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Old Wolf: A Fable
A Simon & Schuster eBook. Simon & Schuster has a great book for every reader.
161 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 26, 2014
43 people are currently reading
659 people want to read
About the author
Avi
345 books1,721 followersAvi is a pen name for Edward Irving Wortis, but he says, "The fact is, Avi is the only name I use." Born in 1937, Avi has created many fictional favorites such as
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle,
Nothing but the Truth,
and the Crispin series. His work is popular among readers young and old.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
January 26, 2026
Nashoba, an old wolf, has been pack leader for a long time, but his pack had hit the lean months, and some of them getting are getting restless.
"Nonetheless, he was worried. The wolves in the pack had not eaten for two weeks."
Garby, in particular, thinks that Nashoba should give up his position and challenges for leadership.
Luckily Nashoba wins the fight but sustains an injury that will haunt him.
"Uncertain what the outcome might be if he fought the much younger wolf, Nashoba remained absolutely still."
He must find food for his pack - but they are all slowly losing hope and now, even the pups are at risk of starving.
Meanwhile, Casey Seton is enjoying a quiet moment before he gets up for the day.
It's his thirteenth birthday and he already feels so much more mature.
"Warm and snug beneath his thick down quilt, he enjoyed the moment. I'm so much older! he thought. No longer just a kid! A teenager! An adult...almost."
As one of his presents for his birthday, he's given a bow so he could hunt, just like in his favorite videogame.
This starving old wolf and trigger happy young boy are destined to cross paths - but who knows what will happen when they meet.
Honestly, I'm not a huge fan... of anything in this book.
So, first we have the wolf's perspective - surprisingly articulate and intelligent all things considered.
He's put into a position where after literal years of dedication and hardship, his pack decides to flip on him because he's so old.
Kind of put a bad taste in my mouth - it's like the author decided to give the pack human intelligence but still limited them to their stereotypical wolf behavior. Didn't quite fit in my opinion.
And then there's Casey. Oh. Where do I start?
I think it's a well-established fact that kids are dumb. They make dumb decisions and get dumb results.
So, his parents give him a bow for his thirteenth birthday which (of course) he's left alone with and soon plays with it in the back yard ("practicing") - I'm sorry, but eXcUsE mE?
How many parents do you know go, here kid. Here's a weapon. And then just leave them alone?
Maybe my parents were just overprotective but by-gosh, I never got to touch my bow or shotgun without their express permission/supervision until A) I had completed hunter's safety and B) was legally hunting on our land.
It just seems like the parents in this book want their kid to accidentally shoot someone.
Anyway, from what I could tell this book was supposed to be one of those reflective all-lives-are-important and coming-of-age books but honestly, I just wasn't feeling it.
Maybe it was because the kid read like he was living in the fifties (and was playing a game that seemed like it was made early nineties).
Or maybe Nashoba's life was so over-the-top bad that I kind of rolled my eyes once he hit YET ANOTHER hardship.
But most likely it's because this book has a more bitter than sweet ending. It just felt sour to me and definitely ensured that I will NEVER pick this book up again.
THOUGH, I cannot fault the illustrator. Brian Floca did an absolutely AMAZING job with the illustrations. I know the cover doesn't look like much but wow. Loved the sketches and drawings inside.
Audiobook Comments
Read by Kirby Heyborne and ehh...it was alright. I wanted more of a difference in tone/inflection between the wolf and the kid. Seems like things should be rather different, no?
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August 1, 2017
Terrific illustrations by Brian Floca. Some of the story was good. I enjoyed the part about Nashoba, the leader of his wolf family, and their struggle to survive the winter. What brought it down was the alternating story of thirteen year old Casey who's addicted to a computer game called Bow Hunter. All he wants for his birthday is a longbow so he can be just like the computer game and go out and kill lots of defenseless animals for sport. Ugh!
September 1, 2015
Avi’s latest book alternates between the story of Nashoba, a wolf and his pack and Casey, a thirteen year old boy who longs to hunt. The stories do not connect until the very end, although they have the common thread of hunting. Through the tale of Nashoba children can learn about the hierarchy of wolf packs and how they survive.
