The Wolf's Boy

Description

Kai burns to become a hunter and to earn a rightful place among his people. But that can never be. He was born with a clubfoot. It is forbidden for him to use or even touch a hunter's sacred weapons. Shunned by the other boys, Kai turns to his true friends, the yellow wolves, for companionship. They have not forgotten the young human they nurtured as an abandoned infant. When Kai discovers a motherless cub in the pack, he risks everything to save her, bringing her back to live with him. But as winter draws near, Kai's wolf grows ever more threatening in the eyes of the People. When the worst happens, Kai knows that they must leave for good. Together, they embark on a journey into the north-a place of unimaginable danger-that tests the power of friendship and the will to survive. Award-winning author Susan Williams Beckhorn delivers a powerful tale set in Paleolithic times. Inspired by modern discoveries, Susan's careful research creates a vivid picture of a time when the first wolves came to live with humans and forged a bond that lives on to this day.

Susan Williams Beckhorn is the award-winning author of half a dozen children's books. Her novel, Wind Rider, a "first horse" story set in prehistoric Asia, received acclaim by KLIATT and Booklist, was a Book Sense Pick, and was selected to ALA's Amelia Bloomer List for literature, which promotes equality for women. Susan grew up in a family where kids, animals, and the outdoors are cherished. She lives and writes in Rexville, New York.

"...this first-dog, coming-of- age, and survival story hits all the right psychological notes for the middle-school reader."--BCCB "Beckhorn weaves together a striking account of survival and an engaging look into how the wolf became such an integral part of human life."--School Library Journal (starred review) "This bracing, well-told story, laced with themes of self-responsibility, compassion, and honor, is both vital and nourishing."--Kirkus (starred review) KIRKUS BEST MIDDLE-GRADE BOOKS OF 2016--Kirkus Reviews