals look for this book.  This quote from Chris Raschka really sums up my feelings about Firstborn.

"... there's lots of danger, excitement and beauty; but there are also things we know from human families like love and loyalty, bravery and honor.  You won't ever want to leave Blue Boy's wolf pack in the heart of the Rockies."

We also have A rat's tale by Tor Seidler in our library.  A very different book from Firstborn and a book I really enjoyed.

Readers among you will know the significance of the dedication of Firstborn:

In remembrance of

Jean Craighead George

You might like to read the New York Times review.  Click here to listen to an extract where you will hear the voice of Maggie the Magpie.  Here are a set of discussion questions.  Take a look at this review by my fellow blogger Mr K.

A rich tale of the wild that quickens the pulse and fills the heart. 

Serafina and the black cloak by Robert Beatty

Serafina must seek the answers that will unlock the puzzle of her past.

Start with the trailer for this book - it is fabulous.

Now read this book - Yes!! you must read this book you will understand what I am about to share. I started this book last night thinking (as usual I would read a few pages).  I read over 100.  Today I took the book to a meeting.  I sat in the car and grabbed a few reading minutes. At chapter 24 something truly terrifying happens and I had to stop reading to get to my meeting!  Waiting to get back to this book was agony.

Serafina works with her Pa at the Biltmore Estate owned by the Vanderbilt family.  Serafina seems not quite human : "She had a skinny little body, nothing but muscle and bone .. Her long hair wasn't a single color like normal people had, but varying shades of gold and light brown. ... She had large, steady amber eyes. She could see at night as well as she could during the day."  This last skill is important because it is her job to catch rats around the house.  She is the CRC - Chief Rat Catcher although the Valerbilts don't even know she exists.

One night Serafina witnesses some thing truly frightening.  She sees a little girl in a yellow dress being chased through the dark corridors of the house by a man in a huge black silk cloak.  "He tangled her in his arms. She flailed and struck him in the face with her tiny fists .... the folds of the cloak slithered around her like the tentacles of a hungry serpent ... Then the fold closed over her, the scream went silent and the girl disappeared, leaving nothing but the blackness of the cloak."

This little girl, who is now missing, is called Clara.  She is the first of many missing children. Together with her new ally and friend Braeden Vanderbilt, nephew to Mrs and Mrs Vanderbilt, Serafina knows this is a mystery which must be solved but at what cost?  The final scenes will leave you gasping.

Read this review by my fellow blogger Mr K.  This is how I discovered this gem.  You can read  part of the first chapter on the Disney web site.  Good news there is a sequel - it is now on my shopping list.  Here is a set of teaching notes and a set about the vocabulary used in the book which is set in the Southern United States.

After reading Serafina and the black cloak I suggest TheThickety series, Fire girl or Fearless by Tim Lott.  All of these books are for very mature Primary readers.

Beatty spins an enchanting mystery through lonely Serafina's golden eyes. As she begins to defy her loving, protective father and involve herself in the estate’s doings, she comes ever closer to uncovering the villain and the secret behind her own origins. Each new clue adds another brush stroke to this keenly perceptive portrait of a young girl searching for answers 

about herself and the world around her. 

Pax by Sara Pennypacker illustrated by Jon Klassen

In an in awe of an author like Sara Pennypacker.  One of the most wonderful things about reading is when you know you are in the safe hands of a master storyteller especially when realise this right from the start of the story.  You know the characters might experience hardship, difficulties, pain and trauma but you also know the author will bring everyone safely home - not in a sentimental or trite way - but in a way that leaves you gasping at the sheer brilliance of their writing.

From the very first page I knew Pax would be a powerful and memorable book.  Now I have finished reading Pax I know this story will linger with me a long time.

"The fox felt the car slow before the boy did, as he felt everything first.  Through the pads of his paws, along his spine, in the sensitive whiskers at his wrists."

Each chapter of Pax alternates between Peter, a young boy grieving the loss of his mother and confused by the reactions and life decisions of his father and Pax, a young fox that Peter has raised from a small cub.  Sara Pennypacker is able to give this wild creature such an authentic voice.

"He lifted his muzzle and bayed a single aching note.  It had been so long since he'd seen his boy. Before this, they'd never been apart for more than half a day. Often Peter would leave in the morning, and Pax would pace his pen in increasing distress until the afternoon, when Peter would come home, smelling of other young humans and of the strange breath of the large yellow bus that delivered him."

In this selection you can see how Sara Pennypacker is able to give the reader a deep insight into the highly developed senses of the fox.  His use of smell and other animal intuitions contrast with those of Peter and yet wild creature and boy have an amazing, spiritual connection.

We sadly need to cover our copy of Pax with plastic to protect it from multiple readings but if you can buy your own copy of Pax make sure you look under the dust jacket.  Megan Dowd Lambert alerted me to this special feature that is added to some picture books and novels.

Here is the author web site and a set of discussion questions.  Here is an audio sample from the first chapter. This book would be a terrific addition to a unit on survival or it could be used with a small group as an extension text.  You can see some images from the book here.

If you enjoy Pax I would recommend the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness beginning with Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver, The Honest Truth, The eye of the Wolf by Daniel Pennac,  Julie of the wolves by Jean Craighead George, A dog's life by Ann Martin and Hatchet.

The quotes below link to reviews in the New York Times and Kirkus.

What makes the book truly remarkable are two things: the quality of Pennypacker’s prose, which is sharp and restless and vulpine, and the pull of the love between Peter and Pax.

Every moment in the graceful, fluid narrative is believable. Klassen’s cover art has a sense of contained, powerful stillness.