Interspersed throughout the novel are illustrations by Brian Floca, Caldecott Medalist. The illustrations are reminiscent of Brian Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck, though not as detailed and captivating.
I was disappointed as I found both stories somewhat flat and lacking in character development. While Nashoba is somewhat developed, Casey and his family are dull. The stories finally connect but not in a satisfying way. The story is lacking in the wonderful storytelling that I expect from Avi. The story didn’t make me care about Casey and his family at all and my interest in Nashoba was minimal.
While some children may enjoy reading about Nashoba’s experiences from his point of view, they likely won’t find anything to relate to in Casey because there isn’t enough of a character to relate to.
Interspersed throughout the novel are illustrations by Brian Floca, Caldecott Medalist. The illustrations are reminiscent of Brian Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck, though not as detailed and captivating.
I was disappointed as I found both stories somewhat flat and lacking in character development. While Nashoba is somewhat developed, Casey and his family are dull. The stories finally connect but not in a satisfying way. The story is lacking in the wonderful storytelling that I expect from Avi. The story didn’t make me care about Casey and his family at all and my interest in Nashoba was minimal.
While some children may enjoy reading about Nashoba’s experiences from his point of view, they likely won’t find anything to relate to in Casey because there isn’t enough of a character to relate to.
April 7, 2022
I would read it again.
Read
June 6, 2016A beautifully-written story with gorgeous illustrations! A new book from Avi is always cause for celebration!
May 11, 2023
My students loved this one.
February 23, 2018
2.5 barley
Avi, how cold you have done me so wrong. It’s not that this book is bad, it’s not. It’s just boring. The reader follows two storylines that eventually converge. The first storyline is of Nashoba and his pack. Nashoba is the old wolf who’s inability to lead his pack to food during the “starving time” instigates his ousting from the pack. When he is felled an old raven Merla is his saving grace. Casey is a human boy who receives a long bow for his birthday. Since he has played the Bow Hunter video game for so long, he is anxious to see if his digital skills can be made real. But he quickly learns that he would rather target practice than hunt. But it’s this weapon that brings him in contact with the old wolf. I think those that like the books Touching Spirit Bear, and other survivalist type novels would enjoy this book. But I did not.
#beatthebacklist
#AviChallenge
#LitsyAtoZ
Avi, how cold you have done me so wrong. It’s not that this book is bad, it’s not. It’s just boring. The reader follows two storylines that eventually converge. The first storyline is of Nashoba and his pack. Nashoba is the old wolf who’s inability to lead his pack to food during the “starving time” instigates his ousting from the pack. When he is felled an old raven Merla is his saving grace. Casey is a human boy who receives a long bow for his birthday. Since he has played the Bow Hunter video game for so long, he is anxious to see if his digital skills can be made real. But he quickly learns that he would rather target practice than hunt. But it’s this weapon that brings him in contact with the old wolf. I think those that like the books Touching Spirit Bear, and other survivalist type novels would enjoy this book. But I did not.
