I loved how Miyak learned to "talk" wolf and was accepted by the wolf pack. I loved how she learned to use the skills she had to survive and to thrive in the wilderness. I ached for her conflict - white ways vs. Eskimo ways. And in some ways that conflict exists for all children growing up to be adults - the conflict between idealism and pragmatism. Beautiful writing, especially when describing the wolves. I kept thinking the title wasn't right - she wasn't Julie. But the ending made me re-think that. ( )

A young girl is forced to befriend a pack of Arctic wolves as she attempts to escape from an intolerable marriage. The details of life with the wolves was nothing short of amazing; who would believe before reading this story that a girl could live among wolves and who would, after reading it, not believe it? Julie/Miyax desperately tries to survive and find food as she crosses the frozen world of the Arctic. It is only with the help of the wolves that she is able to find nourishment. In return, she helps them in their time of trouble, helping them avoid the dangers of the human world. The book left me thinking about it; that, to me, is the measure of a good book. Julie unexpectedly finds her father, but the reunion is not as she thought. Her father has changed and she has changed. How can Julie go forward? Can Julie and her father once again live together? ( )

Julie, who is also known by her Eskimo name Miyax, is a thirteen year old girl who comes of age while living with a wolf pack in the Alaskan tundra. With both parents out of the picture and forced into an arranged marriage, Julie runs away from her home in an effort to reach her pen pal in San Francisco. During her journey she befriends a small wolf pack and learns to live in harmony with nature. Her challenges and hardships are beyond what many thirteen year olds face these days, but the themes of self-discovery and independence are ones that any pre-teen or early teenager can identify with. The book is beautifully written and is a page turner. For younger audiences, I would suggest reading in a group so that some of the challenges Julie faces (such as her husband abusing her) can be discussed and processed. Ages 10-14 ( )

A married thirteen year old Eskimo girl wrestles with her identity, is she Miyax or Julie. Does she stick to the ways of her people or adopt those of the white people? ( )

Miyax, also known as Julie as her English name, lives on top of the world in the Alaskan wilderness, where she learns her Eskimo traditions and way of life. After marrying at the age of thirteen, she decides that she must run away to San Francisco where her pen pal lives. She takes off across the Arctic but soon becomes lost and without food. That’s when she finds herself slowly being accepted by a pack of wolves. She learns how to speak their language and soon the wolves help her survive by bringing her meat. She also uses the survival training taught to her by her father to ensure that she stays alive. But as she finally makes it the civilization she discovers that she has fallen in love with not only the wolves, but her way of life.

This book delves deep into wolf life, the pack structure, the tundra environment, and Eskimo traditions. While I found it all very fascinating, it was also very slow. Not much really happens in the book besides waking up each new day, seeing what the wolves are doing, and figuring out what to make for dinner. But I can totally see why this won the Newbery. I was transported into a different culture and environment and learned something new. Needless to say my eleven year old daughter hated it and was not able to finish it because it was too slow for her.

This book has been banned because of the attempted rape of Julie, which is basically her husband kissing her on the lips and then she runs away. I don’t even know if I would use the word rape here. It was all but one sentence.

But because it has been banned teachers should use caution and check with your school first.

Possible extension activities:

Students create a large wall mural showing the many different animals found in the setting of Julie of the Wolves. Post a list on a bulletin board so class members can note the animal and a page number where it is mentioned as they read the story.

Students can then work together to categorize the animals, find out what each one looks like, and draw or paint them on the mural. The chart the animals in the story by these categories.

mammals* Birds* Insects* Fish

After that a discussion could ensue about local wildlife and where each creature fits in the chart. ( )