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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
I'm terrible at "starring" books. This one was a moving, heavy hitter with all the feels. Boy + pet, boy - mother, boy + angry father, and the specter of war and adolescence. Definitely recommended.
This took much too long to read to my son because life kept getting in the way for us to read together regularly, so we ended up reading a chapter here and there. Even in that scattered manner, the story stayed with both of us, which was impressive to me for my 8 year old son. At times, it wasn't a terribly smooth read aloud, as I felt many passages needed some explanation, or I wanted to check in with my son to make sure he understood the complex language and the intricate emotional details. Damn if this book isn't layered beautifully, with thoughtful character development, to make it an interesting reading with depth even for an adult. By the end, my poor boy was overwhelmed with emotion. This was, by far, the most complex book I've read aloud with my one of my kids.
I read this book aloud to my 11 year old son. We both loved it. I’m not sure I’ve read a children’s book that captured the mental and emotional casualty of war as well as the parallels of a war within oneself, whether you are a human or a fox, in such a sensitive way. The author also tackles the meaning of honesty and family and loss all during a coming of age story in such a heartfelt and honest tone. Really, an amazing and beautifully written story, should be a seminar book for 5th-6th graders.
I enjoyed this, though I felt there was too much time spent on Peter's recuperation, which became boring, and not enough on the difficult decision at the end. In that way, I felt that the ending was a bit too pat and predictable, even if it was difficult. However, the audience for this book might feel this is the only really acceptable resolution.
Battle of the Books selections for 5/6th grade. It’s a solid story - a little hard to get into at first, but once it gets going, I enjoyed it.
A unique spin on the "boy and his dog" narrative, told in alternating 1st person by 12 year old Peter and his pet fox, Pax. When war approaches, Peter's short-fused father signs up to fight and leaves Peter with his grandfather after making him send Pax into the woods, a death sentence for a domesticated animal who has never had to hunt for his own food. Peter decides to go after his fox, but sustains an injury along the way and convalesces with a quirky one-legged veteran who is struggling to come to terms with her time as a soldier. Don't give this to kids who would be sensitive to harm coming to animals, but do share it with students who enjoy survival stories with emotional depth.
3.5 stars ... This was not exactly what i anticipated, which is probably my fault. While I thought I was getting a lighter story about a boy going in search his beloved (and missing) pet fox, I ended up with a heavy hitter dealing with topics of harsh parenting, war, physical maiming of people/animals due to war, the psychological and environmental effects of war, etc ...
It was definitely more bleak than I expected. Not bad, just not the easy happy story I had reckoned on hearing. Be prepared for kids to have lots of questions that lead to big conversations.
It was definitely more bleak than I expected. Not bad, just not the easy happy story I had reckoned on hearing. Be prepared for kids to have lots of questions that lead to big conversations.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No