#beatthebacklist
#AviChallenge
#LitsyAtoZ
June 5, 2016
don't even get me started with this book, i would rather read magek or whatever its name was, anyway, I was bored out of my mind in the middle of the book and it's a 177 page book, oh and the boy (can't remember his name) well he's an idiot, he play a stupid video game about shooting arrows and suddenly, gets a real pointy arrow with a bow and then guess what, (ill tell you what) he tries to hunt without supervision and not to mention actual experience with an actual bow in less you considered a mouse a weapon, come on, he gets a bow and created a already larger ego. Seriously, there was no character development and the book is basically pointless and meaningless. OH!!! How can I forget one of the main characters, the old wolf, well pride can get bruised and sometimes "pride" could actually be egos which could be even worse... well I guess they are not going to starve to death at least, I say when they were really really really hungry they should've started drawing straws, but seriously did avi (something) decided that she wanted to write a book about a dairy of an old wolf that got hurt, while starving almost to death many times and having a voice of reason (that i'll talk about later) and and super idiot 13 yr old with a weapon which can do damage, which basically said, screw reason, i want to hunt dangerous animals and poke it with my arrow. Oh we don't need reason, oh hello wolf,said the boy, i'm sorry (not that sorry) i think i just saw your dead friend, Marla, who i shoot, unfortunately, with an arrow. now, now don't cry you could-be-very- hurt-but- still-could-maul-me-into-little-pieces wolf which is known for there aggressiveness for animals crossing there marked territory, do i want to pet you, deadly wolf, mmm, yes i do.(its like giving the wolf an all you can reach and eat cafe) anyways the raven, *sigh* the one reason i gave this book one star, i mean without her (and if i could) I would give it a half a star, i mean, she is very truthful and I like that she could keep the wolf in place, poor boy he had no talking bird or human to keep him in check, no wonder he wanted to go into the forest, he had no one to stop him. I have lots of thing more then this but all i basically said, that this book sucked. sorry for the worshipers of this book, i just didn't like it at all. (with the inception of one or two parts)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2015
I thought this was a fine book. I say this because it is age appropriate without much violence. Yet I didn't really get the whole connect between Casey playing video games of hunting and real life with him encountering Nashoba. Why I say this is because it did not really seem like Casey learned any lessons from his meeting with Nashoba. Although I did like Nashoba. I felt sorry for him yet I had an instant connection with him. You won't learn much from this book and there is nothing grand about the story but it is a quick, nice read.
February 18, 2024
My 10 year old animal-loving son and I took turns reading this to each other so I let him pick the star rating. A great, simple to follow storyline about an old wolf and his encounter with a hunting-obsessed 13 year old. I felt like this was a perfect book for my son's interests and it kept his attention for most of the book. My son also appreciated the book's brevity. I would say this was a great novel for my reluctant reader.
March 20, 2019
Interesting read for 7 and 9 year olds.
My boys (7 and 9) thought this book was interesting. Their favorite chapters were about the boy, Casey. They’re excited to read more books by Avi.
My boys (7 and 9) thought this book was interesting. Their favorite chapters were about the boy, Casey. They’re excited to read more books by Avi.
April 30, 2021
AR POINTS: 3.0 READING LEVEL 4.4
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Written for 8-12 year olds, this story was just okay. It didn’t feel deep or meaningful at all. It started out okay, developing a little relationship between the old wolf and the old raven. It's true in real life they depend on each other. The wolf's kill is the ravens feast. So the raven leads the wolves to food sources by flying high above near the source and "cawing".
The story bounces back and forth between an old wolf, Nashoba, who has to prove his worth to a pack of eight wolves by finding a food source for the starving pack who hasn't eaten for over two weeks, and a 13 year old boy, Casey Seton, addicted to the video game "Bowhunter", killing a variety of animals on screen. But, his greatest dream is to be a real hunter. It is his birthday and he receives a real bow and arrow as a gift from his parents.
I realize that in the wild only the strongest survive. But, there could have been lessons learned in this story when one of the younger arrogant male wolves in the pack messed up a good hunt when he didn’t listen to the old wolf’s instructions and botched a kill for young elk. But nope, the old wolf ends up hurt and can’t retreat with the others. He is disgraced by the younger wolf and lies on the ground severely hurt until Merla, the old raven who lead them to this food source, tries to save him. But, because Casey can’t separate reality from his make believe video games, he kills the raven with his bow and arrow. Sure, he feels bad afterwards. But now, the wolf pack is gone and Merla is gone. The old wolf is left alone to heal and find his own way alone.
--------------------
Written for 8-12 year olds, this story was just okay. It didn’t feel deep or meaningful at all. It started out okay, developing a little relationship between the old wolf and the old raven. It's true in real life they depend on each other. The wolf's kill is the ravens feast. So the raven leads the wolves to food sources by flying high above near the source and "cawing".
The story bounces back and forth between an old wolf, Nashoba, who has to prove his worth to a pack of eight wolves by finding a food source for the starving pack who hasn't eaten for over two weeks, and a 13 year old boy, Casey Seton, addicted to the video game "Bowhunter", killing a variety of animals on screen. But, his greatest dream is to be a real hunter. It is his birthday and he receives a real bow and arrow as a gift from his parents.
