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stefhyena's review
4.0
For what this is it is really well done. The book is appealing and easy for struggling readers it is non-fiction that is reasonably well researched on an interesting topic and for the most part avoids the sort of sensationalism we used to find in non-fiction kids books through the 80s. It strikes me as a book written to encourage reading and knowledge, not just to sell books.
I had a couple of issues with the way colonialism is portrayed as a good thing (seemingly) in a couple of parts of the books and also on p20 the highlighted idea that "everywhere humans have lived, wolves have lived too". This strikes me as not only misinformation, but a very strange mistake for an Australian to make! So as far as knowledge goes this book is not without its flaws.
I was a bit surprised how the author got into the minds of various characters of the story, when I am used to a more third-person a few steps back view of history but for a children's book I suppose it was appropriate and there was some discussion of the facts. I loved that the bibliography at the back included novels of wolf-children (fiction and non-fiction were split to avoid confusion) and that there was a careful discussion throughout the book of the "otherness" of various places and historical times. If (as I see elsewhere) Sue Isle usually writes fantasy and science fiction for children I suspect those are worth a look.
The book seems to have been published in South Australia which I can't help feeling happy about too ;)
I had a couple of issues with the way colonialism is portrayed as a good thing (seemingly) in a couple of parts of the books and also on p20 the highlighted idea that "everywhere humans have lived, wolves have lived too". This strikes me as not only misinformation, but a very strange mistake for an Australian to make! So as far as knowledge goes this book is not without its flaws.
I was a bit surprised how the author got into the minds of various characters of the story, when I am used to a more third-person a few steps back view of history but for a children's book I suppose it was appropriate and there was some discussion of the facts. I loved that the bibliography at the back included novels of wolf-children (fiction and non-fiction were split to avoid confusion) and that there was a careful discussion throughout the book of the "otherness" of various places and historical times. If (as I see elsewhere) Sue Isle usually writes fantasy and science fiction for children I suspect those are worth a look.
The book seems to have been published in South Australia which I can't help feeling happy about too ;)
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