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Running Wild
Twelve-year-old Willa and her twin brothers have survived with their father in the Alaskan wilderness for five years. But Willa knows this can't go on--they must escape.
Since their mother died five years ago, Willa, her younger brothers, and her father have lived in the wilderness, in a log cabin they built. They survive on food they grow and animals they hunt. Every year they have struggled a little bit more to survive.
Now, with winter approaching and her father becoming more reckless, Willa wonders if they will live to see spring. She also knows her father will never agree to leave.
When her father goes on a hunting expedition by himself, Willa convinces her brothers that they must make the four-day journey down the Yukon River to Fort Yukon to get help. But first, they'll need to survive the treacherous trip . . . all while knowing their father is on their trail.
Perfect for middle grade readers looking for adventure stories with strong female protagonists, Lucy Jane Bledsoe's Running Wild is a page-turner that hooks you from the beginning and doesn't let go.
A Bank Street Best Book of the Year
Since their mother died five years ago, Willa, her younger brothers, and her father have lived in the wilderness, in a log cabin they built. They survive on food they grow and animals they hunt. Every year they have struggled a little bit more to survive.
Now, with winter approaching and her father becoming more reckless, Willa wonders if they will live to see spring. She also knows her father will never agree to leave.
When her father goes on a hunting expedition by himself, Willa convinces her brothers that they must make the four-day journey down the Yukon River to Fort Yukon to get help. But first, they'll need to survive the treacherous trip . . . all while knowing their father is on their trail.
Perfect for middle grade readers looking for adventure stories with strong female protagonists, Lucy Jane Bledsoe's Running Wild is a page-turner that hooks you from the beginning and doesn't let go.
A Bank Street Best Book of the Year
208 pages, Hardcover
First published September 10, 2019
10 people are currently reading
219 people want to read
About the author
Lucy Jane Bledsoe
87 books130 followersPreorder Lucy's new novel, TELL THE REST, about love, rage, and redemption, at https://amzn.to/3QRyHXD. The New York Times says Lucy Jane Bledsoe's novel, A THIN BRIGHT LINE, "triumphs." Ms. Magazine calls her novel, THE EVOLUTION OF LOVE, "fabulous feminist fiction." Her 2018 collection of stories, LAVA FALLS, won the Devil's Kitchen Fiction Award. Bledsoe played basketball in both high school and college. As a social justice activist, she's passionate about working for voting rights.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 43 reviews
February 16, 2020
I lived in Alaska for 3 years and love reading books that take place there, especially ones that are set in the Alaskan wilderness, as this one was.
A number of reviewers have mentioned that this book reminds them of Hatchet, which makes sense as both require a teen or preteens to use their smarts and resourcefulness to survive not only the extreme conditions, but also the many predators in the wild. I was reminded much more of some of Will Hobbs books, especially Far North. Just another suggestion to go along with Hatchet if you're looking for books with a similar story line and characters.
So, wow, this book! I couldn't put it down and read it all in one sitting. I only got up to get more food! I loved Willa and her brothers Seth and Keith right from the start, especially Seth with his tender heart and love for all animals. Their dad brought them up to Alaska to live off the land by their own wits and labor after their mom died. That was his way to deal with the sadness and grief. They have all been taught the skills needed to survive in the wilderness. They know how to hunt, find edible plants, build a raft from logs, biovac, or make a temporary shelter in the woods, and everything else else needed to survive the Alaskan winters. But dad has gotten more and more set in his ways, as in his word is law and don't you dare question his authority, in addition to being quite reckless. If any of the kids complain he tells them, "humans are animals, nothing more. We need to eat, drink, and sleep, that's it." Yikes! Doesn't sound like much of a life. Sounds pretty joyless actually. Can they really survive the winter that is just beginning when the garden hasn't produced the vegetables that need to be stored and the hunting hasn't gone well either? And that's where our story takes off. I can think of so many students that I work with that would just love this story! I sure did.
A number of reviewers have mentioned that this book reminds them of Hatchet, which makes sense as both require a teen or preteens to use their smarts and resourcefulness to survive not only the extreme conditions, but also the many predators in the wild. I was reminded much more of some of Will Hobbs books, especially Far North. Just another suggestion to go along with Hatchet if you're looking for books with a similar story line and characters.
