A Wolf Called Wander: A Gripping Animal Survival Story About a Young Wolf Seeking Home in the Mountains (A Voice of the Wilderness Novel, 1)

My 4th Graders absolutely LOVE this book. I was looking for a read-aloud chapter book that would appeal to my male students after finishing reading a book with a strong female lead character which was also written from 3rd person perspective. I searched for books with wolves and found this one, written from the 1st person perspective of OR7, a wolf.It's been an incredible literary journey for us, even my girls are invested in OR7's journey (also known as Swift and Wander). I also purchased the Audible version to accompany the reading of the chapter book to the class and the narrator's voice! Wow! So believable, so HIM. The expression, the exasperation, the exhaustion, the sense of wonder and disgust and disbelief along with realizations that OR7 experiences in this WELL-WRITTEN book are brought to LIFE by the narrator.The illustrations! Even in black and white - - - the detail and clarity and precision had us mesmorized. Stunning visual journey. Bravo.I started off this chapter book with the back section of the book which is full of background information on the real life wolf OR7's journey map across the northwest US. Then we read the sections about wolf paw prints vs bear paw prints and the typical prey that wolves eat. That entire back section is GOLD.This book perfectly incorporates life science learning! So many innate and learned behaviors, life cycle, food web, environmental impact (black ice, warm glass), human/animal conflict...........this is a new FAVORITE book for me. Several students bought their own copy because they couldn't wait for our class to finish the book. They WANT to read and this author has tapped into what interests 4th graders! Bookmunchers want more from this author.

I don't think I can adequately describe how much I loved reading this book. Most of my acquaintances would tell you I'm a cat person, but I've long considered the wolf to be my spirit animal (apologies to Natives who would take offense at the appropriation). Everything about them calls to my soul. For that reason, I can't believe I haven't found this book before. Although it's considered a youth read, it made this fully adult - and then some - reader cry real tears more than once. The behaviors and motivations are so beautifully described, and the illustrations are nothing short of wonderful. That it's based on the travels of a real Oregon wolf make it that much more satisfying. I can't recommend it strongly enough. Long live Warm!

Purchased for my 2nd grade child. We read the entire book together, taking turns on who was doing the reading. I would highly recommend this book to parents that read with their children and also to children that read at a pretty fast pace on their own. My daughter has always loved reading and has recently started seeking books a little more challenging than Magic Treehouse type books. This was the perfect challenge for her.I honestly loved reading along in this book with her so much that 1 night when she read ahead without me I had to go back and read the previous chapter so I didn't miss anything.The story is based on the life of a real wolf that was tracked by professionals as a part of a research study. It is realistic, heartwarming and incredibly engaging.A Wold Called Wander would be my top recommendation to parents of 2nd-5th grade kiddos!

My 8 yr old daughter loves it....she read 83 pages in 2 days

Swift is part of a mountain wolf pack in the Pacific Northwest and is learning how to hunt and contribute to the group's thriving livelihood when a rival pack charges in, kills the pack's leadership and most of his siblings, leaving him homeless and roaming. Parry's book takes us through his traumatic and true to life experience from the young wolf's perspective and continues in that vein as Swift searches for a place to call his own. The backmatter informs the reader that "Swift" is a real wolf, dubbed OR-7, who was outfitted with a radio collar and his travels are authentic, even though the specific events are merely speculative, but realistically so. Parry does a great job of recording the behaviors of a young wolf, but does "humanize" the possible thoughts and feelings of the feisty predator. Along with a fast-paced and engaging storyline, artist Monica Armino provides frequent black and white illustrations that elevate the book's appeal and will hopefully hook some of the more reluctant readers in the target group of grades 4-6. Readers of Applegate's "Ivan," Martin's "A Dog's Life," and Gemeinhart's "Good Dog" will love this one. No worries about language or sexual content and the violence is strictly the realistic, animal on animal variety. Terrific 2020-2021 Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee.

This book is very interesting and has pictures throughout it which can keep you entertained. Great for anyone who wants something new to read, I enjoy how it surrounds a true story. Good quality and the price is really good. Detailed pictures. I don’t really have any bad to say except that the cover can obviously bend easily if it’s paper back but that’s not anyone’s fault. If you like wolves or reading about animals, perfect book for you! <3

My 5th grader who lives animals absolutely destroyed this book in 2 days. She loved it!

Juvenile Fiction: not above 4th grade reading level, not Teen Fiction. Great illustrations and map for kids to follow story.

Good

Wonderful book

Book Review by Gracie aged 8Recommended age group 8-12Main character - Wander / SwiftOutline of the story - An angry pack of wolves attack Swift’s pack so Swift drives one attacking wolf away but on his way back he gets lost. The story tells Swifts journey as he tries to find his way home .What I liked about the book - I liked how it actually described that being a lone wolf is like being in a battle . Swift never gave up and kept hoping.Would I recommend the book to others? Yes because the first page of the story draws you in . Readers who like animals would enjoy this.Score 10/10

This is a fabulous book! Kids love it, and it works very well for teachers to use in grade four when talking about habitats. It's such a deeply touching story, and it's so well written! It allows teachers to highlight many different literary devices. Beautiful story and it's based on the journey of a genuine wolf in California and Oregon. Love it!

I bought this book for my 8 years old who read only chapter books and pictures books prior to it. It was a success ! This story totally captivated him and he read it twice already. We are so happy with our purchase.