Thursday, December 9, 2010

Wolf Brother (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness) by Michelle Paver

Wolf Brother (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness) by Michelle Paver. Recorded Books, 2005. Narrated by Ian McKellan.
Audience: Grades 5 through 8
My Rating: 4.5* of 5
Summary: 6,000 years in the past, twelve-year-old Tarak and his guide, a wolf cub, set out on a dangerous journey to fulfill an oath the boy made to his dying father--to travel to the Mountain of the World Spirit seeking a way to destroy a demon-possessed bear that threatens all the clans.
Comments: Read me a story, Gandalf! What reader could do better by this skillfully written adventure? Paver gives just enough detail to create the world, but not so much to slow the pace. The same goes for her explanation (or lack thereof) of the complex beliefs and practices of these ancient clans; we discover only what unfolds naturally in the story which is just enough to begin mapping this world while leaving the reader wanting more. I'm super sensitive about animals in books so I made a co-worker tell me what happens to Wolf right away.

1 comment:

Laura said...

Cool. These have always checked out like crazy at Davis, but I've never heard any buzz about them anywhere else. And, unfortunately, they never sounded like something I wanted to find out more about, but if Ian McKellan is reading it...

I hear you on the animals in books. I won't read or watch things about dogs or horses - the potential for terrible things to happen to them is just too high. Haven't seen Seabiscuit, even though everyone says it's safe. Won't see Secretariat, even though I *know* he lives.