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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
Used to daydream about being in Julie's shoes with my own pack of wild wolves...but don't think I have the guts and literal stomach for it.
adventurous
fast-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:
No
I did not like it at all. It was boring . I felt it was a cheap imitation of [b:Island of the Blue Dolphins|41044096|Island of the Blue Dolphins|Scott O'Dell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1533405446s/41044096.jpg|3215136] and the ending in my mind sent out the wrong message.
Oh man if only I had read this as a kid (you know, after probably getting it a million times from the library) because it was exactly up my alley!
Good story, but rather sad. I forgot a lot about it between reading it as a kid and now, or maybe I'm just reading with adult eyes. Either way, left me feeling sad for poor Julie and the idea of having to grow up and make hard choices.
AM read-aloud. Kids dug it OK and we had interesting discussions about home, tradition, and change.
The end of this was so sad it made me cry. Reminds me of the messed up shit that's happening to our world today. I don't think I would mind living off the land like Miyax if I had her skills.
This book really made an impression on me when I first read it. I couldn't tell you exactly what I learned from it, because the feelings that I have run so deeply, but what I can say is that this book is amazing.
It's a YA novel (which you can tell because it won the Newbery Medal) but it doesn't feel like a YA one. It's only YA so far as it's length. This could easily have achieved proportions of 500 to 800 pages of adventures, but George decided to keep things succinct and to the point.
The plot flows; the reader feels as though they are Julie and having to go through all her obstacles with her, including marriage at 13 to a horrible husband, running away, living in the wilds, confronting wolves, just to eventually reach San Francisco. Because of this goal, you can tell her age (most adults are so jaded they know that it's almost next to impossible to make it from the Tundra to SF) but it's also very refreshing to have a protagonist who is so young in years and yet very old in the ways of her people.
On that note, I loved learning about the Eskimos as well. I don't know how accurate the information that was given to me was, but it certainly was interesting!
It's a YA novel (which you can tell because it won the Newbery Medal) but it doesn't feel like a YA one. It's only YA so far as it's length. This could easily have achieved proportions of 500 to 800 pages of adventures, but George decided to keep things succinct and to the point.
The plot flows; the reader feels as though they are Julie and having to go through all her obstacles with her, including marriage at 13 to a horrible husband, running away, living in the wilds, confronting wolves, just to eventually reach San Francisco. Because of this goal, you can tell her age (most adults are so jaded they know that it's almost next to impossible to make it from the Tundra to SF) but it's also very refreshing to have a protagonist who is so young in years and yet very old in the ways of her people.
On that note, I loved learning about the Eskimos as well. I don't know how accurate the information that was given to me was, but it certainly was interesting!
I remember the words in this book tasting bad on my tongue. I recently skimmed a copy on my shelf for readability for a student, and it all came flooding back. I despised reading the names in my mind--I remember having an aversion to it like I have for lavender. The story itself was okay, and I may have actually liked it. "Parka" (shiver....)
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George is one of the books I chose to review for banned books week. It is often challenged for violence and being unsuited to its intended age group. It is #32 on the ALA most challenged of the 1990s list.
Y’all, I thought the plot of Julie of the Wolves was fascinating. Julie (or Miyax, her Eskimo name) has run away. She is 13, and already married. Her husband has some sort of mental impairment and he attacks her, threatening rape (this is the violence loser book banners complain about). She takes off into the wilds of Alaska, hoping to make it to California to live with her pen pal. She ends up inserting herself into a pack of wolves in order to survive.
Julie of the Wolves is split into three parts. The first section has her meeting and getting to know the wolf pack, and details the things she does in her day to day life out on the tundra. I found this part a little slow. I much preferred the second bit, which is a flashback to her childhood spent in seclusion with her father up to moving in with her husband and his family. Seeing her growing up and interacting with people was much more interesting to me.
The third part switches back to her present life with the wolves – but it doesn’t drag as much as the beginning did. It dealt more with the struggle Julie faces as she is caught between two worlds: being a traditional Eskimo vs. embracing a more modern worldview.
I really liked Julie’s character. She is very devoted to her heritage and the traditional Eskimo way she was brought up by her father. She is intelligent and an extremely quick thinker. She reacts well in crisis and is a very loyal friend. Her independence and determination make her a great heroine for younger readers to admire.
While it won’t be making my favorites list, I do think Julie of the Wolves is a memorable story – definitely great for middle grade readers. So y’all, screw the folks that try to ban it by recommending it to the younger crowd! (The ebook is only 99 cents for the time being.)
Y’all, I thought the plot of Julie of the Wolves was fascinating. Julie (or Miyax, her Eskimo name) has run away. She is 13, and already married. Her husband has some sort of mental impairment and he attacks her, threatening rape (this is the violence loser book banners complain about). She takes off into the wilds of Alaska, hoping to make it to California to live with her pen pal. She ends up inserting herself into a pack of wolves in order to survive.
Julie of the Wolves is split into three parts. The first section has her meeting and getting to know the wolf pack, and details the things she does in her day to day life out on the tundra. I found this part a little slow. I much preferred the second bit, which is a flashback to her childhood spent in seclusion with her father up to moving in with her husband and his family. Seeing her growing up and interacting with people was much more interesting to me.
The third part switches back to her present life with the wolves – but it doesn’t drag as much as the beginning did. It dealt more with the struggle Julie faces as she is caught between two worlds: being a traditional Eskimo vs. embracing a more modern worldview.
I really liked Julie’s character. She is very devoted to her heritage and the traditional Eskimo way she was brought up by her father. She is intelligent and an extremely quick thinker. She reacts well in crisis and is a very loyal friend. Her independence and determination make her a great heroine for younger readers to admire.
While it won’t be making my favorites list, I do think Julie of the Wolves is a memorable story – definitely great for middle grade readers. So y’all, screw the folks that try to ban it by recommending it to the younger crowd! (The ebook is only 99 cents for the time being.)