Lone Wolf

by Kristine L. Franklin

Book Overview

Living up in the north woods, Perry Dubois and his dad don't see other people much. Perry's dad likes it that way, and Perry is getting used to it, too. So when Willow Pestalozzi and her large family move in nearby, Perry is not all that happy about it. For starters, Willow and her sisters ask too many nosy questions. Like, why doesn't Perry go to school? And where's his mom? And how does it feel to be an only child? But even though the Pestalozzis...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0763604801
• ISBN13: 9780763604806
• Release Date: May 1998
• Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
• Length: 220 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.1" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

A Compelling Read

Perry Dubois (pronounced "Du-boice," not "Du-bwah") has lived in Minnesota's north woods with his father for the past three years. His mother left when he was eight. Now he's eleven and used to the solitude of the forest. It means he and his father don't have to share their business with other people. It's not so bad, even if Perry's father hardly ever talks, and even though there aren't other kids around. Then the Pestalozzi family moves in to a neighboring house that had been vacant for a long time. This new family's home is near the cave that Perry considers his private space, and Willow Pestalozzi is a dreaded new intruder who won't leave him alone. She's a girl, she talks too much, and she found his sacred hideaway. How is he supposed to deal with a girl who wants to know everything about him? It's none of her business why he lives in the middle of a forest with his dad, why he's home-schooled, or anything else. Willow's irritating presence starts to grow on him, especially when she develops an interest in tracking a wolf with him, but something about her family reminds him of things he'd rather not think about. Although he likes her family's warmth, getting too close could be more painful than a lifetime of solitude. More than another deep-woods tale, LONE WOLF is a poignant experience told from a young boy's perspective. Franklin explores the meanings of loss and coping through Perry's journey and beautifully captures the impact of a family's disintegration by bringing Perry to life. Everything he does, feels, and thinks is colored by a past that would be traumatic even to adults, indeed, as it has been to his father. The writing pulls readers along by dangling hints of the past throughout several turns in the story. A compelling read, LONE WOLF promises to be a classic on the level of WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS or BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA. The experience of crushing loss is not limited to adults, and stories like these can help children to find solace and strength. Highly recommended. Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer 02/02/2007

Excellent!

Lone Wolf, a realistic fiction book by Kristine Franklin, is an excellent read. It is about Perry, a bright young man whose family has been torn apart by tragedy. Coping with a silent, hardworking father and an absent mother, Perry quietly lives close to nature in northern Minnesota, homeschooling himself without much input from his father. When a new family moves in to the house on some nearby property, Perry finds himself learning how to cope with new situations and the emotions they evoke. The plot and character development in Lone Wold is deep and powerful. As a teacher, I found this book an excellent read aloud that enabled the class to discuss many sensitive issues productively. It provided many personal links for my fifth grade students.

Lone Wolf

Lone Wolf was an excellent book. It is about a boy named Perry who lives in the woods. Perry has adventures in the woods and has a very Merry Christmas in the turnout. If you like adventure and sad times this is a book for you.

I am a librarian who likes to ride Gary Paulsen and Will Hobbs.

Lone Wolf, set in northern Minnesota, reflects an 11-year-old boy's point of view. Every character in the book is seen through the eyes of this young man, so his perceptions of how the other characters relate to him are insular and are related to his innermost feelings, which are not objective during this period of his life. I found the book hard to put down and very descriptive. No one has mentioned how art plays a role in the plot. This is a book about feelings -- total avoidance of feelings and the consequences, the need for touch and companionship of social beings, and the basic human need for love. This is also a book about acceptance -- acceptance of those who are different from us, accepting change in our family units as people grow in different directions instead of growing together within the family unit, and accepting our own shortcomings in our family-and-friend relationships. I highly recommend this book.

I am the author of this book!

Hi. This is Kris Franklin. LONE WOLF is set in northern Minnesota where I currently live. I wanted to write a book about a child who has dealt with loss by becoming emotionally frozen--and to explore the idea that love and acceptance are the road to recovering the ability to feel. Please let me know what you think of the book! KLF