I realize that in the wild only the strongest survive. But, there could have been lessons learned in this story when one of the younger arrogant male wolves in the pack messed up a good hunt when he didn’t listen to the old wolf’s instructions and botched a kill for young elk. But nope, the old wolf ends up hurt and can’t retreat with the others. He is disgraced by the younger wolf and lies on the ground severely hurt until Merla, the old raven who lead them to this food source, tries to save him. But, because Casey can’t separate reality from his make believe video games, he kills the raven with his bow and arrow. Sure, he feels bad afterwards. But now, the wolf pack is gone and Merla is gone. The old wolf is left alone to heal and find his own way alone.
October 13, 2017
As much as I loved this book it was not very exciting.There was not very exciting moments. I did like the sarcastic tone that Merla used in the book. I wish there was more tension. I think the point that Merla died was going to be used as tension. I feel if there was more at stake for Nashoba then there would be more exciting and have more tension. It would have been better if Casey was not part of this he kinda brought down the story with the video game. Overall I would only review this to younger readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2019
From Goodreads site:
n the computer game world of Bow Hunter (Casey's world) there are no deaths, just kills. In the wolf world (Nashoba's world) there have been no kills. For this is March, the Starving Time in the Iron Mountain region of Colorado, when wolves and ravens alike are desperate for food.
With the help of a raven, the miraculous Merla, Nashoba must lead his pack of eight to a next meal. The wolf hates being dependent on a mere bird, but Merla is a bird wise beyond her years.
And when thirteen-year-old Casey crosses their path, two very different approaches to hunting collide.
odd, abrupt ending
n the computer game world of Bow Hunter (Casey's world) there are no deaths, just kills. In the wolf world (Nashoba's world) there have been no kills. For this is March, the Starving Time in the Iron Mountain region of Colorado, when wolves and ravens alike are desperate for food.
With the help of a raven, the miraculous Merla, Nashoba must lead his pack of eight to a next meal. The wolf hates being dependent on a mere bird, but Merla is a bird wise beyond her years.
And when thirteen-year-old Casey crosses their path, two very different approaches to hunting collide.
odd, abrupt ending
August 14, 2018
The illustrations are beautiful; however, I am still somewhat confused by the storyline of this short novel. I was not a big fan of the ending, but it was a quick and easy read.
November 8, 2015
This is another fable, again told very simply by one of children’s literature’s most well known author. Avi is a Newbery award winner, and I love his style of writing.
OW centers around a wolf pack in the Iron Mountain region of Colorado, far from where humans live. It is nearing spring, so food is hard to find and obtain and the pack is starving. Nashoba, the pack leader, is challenged by a younger wolf and is injured in the fight. But he still must find food for the pack. A raven, whose group depends on wolves for food, appears to help him. And a boy who loves computer games comes to learn about the reality of killing living things after he receives a bow and arrow set for his birthday.
I loved everything about this tale – It mostly moves very quietly, so that the bitter exchanges between Nashoba and the younger wolf, and the heated discussions between the raven and Nashoba about age and the circle of life, explode onto the page. The naivete of Casey, the boy, is hard to endure, because you just know he’s going to hurt something, but it will also be a good lesson for him. The B/W illustrations by Caldecott award winner Brian Floca help readers understand the grand nature of surviving in the forest.
Readers will learn a lot of wolves, the delicate relationship between them and ravens, and how harsh conditions are for animals during winter. They’ll learn about respect for wild things, and how video games can keep you from understanding the natural world.
It’s a short, but very wonderful tale. My favorite lines: "Wisdom is always boring; that's why no one listens to it." p. 93 AND "The bigger you think you are, the smaller you are." p.106
NOTE: This review will appear on my library’s book review social media channel in the near future.
