Julie of the Wolves - by Jean Craighead George (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

The thrilling Newbery Medal-winning classic about a girl lost on the Alaskan tundra and how she survives with the help of a wolf pack.

Julie of the Wolves is a staple in the canon of children's literature and the first in the Julie trilogy. The survival theme makes it a good pick for readers of wilderness adventures such as My Side of the Mountain, Hatchet, or Island of the Blue Dolphins.

To her small village, she is known as Miyax; to her friend in San Francisco, she is Julie. When her life in the village becomes dangerous, Miyax runs away, only to find herself lost in the Alaskan wilderness.

Miyax tries to survive by copying the ways of a pack of wolves and soon grows to love her new wolf family. Life in the wilderness is a struggle, but when she finds her way back to civilization, Miyax is torn between her old and new lives. Is she the Miyax of her human village--or Julie of the wolves?

Don't miss any of the books in Jean Craighead George's groundbreaking series: Julie of the Wolves, Julie, and Julie's Wolf Pack.

From the Back Cover

To her small Eskimo village, she is known as Miyax; to her friend in San Francisco, she is Julie. When her life in the village becomes dangerous, Miyax runs away, only to find herself lost in the Alaskan wilderness.

Without food and time running out, Miyax tries to survive by copying the ways of a pack of wolves. Accepted by their leader and befriended by a feisty pup named Kapu, she soon grows to love her new wolf family. Life in the wilderness is a struggle, but when she finds her way back to civilization, Miyax is torn between her old a new lives. Is she Miyax of the Eskimos -- or Julie of the wolves?

Review Quotes

"The whole book has a rare, intense reality which the artist enhances beautifully with animated drawings." - The Horn Book

★ "Jean George has captured the subtle nuances of Eskimo life, animal habits, the pain of growing up, and combines these elements into a thrilling adventure which is, at the same time, a poignant love story." - School Library Journal (starred review)

"The evocatively written, empathetic story effectively evokes the nature of wolves and dramatizes how the traditional Eskimo way of life is giving way before the relentless onslaught of civilization." - ALA Booklist

"It is a book anyone who loves the outdoors will find hard to forget." - Boston Globe

"The author is a naturalist who has observed wolves first hand. Her novel is packed with expert wolf lore, its narrative beautifully conveying the sweeping vastness of tundra as well as many other aspects of the Arctic, ancient and modern, animal and human. It is refreshing to see the Arctic well portrayed through a woman's eyes." - New York Times

"[Jean Craighead George's] novel is packed with expert wolf lore, its narrative beautifully conveying the sweeping vastness of tundra as well as many other aspects of the Arctic, ancient and modern, animal and human. It is refreshing to see the Arctic well portrayed through a woman's eyes." - New York Times

"Similar to Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, Julie of the Wolves is a story about survival." (from the article "15 Banned Books Every Tween and Teen Should Read") - Brightly

★ "[Julie's] patient, intelligent courting of the animals and her resourcefulness in keeping herself alive are meticulously observed." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)