Julie of the Wolves

Julie of the Wolves #1

by Jean Craighead George, John Schoenherr (Illustrator)

Alone and lost--on the North Slope of Alaska

Miyax rebels against a home situation she finds intolerable. She runs away toward San Francisco, toward the pen pal, who calls for Julie. But soon Miyax is lost in the Alaskan wilderness, without food, without even a compass. Slowly she is accepted by a pack of Arctic wolves, and she comes to love them as if they were her brothers. With their help, and drawing on her father's training, she struggles day by day to survive. In the process, she is forced to rethink her past, and to define for herself the traditional riches of Eskimo life; intelligence, fearlessness, and love.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Childrens, Classics, Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Adventure

170 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Jean Craighead George wrote over eighty popular books for young adults, including the Newbery Medal-winning Julie of the Wolves and the Newbery Honor book My Side of the Mountain. Most of her books deal with topics related to the environment and the natural world. While she mostly wrote children's fiction, she also wrote at least two guides to cooking with wild foods, and an autobiography, Journey Inward.

The mother of three children, (Twig C. George, Craig, and T. Luke George) Jean George was a grandmother who joyfully read to her grandchildren since the time they were born. Over the years Jean George kept one hundred and seventy-three pets, not including dogs and cats, in her home in Chappaqua, New York. "Most of these wild animals depart in autumn when the sun changes their behaviour and they feel the urge to migrate or go off alone. While they are with us, however, they become characters in my books, articles, and stories."

Reviews

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

at first I thought Julie's observations of wolf behavior to be overly simplistic. It's not just a matter of adopting their vocal cues to one another that will allow you to approach a wild wolf and gain its trust and friendship.

however, after a while I attempted some of the wolf behaviors on my 2 dogs, and was surprised that they seemed to work and be understood. Imagine pippen's surprise when I bit the top of her nose the first time! heh

the grunt whine means come here.
the licking of the chin and cheeks means hail to the chief.

it actually DOES translate.

I'm weirded out by this.

[Julie G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every writer should read this little Newberry winner.

Why?

I'm glad you asked, and I am so happy to answer.

Every writer should read this little Newberry winner to learn. . . that a book with a fast-paced narrative that is "readable" may not only sell well, it may also win a prestigious book award! A book with horrible dialogue may still be read over and over again in classrooms everywhere, so, it turns out, you don't need to waste any further time on making dialogue authentic! Whew! What a relief! And, last but not least, write about an Eskimo, even a completely unlikable/unrelatable Eskimo, because multiculturism sells, y'all!

Three stars for naming her Julie.

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

A reminder of what the world was like to live in Nature and with nature.

It took me a while to read this and it had little to do with the story and mostly to do with time. I'm so glad I finally read this story. I find this story to be quite powerful and the message of living in balance with nature is quite a powerful theme and call. Julie has knowledge of how to survive in the wilderness. That knowledge is so valuable. People should make money by letting people pay to come for a week or two and learn to survive on the land and appreciate the world around them.

Julie was married off to a family that didn't quite work out for her. It was not good. So, she decides to run away. She runs off over the tundra of the Northern world and finds a wolf pack that takes her in. Julie is smart and knows how to read wolves. She survives on the plains with the wolves. The best part of the story is when she is living with the wolves and learning from them.

Jean is an amazing writer and she obviously knows about survival skills. She wrote My side of the Mountain and that was all about surviving in the wilderness as well. She can spin a good yarn outdoors for certain. Her books are incredible.

The pace is a little slower than today, but I found it very engaging and interesting. There is a flashback to Julie living with that family she marries into and that was the place I got stuck for so long. That part dragged, but the parts she is outside were amazing. This is similar to Hatchet in some ways.

Jean does use the word Eskimo and the book is written in 1972 when that was accepted, but I recently learned that they consider that a slur and prefer to be called something else like Inuit. That was news to me, but apparently, now they really hate that word. It is used a lot in this story.

I did enjoy this and it is worth reading, in my opinion. I love nature, but I am not suited to live in nature any longer. I can't drag around a library out there. I love living close to nature with plumbing and yet, I still found this book very powerful and a great read.

[Carolyn Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I enjoyed this (Julie’s) story very much, I felt slightly detached from the writing. I can’t put my finger on why exactly, so I’ll continue to ponder…

[Karina · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Miyax was not without things to do. When she was not hunting, or carving, she danced, sewed, chopped wood or made candles. Sometimes she tried to spell Eskimo words with the English alphabet. Such beautiful words must be preserved forever." (PG. 153)

John Newbery Medal--1973

I have been on a literary journey reading John Newbery Medal winners or honorees and I have learned that this does not mean jackShhh for me. Some of these books are total duds. I haven't read a wowzer of a winner. Like I can say to myself "Yes! I get it! This is why this book has won..." I have read VERY good ones though and those are usually the honorees in some cases. My point in starting with this is that awards mean so much to the person receiving it but I feel cheated in some cases. Also, I am not the judge of the awards but I am a judge on Goodreads. Lol...