OW centers around a wolf pack in the Iron Mountain region of Colorado, far from where humans live. It is nearing spring, so food is hard to find and obtain and the pack is starving. Nashoba, the pack leader, is challenged by a younger wolf and is injured in the fight. But he still must find food for the pack. A raven, whose group depends on wolves for food, appears to help him. And a boy who loves computer games comes to learn about the reality of killing living things after he receives a bow and arrow set for his birthday.
I loved everything about this tale – It mostly moves very quietly, so that the bitter exchanges between Nashoba and the younger wolf, and the heated discussions between the raven and Nashoba about age and the circle of life, explode onto the page. The naivete of Casey, the boy, is hard to endure, because you just know he’s going to hurt something, but it will also be a good lesson for him. The B/W illustrations by Caldecott award winner Brian Floca help readers understand the grand nature of surviving in the forest.
Readers will learn a lot of wolves, the delicate relationship between them and ravens, and how harsh conditions are for animals during winter. They’ll learn about respect for wild things, and how video games can keep you from understanding the natural world.
It’s a short, but very wonderful tale. My favorite lines: "Wisdom is always boring; that's why no one listens to it." p. 93 AND "The bigger you think you are, the smaller you are." p.106
NOTE: This review will appear on my library’s book review social media channel in the near future.
May 23, 2016
I read this book to my little sister.
Personal response:
What do you think the theme of this book was?
I think the theme is perseverance because each time Noshoba got hurt he kept going. He is an old wolf and it would be easy to give up, but he never did.
What was your favorite part of the book?
My favorite part was when Casey took his first shot from a bow. It was funny because he messed up and it shot to the side then bounced.
Who was your favorite character?
Noshoba is my favorite because he is a good leader of the pack. I think the others should follow his example and look up to him.
Summary:
Garby, the young wolf, wants to be pack leader because he thinks Noshoba's too old. He can't find food so he bites Noshoba's foot. Nashoba tries to prove him wrong and tries to find food, and on his way he meets a bird named Merla. She helps him find elk for food. He goes back to tell his pack, and they go with him to the elk. Casey just got a bow for his birthday and goes out to shoot it. His first shot was very off, bit his second shot killed Merla. Nashoba's pack tries to kill the elk, but they can't. Nashoba gets killed in the side. his pack leaves him to die there. Casey finds Nashoba on the ground and gives him food and water. when he goes back to get more, a wolf called Toagon comes back for him with the elk they caught. Nashoba gets the strength to get up and walks away from the spot where he almost died. he went away limping, but alive.
Recommendation:
I recommend this book to third through fifth graders because there are easy concepts. Being in fifth grade the book was an easy read, so I would say it's to easy for sixth graders. I give this book four out of five stars because there is a good base to the story, but nothing really got my attention.
Personal response:
What do you think the theme of this book was?
I think the theme is perseverance because each time Noshoba got hurt he kept going. He is an old wolf and it would be easy to give up, but he never did.
What was your favorite part of the book?
My favorite part was when Casey took his first shot from a bow. It was funny because he messed up and it shot to the side then bounced.
Who was your favorite character?
Noshoba is my favorite because he is a good leader of the pack. I think the others should follow his example and look up to him.
Summary:
Garby, the young wolf, wants to be pack leader because he thinks Noshoba's too old. He can't find food so he bites Noshoba's foot. Nashoba tries to prove him wrong and tries to find food, and on his way he meets a bird named Merla. She helps him find elk for food. He goes back to tell his pack, and they go with him to the elk. Casey just got a bow for his birthday and goes out to shoot it. His first shot was very off, bit his second shot killed Merla. Nashoba's pack tries to kill the elk, but they can't. Nashoba gets killed in the side. his pack leaves him to die there. Casey finds Nashoba on the ground and gives him food and water. when he goes back to get more, a wolf called Toagon comes back for him with the elk they caught. Nashoba gets the strength to get up and walks away from the spot where he almost died. he went away limping, but alive.
Recommendation:
I recommend this book to third through fifth graders because there are easy concepts. Being in fifth grade the book was an easy read, so I would say it's to easy for sixth graders. I give this book four out of five stars because there is a good base to the story, but nothing really got my attention.
