As I was reading this book, I couldn't stop telling people about it. A casual, "How's it going?" would lead to, "Oh my gosh, I'm reading this book about a wild boy, like Mowgli or Tarzan, but REAL." So, yeah, I was completely drawn into the story and I found the subject matter fascinating.

I did some really quick research on feral children and found out about a French book published in 2007 called "The Enigma of Wolf-Children" that claims nearly all supposedly true cases of feral children were actually hoaxes or misunderstandings. It made me wonder about the amount of speculation in this real-life story, but the author clearly did her research. I'm willing to put aside harsh skepticism and believe that the boy probably did survive alone in the woods for at least some of his young life.

This is a quick read with a compelling plot, interesting characters, solid writing, and an exciting premise. Highly recommended. I will probably re-read it later in the year to consider for our mock Newbery. And I can't wait to see the art, which was missing from my ARC. ( )

Good non fiction for lower middle school readers or high elementary school. Story explains how the boy was found and all the people who tried to raise him until the last nun that was able to help him. He ended up passing away in his 40's. Book took place in the 1700's ( )

Mary Losure takes a look at the “real life” of young boy found in the wilderness of Southern France in the late eighteenth century. Nothing is known about how the boy who lived the area prior to his capture in 1799. He could not speak and lacked any social skills. He was captured and escaped a few times until he was ultimately taken to Paris. Dr. Itard and a woman, Madame Guerin, cared for the young boy (who came to be called Victor) for almost thirty years. Between the two of them, they tired to teach Victor to speak and act “socially expectable”. Itard and Guerin “had a plan...to treat him kindly, give him plenty of food, and let him do what he wanted (p. 79). While Victor never did learn to speak, he was “tamed from his wild ways”. This book is a very interesting, quick read. Like the notes on the book jacket mention, this is a “work of nonfiction that reads like a novel.” It is suspenseful and sad. The reader feels for the young wild boy at every turn.
What I found interesting, was in the Author’s Note section, Losure mentions that Maria Montessori education methods are based on Dr. Itard’s work with Victor (p.157). I have read a lot on Montessori’s thoughts and is was nice to she where her foundation came from. With Itard’s help, Montessori developed “new teaching methods that influence teachers around the world” (p. 157). ( )

A really interesting approach to depicting one of the first discoveries of feral children in history. It reads more as creative non-fiction, and I wish there was more evidence to support the facts throughout the story. It does get you interested in maybe checking out some of the books mentioned in the bibliography. ( )

Interesting read. I love how the author tried to get inside the Wild Boy's head, imagining what he must have been feeling and thinking. Enjoyable and an important story to know, as it raises many questions and gives much for students to think about. ( )