So, wow, this book! I couldn't put it down and read it all in one sitting. I only got up to get more food! I loved Willa and her brothers Seth and Keith right from the start, especially Seth with his tender heart and love for all animals. Their dad brought them up to Alaska to live off the land by their own wits and labor after their mom died. That was his way to deal with the sadness and grief. They have all been taught the skills needed to survive in the wilderness. They know how to hunt, find edible plants, build a raft from logs, biovac, or make a temporary shelter in the woods, and everything else else needed to survive the Alaskan winters. But dad has gotten more and more set in his ways, as in his word is law and don't you dare question his authority, in addition to being quite reckless. If any of the kids complain he tells them, "humans are animals, nothing more. We need to eat, drink, and sleep, that's it." Yikes! Doesn't sound like much of a life. Sounds pretty joyless actually. Can they really survive the winter that is just beginning when the garden hasn't produced the vegetables that need to be stored and the hunting hasn't gone well either? And that's where our story takes off. I can think of so many students that I work with that would just love this story! I sure did.
November 14, 2019
Running Wild is a survival/adventure story set in the Alaskan wilderness as three siblings escape their father’s increasingly concerning behavior. The adventure is exciting and rife with tension, the characters you will root for, and the landscape is beautiful. I wish some of the moments had held more emotion (it felt like they should have), but it was still very enjoyable!
September 28, 2019
After the death of their mother, Willa's father decided to forsake Seattle and head to the Alaska wilderness. The family has been living there, completely off the grid, for five years. Although Willa, now 12, loves many aspects of their life, she longs for a friend and a different sort of life. Now that she's twelve, she wonders about city life, and worries about her father's increasing drinking and violence, and his refusal to listen to her concerns. As winter weather grows close, Willa is concerned that the family's rations are running low and that there isn't enough meat for them to make it through the winter. Since she and her twin brothers, Keith and Seth, 10, are already skinny and hungry, she decides to head to Fort Yukon where her father does his trading. When he's off hunting, she gathers her brothers and they raft away from their home. Accidents, poor planning, and mistakes take a toll on the youngsters, and to Willa's shock, Seth has smuggled along a wolf cub he has named Zhoh. As it turns out, Zhoh is loyal and saves their lives at one point. After several close calls, they reach the town and are befriended by the Johnson family. While readers may expect Willa to head to New York with her maternal aunt, Frances, if she can make contact with her, that isn't what happens. I appreciated the way the book ends as the youngsters must give up important things but also gain some important things as well. While readers will root for everything to work out for this family, it's clear that grief, loss, depression, and alcohol are hard challenges, especially for Willa's father. It's clear that, no matter what, Willa will chart her own course. While I don't know how likely some of the events in the book would be, I finished it impressed that one girl had the courage to try to save her family. It's not easy to think about what might have happened to the youngsters during that winter if they hadn't decided to leave, and it's also important to note their conflicted emotions about their father. The title, "Running Wild," is perfect for this book since it's certainly not what readers might think initially.
November 23, 2020
I know many of my students loved Brian's tale of survival after a plane crash in Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen. This is a slightly different kind of survival in the wilderness story, but a great one for fans of wilderness survival scenarios.
Twelve-year-old Willa knows they haven't stored enough meat for four people to survive the upcoming Alaskan winter. She also sees the empty whiskey bottles and hears her father's empty promises to hunt. Then there's a horrible thump as her brother argues with her father, outside, and she notes the bruise on his face when he comes in.
She can't wait any longer. She has to get her two younger brothers to safety, away from their father, who brought them to this harsh wilderness and built a cabin after their mother died. And that means leaving -- now.
Their father has hidden the oars to the small boat, so they take their handmade raft, a cobbled-together collection of discarded logs and boards. Along the way, they take her youngest brother's little wolf pup, barely escape a momma bear and her cub, and hide from their angry father as he paddles past.
Once they reach the Fort Yukon settlement, starving, she meets a girl whose father is on the tribal council of the Gwichyaa Gwich'in, and the kids are safe from the elements, at last.
Until Aunt Frances shows up. Then they're faced with an even bigger choice -- go to New York with her and abandon their dad and newfound friends, probably for good, or...
I won't spoil the ending. It's full of twists and turns you don't see coming and was a wonderful read!
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
Twelve-year-old Willa knows they haven't stored enough meat for four people to survive the upcoming Alaskan winter. She also sees the empty whiskey bottles and hears her father's empty promises to hunt. Then there's a horrible thump as her brother argues with her father, outside, and she notes the bruise on his face when he comes in.