August 23, 2015
I received this book for free as an ARC from Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. I have read other books by Avi and loved them. This one, not as much, although I think the animal element will appeal to children. My copy only had one illustration, unfortunately. I think the illustrations will enhance the story.
At first, the animals talking amongst themselves reminded me of a Disney movie. But, since it is a children's book, I looked past that. Some of the wording, in the first twenty pages, felt awkward to me. And, the dialogue between the humans didn't feel authentic at times.
I enjoyed the book more, after the elk hunt began. The storyline was engaging but I wasn't sure how children would interpret the ending. It can be a good thing, though, to have an ambiguous ending - leaving it up to the reader to decide what happens. I see this book being a good group read for an elementary level class. There are important concepts to build a discussion around, like leadership, aging, hunting as a sport, safety in nature and hunting, responsibility, friendship, the life cycle of wild animals, and the connection between killing in a video game vs real life.
At first, the animals talking amongst themselves reminded me of a Disney movie. But, since it is a children's book, I looked past that. Some of the wording, in the first twenty pages, felt awkward to me. And, the dialogue between the humans didn't feel authentic at times.
I enjoyed the book more, after the elk hunt began. The storyline was engaging but I wasn't sure how children would interpret the ending. It can be a good thing, though, to have an ambiguous ending - leaving it up to the reader to decide what happens. I see this book being a good group read for an elementary level class. There are important concepts to build a discussion around, like leadership, aging, hunting as a sport, safety in nature and hunting, responsibility, friendship, the life cycle of wild animals, and the connection between killing in a video game vs real life.
March 16, 2018
This story about a boy and a wolf where the rule is death is real... or is it? in this story, a boy named Casey is learning how to use a bow in real life and learns that it is different than in his video game, bowhunter.
November 3, 2015
I really wanted to like this book... Written by the prolific author, Avi and illustrated by Brian Floca but the story has promise but does not grab hold of the reader.
February 10, 2017
Young man playing video game moves in and out of reality.
Learns from the animals as they learn from young man.
Father Son Relationships and weapons.
Weapon Saftey.
Learns from the animals as they learn from young man.
Father Son Relationships and weapons.
Weapon Saftey.
January 17, 2018
Interesting story, not like other books. It ends at a very strange point, and it doesn't have a second book. I loved it. I'm doing a book report (fourth grade) in school on this book.
March 17, 2020
Very nice story, predictable but well done and worth a read.
April 30, 2019
Old Wolf by Avi, illustrated by Brian Floca, 147 pages. CHAPTER BOOK. Atheneum Books for Young Readers (Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division), 2015. $17.
Language: PG (1 swear, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL.
AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW
Nashoba, an aging alpha wolf, struggles to maintain control of his hungry pack, while Casey, a computer game obsessed teen, longs to trade his computer hunting skills for the real thing. When their worlds overlap, Nashoba and Casey both learn that the other may not be what they had been lead to believe.
The beginning of the book seemed a bit simplistic, but as I continued, the suspense of Nashoba and Casey’s inevitable meeting drew me in. Unfortunately, the ending felt unsatisfying to me. It seemed rushed, convenient, and less developed than the rest of the book My favorite parts of Avi’s book were the interactions between Nashoba and Merla the sassy raven, as well as the delicate pencil illustrations of Brian Floca scattered throughout the book. I would consider the PG ratings to be very mild PG. The mature content rating is due to issues relating to hunting and digital killing obsession. The violence rating is due to issues involving animal attacks and hunting.
Becci, High School Librarian
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
Language: PG (1 swear, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL.
AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW
Nashoba, an aging alpha wolf, struggles to maintain control of his hungry pack, while Casey, a computer game obsessed teen, longs to trade his computer hunting skills for the real thing. When their worlds overlap, Nashoba and Casey both learn that the other may not be what they had been lead to believe.
