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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
This is a coming of age story about a twelve year old boy, Peter, and his rescued pet fox, Pax. Peter and Pax share this incredible bond and I immediately connected to this feeling as a pet parent myself. The chapters alternate point of view between Pax and Peter.
After Peter is forced to release Pax into the wild by his not so nice father, Pax must learn how to survive even though he believes Peter is coming back for him. Peter is determined to get back to Pax even when he is over 200 miles away.
I really liked reading from Pax's POV and the author did a realistic portrayal how a fox would think in that situation. It's an adorable story and my heart broke a tiny bit at the end. However, there were lots of holes in the story overall and I found myself asking too many questions at the end. Some of the events were too unrealistic for me, but I believe the elementary and middle grade ages will like this one.
After Peter is forced to release Pax into the wild by his not so nice father, Pax must learn how to survive even though he believes Peter is coming back for him. Peter is determined to get back to Pax even when he is over 200 miles away.
I really liked reading from Pax's POV and the author did a realistic portrayal how a fox would think in that situation. It's an adorable story and my heart broke a tiny bit at the end. However, there were lots of holes in the story overall and I found myself asking too many questions at the end. Some of the events were too unrealistic for me, but I believe the elementary and middle grade ages will like this one.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Really good, but why are middle grade books about animals always so heart-wrenching?
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Moving, sad, painful, gorgeously written. This is a stellar read for fans of Gary Paulsen, Jean Craighead George and the like. Melancholy ending and frank discussions of death and war make this a good choice for sensitive readers who can understand and appreciate loss.
Read half and listened to half on audiobook with my 7 year old son. He was weeping at the end.
This middle-grade book had me from the moment I saw the cover. Jon Klassen is the illustrator and his drawings evoke so much emotion for me. Klassen has illustrated several books, including I Want My Hat Back, This Is Not My Hat, and Sam & Dave Dig A Hole. I love all of those. This novel, however, is not a picture book. This is a well-crafted, expertly-written story with beautiful language and sentence structure. The drawings are an added bonus.
A boy, his fox, a war, and learning what you believe in and who you are. This will be on my library shelf soon, and I can't wait to see what the students think of it.
A boy, his fox, a war, and learning what you believe in and who you are. This will be on my library shelf soon, and I can't wait to see what the students think of it.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A sweet heart-warming middle grade read about the deep bonds we forge with our pets juxtaposed with the cruel cost of war.
I have heard this book described as gut wrenching and melancholic, and though it didn't succeed in making me shed a tear(mostly due to me having the emotional quotient of a teaspoon) it did make me rethink all the times I have thought of pets as a liability.
The dual POV narrative from both Peter's and Pax's perspective definitely strengthened the story arc. The way the behavioural traits of the foxes are described was truly remarkable and I adored all the lush descriptions of the natural world. Several sections, especially Bristle's backstory filled me with immense rage regarding the callous way that humans have treated nature across the centuries especially during times of war.
Regarding the setting, I really couldn't pin down where in the world the story was taking place. We do have mentions of real world countries like Italy but I still have no clue about the location of this story.
The ending was definitely bittersweet and if I didn't know that this book has a sequel,which I will absolutely be reading,I would have actually cried.
I adored Vola's character. She is so inspirational and definitely making it into my list of favourite characters of all time.
I have heard this book described as gut wrenching and melancholic, and though it didn't succeed in making me shed a tear(mostly due to me having the emotional quotient of a teaspoon) it did make me rethink all the times I have thought of pets as a liability.
The dual POV narrative from both Peter's and Pax's perspective definitely strengthened the story arc. The way the behavioural traits of the foxes are described was truly remarkable and I adored all the lush descriptions of the natural world. Several sections, especially Bristle's backstory filled me with immense rage regarding the callous way that humans have treated nature across the centuries especially during times of war.
Regarding the setting, I really couldn't pin down where in the world the story was taking place. We do have mentions of real world countries like Italy but I still have no clue about the location of this story.
The ending was definitely bittersweet and if I didn't know that this book has a sequel,which I will absolutely be reading,I would have actually cried.
I adored Vola's character. She is so inspirational and definitely making it into my list of favourite characters of all time.