Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
I have always wanted to read anything by Jean Craighead George after hearing her and Wendell Minor (the illustrator) speak at a conference about five years ago. Took me long enough as I’m finally reading my first book, Julie of the Wolves, the 1973 Newbery Winner.
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 Fransisco 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 ecology, the pack structure, the tundra environment, and the 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.
Overall, worth reading and I’ll be checking out the other books in the series, Julie and Julie’s Wolf Pack.
I read Julie of the Wolves during Banned Books Week. This one 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.
Jean Craighead George’s website and Wendell Minor’s website.
I’ve seen this a few times but I haven’t read it. I’ll have to do that soon because it sounds like a good story! Oh I knew she sounded familiar! I read and adored her My Side of the Mountain book.
~Thanks again for the giftcard! I used it to go into the Wolfsbane and Mistletoe anthology. It comes out next week and I can’t wait!!!
on October 4th, 2008 at 5:38 amI never knew this book was banned. Both my son and my nephew loved this book.
on October 4th, 2008 at 6:48 amWhen you listed the banned books you planned on reading, I wondered why this one was banned. Interesting. I agree with you that rape seems like a rather harsh word for the scene I remember.
on October 4th, 2008 at 9:08 amI remember reading this as a kid, but that was so long ago. I don’t think I really have any desire to read it again, but your recent posts have been a nice trip down memory lane.
on October 4th, 2008 at 9:49 amI received this book for Christmas last year and it’s been staring at me from my bookshelf every since. I wasn’t sure what it was about so your review has helped. I also linked your review back to my own blog.
Thanks for “splainin’” it to me. I’m looking forward to reading it!
on October 4th, 2008 at 10:33 amI thought this was a lovely book. Slow, yes, but beautiful in a quiet way. That it was banned seems utterly ridiculous to me. I can’t even remember that “rape” scene. I tried to read the sequels to this book and they were really boring.
on October 5th, 2008 at 8:28 amsounds interesting. my sister has this book and i think she told me to read it but i don’t have the best of memories so .. yeah. lol. =] guess i’ll have to go find it.
on October 6th, 2008 at 2:32 pm[...] Semicolon (Cicada Summer)37. Semicolon (The Youngest Templar)38. Barbara H. (Peace Child)39. Maw Books (Julie of the Wolves)40. Maw Books (The Best Place to Be)41. Maw Books (Rapunzel’s Revenge)42. Maw Books (Bridge [...]
on October 10th, 2008 at 9:59 pmI was so in love with this book it has excitment and adventure and jean graighead george is ssssssssssooooooooo amazing! I give it 5 STARS NO 111111111111111111111111111111111000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
on December 4th, 2008 at 8:35 pm