The beginning of the book seemed a bit simplistic, but as I continued, the suspense of Nashoba and Casey’s inevitable meeting drew me in. Unfortunately, the ending felt unsatisfying to me. It seemed rushed, convenient, and less developed than the rest of the book My favorite parts of Avi’s book were the interactions between Nashoba and Merla the sassy raven, as well as the delicate pencil illustrations of Brian Floca scattered throughout the book. I would consider the PG ratings to be very mild PG. The mature content rating is due to issues relating to hunting and digital killing obsession. The violence rating is due to issues involving animal attacks and hunting.
Becci, High School Librarian
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
May 1, 2019
Old Wolf By: Avi
This book is about an 8 year old wolf named Nashoba who is constantly being challenged of his authority as his pack's leader. He puts his trust in a raven as he leads his pack to a group of elk Merla promised to watch over. The pack ultimately fail at catching any because of his pack's inability to listen, but during their chase Nashoba is badly injured and tells his pack to leave him be. Meanwhile Casey, a now 13 year old boy, goes outside to practice with his birthday present bow, and the only experience he has is from his game. He ventures farther into the woods when he loses an arrow. But back to Nashoba. Merla, the raven is bringing him decaying food, which he reluctantly eats, and she gives him her "advice" without him asking. A few trips later Merla comes to tell Nashoba that a human is coming, then she goes to check on the human. But she never returns. Did the human kill her? Is he coming to kill him too?
First of all this book's story is all over the place. It's constantly changing viewpoints and some of the chapters are one sentence long. Second of all the story is ... Just Dumb. It doesn't make much sense. Not to give away the ending or anything but the ending is awful. But remember all of this is just my opinion.
This book is about an 8 year old wolf named Nashoba who is constantly being challenged of his authority as his pack's leader. He puts his trust in a raven as he leads his pack to a group of elk Merla promised to watch over. The pack ultimately fail at catching any because of his pack's inability to listen, but during their chase Nashoba is badly injured and tells his pack to leave him be. Meanwhile Casey, a now 13 year old boy, goes outside to practice with his birthday present bow, and the only experience he has is from his game. He ventures farther into the woods when he loses an arrow. But back to Nashoba. Merla, the raven is bringing him decaying food, which he reluctantly eats, and she gives him her "advice" without him asking. A few trips later Merla comes to tell Nashoba that a human is coming, then she goes to check on the human. But she never returns. Did the human kill her? Is he coming to kill him too?
First of all this book's story is all over the place. It's constantly changing viewpoints and some of the chapters are one sentence long. Second of all the story is ... Just Dumb. It doesn't make much sense. Not to give away the ending or anything but the ending is awful. But remember all of this is just my opinion.
June 29, 2018
I was sucked into requesting this book by the title. It mentioned wolves and, well, I like wolves. I was sold on that fact alone. Unfortunately, I made the same mistake I did with Two Wolves and Mind Bond: the title was probably the only good thing about this book.
The story was just pointless. It was incredibly short - just over 150 pages - and had no story arc to make the plot interesting or even slightly climatic. Old Wolf is basically about a wolf that dies from old age and lack of food, and a boy with a really odd obsession with an online hunting game, who meet. There isn't much more to the story than that. There's a talking raven too but that is seriously it.
What more can I say? The lack of plot meant there was a lack of character development. To me, that is an instant recipe for a boring book. If the writing had been spectacular maybe it would have made the story more bearable, but the writing wasn't that great so there is no point dwelling on the possibilities.
That's all I have to say about this. It was boring. Pointless. I won't be making the same mistake again.
Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review.
The story was just pointless. It was incredibly short - just over 150 pages - and had no story arc to make the plot interesting or even slightly climatic. Old Wolf is basically about a wolf that dies from old age and lack of food, and a boy with a really odd obsession with an online hunting game, who meet. There isn't much more to the story than that. There's a talking raven too but that is seriously it.
What more can I say? The lack of plot meant there was a lack of character development. To me, that is an instant recipe for a boring book. If the writing had been spectacular maybe it would have made the story more bearable, but the writing wasn't that great so there is no point dwelling on the possibilities.
That's all I have to say about this. It was boring. Pointless. I won't be making the same mistake again.
Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review.
