Elizabeth Hall (2) (1929–)

Granite is a Siberian husky, born in Alaska. When he is about to be sold, he runs away into the wilderness where he comes across a wolf, Snowdrift – a mom who has recently lost all her puppies to humans who have stolen them away. Snowdrift takes on Granite, though the other wolves in the pack mostly don’t like him much. As Granite grows, he learns more and more about how to fit in with the pack.

This is told from Granite’s point of view and I really enjoyed it. There is an author’s show more note at the start that talks about animal intelligence and emotions and she obviously wanted to show that in this book. It did take some time for Granite to learn how to behave as a wolf, as it didn’t come naturally to the dog. I really liked this children’s story. show less

It is spring of 1877 when fourteen-year-old Sound of Running Feet, daughter of Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce, sees white people panning gold in the little creek that feeds the Wallowa River, and brings word of them to her father. "They are the first, but more are on the way," he says. "We are few and they are many. They will devour us." It is Sound of Running Feet who narrates the story of her tribe's fate. Readers will be gripped as she shares with us her respect for her father, her love show more for handsome Swan Necklace, and her destiny. show less

I bought this in the hopes of something a bit more... comprehensive. The characters don’t speak, every sentence feels cut off, and the lack of description or dialogue removes any weight the story might have. I found myself unable to root for any characters, and not really responsive when things happened to them.

Although this is meant to be a book for a younger audience, I wonder just how young. I might say 6-10, if I were recommending books to kids who very much like animals. Although, if show more they’re 10, I’d be more likely to recommend Warriors.

The wolves are well-researched... for the time. As of 2020 we know much more about non-captive packs and their behaviors, as well as dog integration and interaction with wolves/packs, so it doesn’t really hold up.

If you have a young kid who likes to read, by all means, recommend them this book. But if they’re at a higher reading level than their peers it may be a frustrating read. show less

I liked this book for two reasons. First, I thoroughly enjoyed this book because of the strong female main character. She does many untraditionally feminine things such as when she “jumped off [her] horse and took a careful aim with [her] rifle at the pan Jason Upright’s wife held in her hands”(5). I am currently reading this book to a few fifth graders and they all thought the main character was a boy based on the character’s actions. It was refreshing to see such strong female show more portrayal in books that are accessible to children. The second reason I enjoyed this book was because of the language. I enjoy how this book explains the surroundings and weather in a way so that the readers can get a better vision for the environment. For example, “The wind swirled high in the treetops” (13). The language is very simple and easy to understand which makes it a perfect read for my students as many of them are still struggling with comprehension. The main message of this book is to explain the horrific events of the past in hopes that it will not repeat in the future as well as educating readers on the events that followed after white settlers forced their way into the Indian tribe’s homeland. show less