She can't wait any longer. She has to get her two younger brothers to safety, away from their father, who brought them to this harsh wilderness and built a cabin after their mother died. And that means leaving -- now.
Their father has hidden the oars to the small boat, so they take their handmade raft, a cobbled-together collection of discarded logs and boards. Along the way, they take her youngest brother's little wolf pup, barely escape a momma bear and her cub, and hide from their angry father as he paddles past.
Once they reach the Fort Yukon settlement, starving, she meets a girl whose father is on the tribal council of the Gwichyaa Gwich'in, and the kids are safe from the elements, at last.
Until Aunt Frances shows up. Then they're faced with an even bigger choice -- go to New York with her and abandon their dad and newfound friends, probably for good, or...
I won't spoil the ending. It's full of twists and turns you don't see coming and was a wonderful read!
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
July 7, 2024
I love the Young Adult genre, and always have. Good ones are fast-moving stories, tightly spun, and real, meaning having to do with real-life issues of trying to come of age.
When I was in my tweens and teens, in the 1960s and 1970s, the only adventure stories I could find that were about dangerous rivers, wolves, and survival revolved around the life of boys-- I wasn't interested in the typical "girls" fiction of the era--so to see how this has changed over the decades makes me beyond happy.
Running Wild, by Lucy Jane Bledsoe, is such a beautiful read, fast paced, adventurous, and filled with the concerns and joys that define that journey to adulthood: parent issues, concern for siblings, neglect/abuse, awareness of abilities, and the discomfort, at times, of growing into your own skin.
After her mother's death five years ago, heroine, twelve-year-old Willa, and her two ten-year-old twin brothers move with their father to the Alaskan wilderness to live close to the land, to learn to survive on very little. Except the undealt with grief that dogs her father follows him through the years, turning him into the father that Willa realizes can't be depended on to make good decisions, to keep them safe, and the family is teetering on the edge of disaster. Willa makes the daring plan to ride the rivers with her brothers to Fort Yukon where she will somehow contact her aunt in New York City, who will save them from a life of uncertainty and danger. But like the river, life's currents twist and turn, and Willa finds another family in Fort Yukon who will help her make the biggest decisions of the siblings lives.
Highly recommend to any reader, middle grade on up, who love a good adventure story,
When I was in my tweens and teens, in the 1960s and 1970s, the only adventure stories I could find that were about dangerous rivers, wolves, and survival revolved around the life of boys-- I wasn't interested in the typical "girls" fiction of the era--so to see how this has changed over the decades makes me beyond happy.
Running Wild, by Lucy Jane Bledsoe, is such a beautiful read, fast paced, adventurous, and filled with the concerns and joys that define that journey to adulthood: parent issues, concern for siblings, neglect/abuse, awareness of abilities, and the discomfort, at times, of growing into your own skin.
After her mother's death five years ago, heroine, twelve-year-old Willa, and her two ten-year-old twin brothers move with their father to the Alaskan wilderness to live close to the land, to learn to survive on very little. Except the undealt with grief that dogs her father follows him through the years, turning him into the father that Willa realizes can't be depended on to make good decisions, to keep them safe, and the family is teetering on the edge of disaster. Willa makes the daring plan to ride the rivers with her brothers to Fort Yukon where she will somehow contact her aunt in New York City, who will save them from a life of uncertainty and danger. But like the river, life's currents twist and turn, and Willa finds another family in Fort Yukon who will help her make the biggest decisions of the siblings lives.
Highly recommend to any reader, middle grade on up, who love a good adventure story,
October 3, 2019
There’s more to survival than food and shelter.”
Willa, age 12, and her two younger twin brothers live in the Alaskan wilderness with their survivalist father. They moved there five years ago when their beloved mother died. At first it was fun living off the land with no electricity, no running water and no school to attend, but Willa is increasingly lonely for companionship, new books to read, and civilization. Her father is a recovering alcoholic who has been sober for years, but recently he started drinking again and his behavior has become more erratic. It’s October and they don’t yet have enough food for winter, plus Willa is afraid she is physically unwell when she sees blood in her underwear (she doesn’t know about periods). When her father leaves for a hunting trip, Willa takes the opportunity to escape with her brothers (and a stowaway wolf pup) on a raft toward Fort Yukon where she plans to call her aunt who lives in New York. Along the way they encounter danger in the form of brown bears, icy cold nights, and a diminishing food supply.
