Sara Pennypacker

Holy crap, my heart hurts after reading this one. I absolutely adored the bond that Peter and Pax had and very much enjoyed their individual paths of self discovery and growth.

I have always had a bit of a hard time dealing with animal stories (**cough** Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows **cough**). This one really packs a powerful gut punch.

The ending literally left me in tears. I don't even know if I can go read the sequel after this.

Told in alternating chapters through the fox, Pax's, voice and his boy, Peter's voice, this is a children's novel not just for children. Though they are different species, and some unenlightened people might consider Pax a pet, fox and boy are bonded by love and loyalty as strong as that between two human beings. Pennypacker elucidates the voices of the two friends with humble respect, and then adds Vola, a woman with a voice of pain and wisdom. Vola's clipped language - "Right." "No." - show more followed by thoughtful explanations embodies her spirit: sharp at the beginning, and then warmly instructive. Her quotes plastered on index cards are like Zen Koans: "The Gulf Stream will flow through a straw, provided the straw is aligned to the Gulf Stream and not at crosscurrents." When Peter asks what this means, his mentor replies: "It means align yourself, boy. Figure out how things are, and accept it."

Often I love one character over others in a book, but here I loved Pax, Peter and Vola equally. I wish I could meet them. Lovely, heartbreaking, lyrical and hopeful, Pax inspires readers to think deeply about the meaning of peace and the price of war. "Just because it isn't happening here doesn't mean it isn't happening."

Jon Klassen's spare art complements the novel powerfully. I especially love the cover illustrating Pax's intense loyalty and vibrant hope. The final picture radiates love. show less

I loved returning to these characters. Peter is broken from the heartbreak of the last book and Pax has established his own family. Seeing how those two can help each other with healing and growth was beautiful.

“Memories were so treacherous. Always lurking under the surface, ready to bushwhack you with a blade to the heat when you weren’t careful.”

Summary: A twelve year old boy is forced to abandon his five-year-old fox kit as his father drops him off to live with his grandfather so that he can go to war. Pax doesn't understand why "his boy" would leave him, and he does everything he can to reunite with him. "His boy" is of the same mind and quickly runs away from his grandfather's house in a quest to find his fox. But, he does not get far. He breaks his ankle and finds himself recovering in a reclusive, odd woman's home who makes show more scary marionettes. Can he trust her? This is a book of desperate love between a boy and his fox attempting to reunite through insurmountable odds.

Personal Response: I was crying by page 3. This book was like reading a mix of Where the Red Fern Grows and Old Yeller in reverse. I debated finishing this book, because I didn't know if I wanted to put myself through the misery. I am so glad that I finished this book! The ending that I yearned for became a reality, and I cried again. I've read several of Sara Pennypacker's Clementine Books, but this one was so far beyond what she has written to this point, it was impressive. Clementine is adorable, but this book was a home run!
Curriculum Connection: This is a perfect book to recommend to those kids that have just finished a survival book, or have read Bridge to Terebithia, Hatchet, Lost Dog, or those books mentioned above. This is a book to put into the hands of all 4th -7th grade students. The discussions that would come from even a read-aloud of this book in the classroom, would be phenomenal. This book is one to talk about to students at the beginning of library time. show less