March 21, 2018
Avi is one of my favorite children's authors, his books always give a new view. Casey is a young boy who loves to play a violent, computer game in which he shoots animals. Each time he makes a kill, the computer praises him. When he turns 13, his parents buy him a bow.
Nashoba is an old wolf who is the head of his pack. He is challenged by a young wolf who bites his paw, but Nashoba wins the fight. The pack is starving so they need to hunt. Merla, a raven talks to Nashoba and tells hims she knows where there is food. He can't believe he is listening to a bird, but he needs food for the pack. He gives his pack instructions on how to attack the elk herd, but when the young wolf doesn't follow directions, Nashoba is injured. He tells his pack to flee to find food, because he cannot move. Merla brings him food that he is forced to eat even though it is rotten.
When Casey brings his bow to the forest, the three lives come in contact. Casey finds that killing is not what he thought.
Nashoba is an old wolf who is the head of his pack. He is challenged by a young wolf who bites his paw, but Nashoba wins the fight. The pack is starving so they need to hunt. Merla, a raven talks to Nashoba and tells hims she knows where there is food. He can't believe he is listening to a bird, but he needs food for the pack. He gives his pack instructions on how to attack the elk herd, but when the young wolf doesn't follow directions, Nashoba is injured. He tells his pack to flee to find food, because he cannot move. Merla brings him food that he is forced to eat even though it is rotten.
When Casey brings his bow to the forest, the three lives come in contact. Casey finds that killing is not what he thought.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2022
At a very short 150 pages (including about 50 chapters and many full-page illustrations), it's more of a novella for kids. I found out about this book because our public library had a dad-and-sons book club scheduled, and gave out this title as the first book. I picked it up and took turns reading it aloud with my son. We were excited to go to the book club, which was scheduled for April 2020. Then a pandemic hit. Womp womp. Anyhow, I regret not having been able to engage in a discussion. The book is very engaging and well-written. It all takes place in a couple of days, and alternates between a wolf's perspective and a boy's perspective. But it leaves so much hanging. Of course, that can lead to more discussion and theorizing, but I was also left wishing for a little more content to discuss and consider. The abrupt ending and lack of discussion within the book is my only complaint, and I admit that it may not even be fair. I just re-read it with my younger son, and really enjoyed it all over again.
May 8, 2025
This was a bit mid. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but when the back said it was one of Avi's most suspenseful novels yet, I expected more...suspense. Some descriptions call this book "riveting." I beg to differ. Old Wolf is the opposite of riveting. In fact, I wouldn't shy away from calling it downright boring. There was too much description of the kid playing a computer game for one thing. Like, no one cares, bro. You killed the electronic raven.
Also, the ending was a bit abrupt and anticlimactic. I mean, maybe the boy could have had to get stitches for that hand bite, or run away screaming, or maybe his dad could actually be mad or something. Instead it was like...what even happened.
I'm not sure really. Nothing really did happen. Oh, and birthdays are super cliche. I did appreciate the nod to archery though. As someone who competed in competitive archery as a kid, that was kind of fun to see. But that was about it.
Also, the ending was a bit abrupt and anticlimactic. I mean, maybe the boy could have had to get stitches for that hand bite, or run away screaming, or maybe his dad could actually be mad or something. Instead it was like...what even happened.
I'm not sure really. Nothing really did happen. Oh, and birthdays are super cliche. I did appreciate the nod to archery though. As someone who competed in competitive archery as a kid, that was kind of fun to see. But that was about it.
October 29, 2016
I thought this was an interesting, subtle coming-of-age story about a boy who loves a hunting video game and tries it out in real life. An aging wolf tells the other side of the story - is he too old to lead his pack to food and hunt? An interesting character, a raven named Merla, enters the story as well - as a guide and savior. An ambiguous ending may leave readers frustrated, but I thought it was intriguing. Love the lead: "It was the starving time. Not the end of winter, not the start of spring, not cold, not hot, daylight and night dark were almost equal. Mud lay here and snow lay there. It was as if Earth herself could not decide between life and death." These juxtapositions - killing and death (is this a juxtaposition?), youth and age, humans and nature, all create great avenues for discussion.
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