Non-stop action, well described survival elements, and fewer than 200 pages make this a perfect book for reluctant readers. Willa’s strong first person narrative is another highlight of this book. I read it in less than a day and predict many other readers will find it impossible to put down, as well. Highly recommended!
Willa, age 12, and her two younger twin brothers live in the Alaskan wilderness with their survivalist father. They moved there five years ago when their beloved mother died. At first it was fun living off the land with no electricity, no running water and no school to attend, but Willa is increasingly lonely for companionship, new books to read, and civilization. Her father is a recovering alcoholic who has been sober for years, but recently he started drinking again and his behavior has become more erratic. It’s October and they don’t yet have enough food for winter, plus Willa is afraid she is physically unwell when she sees blood in her underwear (she doesn’t know about periods). When her father leaves for a hunting trip, Willa takes the opportunity to escape with her brothers (and a stowaway wolf pup) on a raft toward Fort Yukon where she plans to call her aunt who lives in New York. Along the way they encounter danger in the form of brown bears, icy cold nights, and a diminishing food supply.
Non-stop action, well described survival elements, and fewer than 200 pages make this a perfect book for reluctant readers. Willa’s strong first person narrative is another highlight of this book. I read it in less than a day and predict many other readers will find it impossible to put down, as well. Highly recommended!
January 4, 2025
I received this book as an ARC at the ALA conference this weekend, and finished it in 2 days. It's a page-turner. So, thank you to Holiday House!
Twelve year old Willa and her 10 year old twin brothers live in a remote cabin in Alaska, where they've been since the death of their mom 5 years earlier. Their Dad is unhinged, and Willa realizes that they won't make it through the winter if they don't get away. With the goal of eventually finding their Aunt Frances in NYC, the kids (with the help of my favorite character, a wolf pup) begin a cold, dangerous, scary adventure on a raft. I don't want to give anything away from this point, but the author ties the story up at the end, and it's a realistic, satisfying conclusion. I loved her writing style, especially the descriptions of the Alaskan landscape, and I found the characters to be so believable.
My only issue? Willa is 12, and I thought that she was a bit mature for a 12 year old (even one in the circumstances she's been living in). I felt that her insights were more appropriate for a 14 year old girl. But this is minor. It's a wonderful story!
Twelve year old Willa and her 10 year old twin brothers live in a remote cabin in Alaska, where they've been since the death of their mom 5 years earlier. Their Dad is unhinged, and Willa realizes that they won't make it through the winter if they don't get away. With the goal of eventually finding their Aunt Frances in NYC, the kids (with the help of my favorite character, a wolf pup) begin a cold, dangerous, scary adventure on a raft. I don't want to give anything away from this point, but the author ties the story up at the end, and it's a realistic, satisfying conclusion. I loved her writing style, especially the descriptions of the Alaskan landscape, and I found the characters to be so believable.
My only issue? Willa is 12, and I thought that she was a bit mature for a 12 year old (even one in the circumstances she's been living in). I felt that her insights were more appropriate for a 14 year old girl. But this is minor. It's a wonderful story!
November 9, 2019
When Willa's mother died her father took her and her two younger brothers into the Alaskan wilderness. Perhaps he was fleeing to a place where he felt grief could not follow. They've survived for a few years, living off the land, but now 12-year-old Willa is worried. There's not enough food stored for the coming winter, and her father's return to drinking makes him unpredictable and occasionally violent. She knows she can't continue to live like this. She wants friends, school, and someone to explain what is happening to her body. That is why, while her father is off hunting, Willa and the boys, and a wolf pup, take the raft downriver, hoping to make it to Fort Yukon. This is a story of survival, of facing unpleasant truths and being willing to fight for what you need. The ending will surprise readers, yet it feels right. Fans of Jean Craighead George will probably enjoy this book.
July 13, 2021
Again, I appreciate thestorygraph's fractional rating options. Over there I will rate this book 3.75, not quite 4 but definitely more than 4.
The plot moves quickly in this book. I think the characters face realistic issues and have realistic development but something does not quite reach the level of a great book. At first, I had to figure out whether the narrator was male or female because another character does not address her for several pages. Although easily resolved, this threw me off a little. I think the missing spark comes with everything in the adventure coming just a little too easily although the ease does make sense with how the author built the backstory for the characters.
