Wolf Pack of the Winisk River

by Paul Brown, Robert Kakegamic (Illustrator)

p>After a harsh Northern Ontario winter, food is scarce and wolves must pursue the caribou north along the Winisk River. A large timber wolf fights off two young males and inserts himself into a pack led by a strong Alpha female. We follow the pack's two-hundred-mile journey along the Winisk River to Hudson Bay and the Severn River, as they face the dangers of human hunters, near-starvation and treacherous rivers. Readers will experience the loyalty and affection of the wolf pack and be captivated by these powerful, intelligent, courageous creatures in their thrilling struggle to survive. Using bold, vivid free verse in this fiercely original literary tour de force, Paul Brown dares to explore the natural beauty of the Great North and the heart of its wildlife. Paul Brown is a poet, a writer of fiction and a retired English teacher. He has made several canoe trips into Northern Ontario, and in 1988 made the same trip from Webequie to Peawanuck on the Winisk River that the wolf pack makes in his debut novel. Brown lives in Belleville, Ontario.

Artist and First Nation Band Councilor Robert Kakegamic continues the Woodland Aboriginal tradition started by Norval Morrisseau, his cousin the late Carl Ray, and brothers Joachim and Goyce Kakegamic. Robert, a lifelong resident of Sandy Lake, Ontario, a Swampy Cree (Ojibway) First Nation community, brings imaginative and symbolic imagery to his wildlife paintings.

Genres: Animals, Middle Grade

188 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 2009

About the author

Belleville, Ontario’s Paul Brown is a poet, fiction writer, and retired English teacher with thirty years of experience in the high school classroom. He has made several canoe trips into northern Ontario, including one from Webequie to Peawanuck on the Winisk River, the same journey made by the wolves in his debut novel. Through his research, Paul fell in love with the courage, tenacity, and intelligence of northern grey wolves.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[James Thole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished the book in a day, a beautiful story of nature and humanity intertwined. Emotionally packed and full of scenes that had me taken aback.

[Colton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Wold Pack Of The Winisk River
Author : Paul Brown
Genre: fiction

I am currently reading this book and I am really loving it so far its about this wolf in northern ontario in the winter time, he is trying to survive while food is limited he is trying to follow the caribou up north for food, a reliable food source along the Winisk river (hence the name of the story). He tries to insert himself into the group of wolves which are led by a strong alpha female. The pack is traveling as a team up the Winisk river for food.
The overall setting of this story is lone wolf trying to find and fight his way through the rough and harsh canadian winters trying to find more wolves to make life easier for him. It usually describes the whole surroundings of the place where the pack is at whether its near a river or just in trees the book describes what the wolf is doing very well.
The author tells the story in verses which i think is really neat, it doesn't give any punctuations at all, no periods no question marks, nothing which I find really neat and it gives it a somewhat mysterious and eerie feeling while reading this book.
My opinion on this book is really good, I've gotten the shivers a couple times while reading it. It keeps you on edge and up to what's going on in the story to me there is no real boring parts there always something to keep you interested weather is human interactions or fighting a caribou.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Theresa L. Stowell for TeensReadToo.com

Paul Brown tells the story of Wolf, an Alpha male, and the pack he joins after the death of his mate and their pups. The narrative follows the pack on their journey across the Canadian wilderness during a harsh winter season.

The pack's interaction with other wildlife, particularly the caribou upon which they feed, produces a realistic tone and balances the pursuit of the wolves themselves by human hunters. Not all human contact is negative though, as Brown shows the curiosity about each other from both wolf and human points of view. Wolf's tale is a powerful one, and Brown doesn't even attempt to hide the merciless facets of a wolf's life.

Though the narrative itself is educational, the fact that it is interspersed with non-fiction facts about wolves and other wildlife is an additional bonus. Together with pen-and-ink illustrations by Robert Kakegamic, Brown's poetic vision crosses genre boundaries while it introduces an epic journey in a way that young readers will find fascinating.

Teachers doing a poetry unit would find Brown's easy style and free verse a great selection for classroom use.

[Ricki · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was well-written, but it seemed like many others I've read but not quite as entertaining. At first, I was drawn into the story. While I have read many stories told through animals' eyes, I really enjoyed this particular wolf's story. As the story progressed, it felt a bit mundane and repetitive. I began to wonder if many children would enjoy the story or if they would feel like they were being forced to read it, as it feels very school-ish. It reminds me of the books I was forced to read while I was in 5th-7th grade that made me dislike reading for a while. It doesn't seem to relate to young people or grab their attention with good plot details beyond the first thirty pages, in my opinion. Overall, it wasn't a bad story, but I guess I just didn't love it. I think an adult might appreciate it, but I wouldn't give it to a child I wanted to learn to love reading.

[Terry]

This is a story about a pack of timber wolves who travel 200 miles in the northern Ontario wilderness tracking down their favorite prey, the woodland caribou. A harsh winter and scarce food supply made their annual trek extremely difficult. This is a novel written in poetry format and filled with factual information about wolves.

To read our full review, go to the Reading Tub.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

life in the northern reaches of Ontario through the eyes and voice of the wolf - the language might prove a stretch for some and the repetition of daily activities may lose a few more. Somewhat similar in context to Wild Animals I Have Known (and other books) by Ernest Thomas Seton that I would prefer over this.

[Rhiannon20 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! I loved the fact it was about wolves, I loved the storyline - a lone wolf has to find a pack to be part of and survive - the only thing I didn't love was that the book was written in verses, which I found annoying. But I also found it kind of . . . I don't know, 'mysterious'.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written, realistic animal story. Unsentimental, vivid depictions of "survival of the fittest" encounters. I imagine Gary Paulsen fans appreciating this one.

[Katie20 · Rating 2 out of 5]

this is confusing book about a pack of wolf i found it hard to follow and quite confusing.