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The Julie Trilogy (Julie of the Wolves) by Jean Craighead George
Book Summary InformationAuthor: Jean Craighead George Edition: Paperback Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published) Format: Box set Published: 1999-09-30 ISBN: 0064493504 Publisher: HarperTrophy
Book Reviews of The Julie Trilogy (Julie of the Wolves)Book Review: Three of Jean Craighead George's finest books--together! Summary: 5 Stars
Perhaps the best Jean Craighead George book and wolf story for children ever written, the truly magnificent JULIE OF THE WOLVES is now available with its spellbinding sequels, JULIE and JULIE'S WOLF PACK, in this beautiful boxed set. A naturalist and author of over eighty books about wildlife for young readers, Jean Craighead George wrote JULIE OF THE WOLVES in the middle of her writing career and was rightfully given a Newbery Medal for it. It's the unforgettable story of one girl's unbreakable relationship with her animal companions, and should be read for generations. Miyax Kapugen runs away from an arranged marriage, only to become lost and starving on the tundra of Alaska's North Slope. However, she soon befriends a group of wolves, and, by learning their language and social behavior, she becomes one of the pack. This is a truly stunning book; every sentence is a work of art, carefully laden with details about animal behavior, Inupiat/Yupik Eskimo culture, and Arctic wildlife. In the second book, the Eskimo girl (no longer Miyax, but Julie) has returned to civilization, to the father she thought was gone and to a pregnant white stepmother. However, the bond she has formed with her wolves is one that will never be severed. Julie is confused and disappointed to find that her father, Kapugen, has changed a great deal. He now owns a musk-ox herd and his top prioraty is not to honor and love all living things, as it once was, but only to guard the herd. Julie fears that the wolves, who prey upon musk-oxen, are in danger, and, determined to keep them safe, she returns to her second family--but only for a short time. JULIE is no less interesting than its predecessor, and has a great deal to offer. However, I must say that my love of wolves makes the third book, JULIE'S WOLF PACK, my favorite in the series. This is truly remarkable, for it is different from any nonfiction book about wolves in that it goes straight to the core of lupine existence, bringing to life how these highly social animals communicate, hunt, and survive. Kapu, the young wolf pup Julie befriended in the first book and the son of the great leader Amaroq, has taken his father's role as alpha and faces many challenges during his reign. Over the course of several years, the book covers the birth of wolf pups, the threat of disease and starvation, and the endless struggle to survive in this harsh wilderness. The result is very dramatic, and once again every word is beautiful and important. Any wolf lover will add this and all three books to her favorites list, and any newcomer to the world of these fascinating creatures will want to learn more about them and, hopefully, want to protect this threatened species. However, anyone who is really devoted to these books will want to be wary about NUTIK THE WOLF PUP, a picture book that follows the story of Nutik, who was raised by Julie's little brother in JULIE'S WOLF PACK. It lacks the beauty and drama of the other books, even though it is nice in that it teaches young children to appreciate wolves rather than falsely despise or fear them. The three paperback chapter books are together in a fine case with art by Wendell Minor, who illustrated the last two books with stunning black-and-white drawings, and I hope to keep the set until I can share Julie's and Kapu's splendid story with my own children someday.
Summary of The Julie Trilogy (Julie of the Wolves)Journey Into The Wild With Julie Lost on the Alaskan tundra with no means of survival, Julie, a runaway Eskimo girl, is taken in by a pack of wolves -- and grows to love them as though they were family. Eventually Julie must leave the wilderness and return to her people, but the bond she has forged with her wolf family is one that is never broken. She is -- now and forever -- Julie of the Wolves. When 13-year-old Julie Edwards Miyax Kapugen runs away from an arranged marriage at home, she becomes lost in the vast Alaskan tundra. Desperate to survive, she slowly befriends a pack of wolves, thus beginning a saga that is to continue over the course of several years, hundreds of miles, and three books. Following the gut-wrenching Newbery-winning classic Julie of the Wolves, Jean Craighead George created that rarest of beasts--the stellar sequel. Picking up where Julie of the Wolves left off, Julie follows the remarkable Eskimo girl's journey between two cultures: the traditional Eskimo way, living in harmony with nature, and the modern "Minnesota rules," relying on industry and cattle. It is only when Julie sets out to save her beloved wolf pack from her father that she learns how to reconcile the old ways with the new. With Julie's Wolf Pack, George continues the gripping Arctic adventures, now entirely from the wolves' perspective. Life on the Alaskan tundra is full of drama for the wolves: feast, famine, disease, puppies, challenges from rivals, and threat from humans. Without slipping into anthropomorphism, this book gives readers an extraordinary insight into the world of the wolf. All three of these wholly spellbinding novels have been collected in this special boxed set of paperbacks--good thing, too, as you won't want to pause for a breath between any of them! (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter
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