I think middle grades students would definitely enjoy this book.
The plot moves quickly in this book. I think the characters face realistic issues and have realistic development but something does not quite reach the level of a great book. At first, I had to figure out whether the narrator was male or female because another character does not address her for several pages. Although easily resolved, this threw me off a little. I think the missing spark comes with everything in the adventure coming just a little too easily although the ease does make sense with how the author built the backstory for the characters.
I think middle grades students would definitely enjoy this book.
October 24, 2019
Gary Paulsen's Hatchet meets and not-so-successful The Swiss Family Robinson in this story of a young girl, Willa, who has moved to Alaska with her father and twin brothers. Willa's father moved his family to a remote location while grieving his wife's death. Years later, Willa and her brothers are living in the remote wilderness. After years of the family living like 19th Century homesteaders, food is scarce, medical help is non-existent and the three siblings have no one except their more and more remote, drinking father. At age 12 Willa and her brothers, as winter is closing in, get on a raft headed to Fort Yukon. Will they survive this impossible journey?
October 31, 2019
Running Wild was an exciting, engaging read and I think that kids in this age group would love it.
The believability of this survival story of escape by two ten-year-old boys and a twelve-year-old girl is questionable, but one takes into account their 5 years of learning how to live off the land in remote Alaska. I really liked the descriptive text about how they built shelter, caught game, and more. Things do fall into order just a little too simply at the end of their trek. But, hey, this is fiction.
I liked the book and gobbled it up very quickly and I think readers will enjoy the story too.
The believability of this survival story of escape by two ten-year-old boys and a twelve-year-old girl is questionable, but one takes into account their 5 years of learning how to live off the land in remote Alaska. I really liked the descriptive text about how they built shelter, caught game, and more. Things do fall into order just a little too simply at the end of their trek. But, hey, this is fiction.
I liked the book and gobbled it up very quickly and I think readers will enjoy the story too.
January 7, 2020
This adventure story reminds me of a younger version of "Hatchet". There are some adult issues in this one: alcoholism, grief, and isolation. However, there is also camaraderie and determination. I enjoyed the surviving the wilderness part of the story but found the civilization part completely uninteresting and unbelievable. This one was a mixed bag for me.
January 17, 2020
It fell a bit flat with me. I knew it was a youth book when I picked it up but I still thought it was going to be more wilderness survival and less emotional drama. Only about half the book is the kids in the wild the other half is them in town trying to figure out life with their aunt and alcoholic dad. That and the story really doesn’t wrap up at the end.
February 4, 2020
I liked that the ending didn't wrap up perfectly.
May not appeal to a reader who wants all action and survival. Family dynamics added to it in my opinion. The coming of age detail about Willa getting her period was more than I had expected. Good fit for a MS library or a public library borrow for grade 4-5. Great for reluctant readers.
May not appeal to a reader who wants all action and survival. Family dynamics added to it in my opinion. The coming of age detail about Willa getting her period was more than I had expected. Good fit for a MS library or a public library borrow for grade 4-5. Great for reluctant readers.
October 1, 2019
Wanting to escape their father who was drinking again, and their extremely poor circumstances as they faced another long winter in the Alaskan outback, Willa and her twin brothers set out on their raft hoping to make it to the nearest town before the river froze.
December 21, 2020
A rollicking story about three young siblings navigating the wilds of Alaska, on the run from their grieving, alcoholic father. Thoroughly enjoyed this page-turner of a story for middle readers -- it also happens to be a wonderful escape for weary adults.
January 24, 2022
I enjoyed this book so much. I wish the characters had been just a little older and that would have made the story more believable for me. All in all, a great read for middle grades! I enjoyed the adventure.
February 4, 2022
This is a book for middle schoolers. Too many books with this title! By the time I realized I was reading the wrong author I was charmed by the simplicity, the great descriptions of the Alaskan wild, and the larger font & spacing 😆
December 23, 2019
Wonderful story of a family facing challenges in the Alaskan wilderness. The father is not mentally well and the kids decide to hike out and find people.
May 27, 2021
I binged this read. I absolutely loved Willa and her bravery in the Alaskan Wilderness.
This is a must read for all ages.
TW: drunk dad, mom has passed away.
This is a must read for all ages.
TW: drunk dad, mom has passed away.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 43 reviews