With 'Julie of the Wolves' I wanted to like it so much. Eskimo life, wolves, barren Alaska? Yes, please! But sadly, NOPE! It was so boring. Julie talked to us the whole time to make sure we didn't forget what she knew but there was no worthy action to make me turn pages at a fast rate. I didn't connect with her or her situation. The author made it like an informative book instead of a novel. Sure, the reader wants to know about Eskimo life and facts but make it part of Julie's story.

So do I recommend it to further your or your child's Eskimo curiosity? Probably not.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book won the Newbery award in 1973. It is really excellent and quite an amazing story! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Because my husband LOVES Alaska so much, he also read it. Well, I love Alaska too!! We would go back there in 2 split seconds if our children weren't here instead of there.

ALSO this book has been challenged often and can you guess why? Well, these are the ones I could find:

"socialist, communist, evolutionary, and anti-family themes; references to family alcoholism, abuse, and divorce; includes a rape scene"

And guess what? No matter how repellent and unthinkable alcoholism, abuse, and divorce are, THEY HAPPEN.

[Lesle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author spent a summer watching and studying the behaviors of a wolf pack in Denali. She had seen a young woman walking the tundra alone. The story is inspired.

Julie of the Wolves is a story about Miyak's journey from leaving a frightening situation behind at a very young age, to find her way, to her pen pal in San Francisco. She is lost in Alaska with no food and no way to shelter herself from the tundra. During her journey she is torn between a Gussak (Julie) way of life or is the Eskimo (Miyak) life a better way? At times it is intense, will she survive? She finally finds hope in a pack of wolves and begins to study how they communicate to one another which allows her to interact with them, in-turn saves her life.

The story is well written, it is believable in the fact that it could possibly happen in the world of Eskimo life. Miyax's ingenuity to survive with the pack and sustain herself with some of the lessons she learned from her father is the heart of the story. She also is able to save another, with the Plover Bird. A couple that is out hunting find her and give her hope to reunite with her father and show him what she has learned.

The descriptions are very detailed, the real life hits her hard when she realizes her father is modernized which has led to the death of one she admired so much. She gives the Plover to her father as a gift, shortly after the bird passes. Is this a sign? Sad.

The sketchings are also pretty detailed and give you a true image of her different circumstances.
Wolves are fascinating creatures the way they build structure in the pack and how they show respect towards the leader.

[Amanda NEVER MANDY · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided it best to reacquaint myself with this story since it had been such a long time between my original read and this review and let me just say what a difference time has had with this one. My memories were of this little girl who happened to make friends with a pack of wolves while traveling from point A to point B, which consisted of some mildly dangerous wilderness.

WRONGO

Adult me looks at this story now and sees sad. Buckets of it. From beginning to end there is just a whole hell of a lot of wrong happening to this poor little girl and her ability to endure it astounds me. Maybe that is why I loved this book so much as a child. It wasn’t the animal aspect but more the strong central character that drew me in. I seem to have a knack for falling for the independent and stubborn leads that take not just one, but many life ass-kicking’s and still manage to see that sparkle that makes it all worth it shine on through.

I may display an empty cup mentality but I sure don’t read like it.

[Jeffrey Caston · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as a kid. I have to confess I recalled none of the details of it. This was cool going back as an audiobook and I was delighted to see this is actually a trilogy. I'd only ever read the first book.

This was an engaging tale of a young girl who is trying to escape a situation she doesn't like. It has a main character who ends up straddling three different lives: (1) her life as a first nation person in Alaska trying to make her own way in the world; (2) her life in what will be in the continental US with people she knows; and (3) her life as a member of a wolf pack. The balance and perspectives and inner conflicts I found quite something in this book.

Look forward to the rest of the trilogy.

[Evelina | AvalinahsBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

How I read this: free trial of Scribd

I was absolutely in love with Julie of the Wolves – I finished this story in an evening, and I was so sorry it ended so fast. This story is not only a celebration of the Inuit (Eskimo) culture, it’s also a lovesong to other, non-human cultures – I mean animals. The story focuses on wolves and how they adopt a girl who has got lost in the tundra because she was running away from a dangerous situation at home. The love for nature, for the natural (even if harsh) way of life really resonated with me – I’ll always love stories about how people take up the old ways of life instead of our polished, highly artificial lives of the 21st century.

The descriptions of the social lives of wolves are simply stunning! I could have never imagined these animals to have such a rich culture. We really don’t see animals in the light we should – that they’re just like us, but in their own way. It’s magical to look into their world and see both how similar and how different they are from us.

Julie of the Wolves also reveals the magic of nonverbal speech. We humans are so used to expressing ourselves pretty much only verbally that we even think only though speaking – at least surely most of us do. But in Julie of the Wolves, the main character is forced to learn another kind of language – one comprised pretty much only of movements, glances, snarls or positions of ears, or simply how things make you feel when you see them. It’s alien territory for a person of the 21st century, which is why it was a treat to read. It’s always so interesting to learn about other ways of life.

But reader, I must warn you – I cried. Triggers include animal death which I absolutely can’t handle. And yet, the story was still worth it. It left my heart full of feelings and sadness for the ways of life the Western culture has erased.

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[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Wanda's Summer Carnival of Children's Literature***

Although I know that I read Julie of the Wolves when I was about 11 years old, I could not recall a single detail of it, just a general impression that it had been an enjoyable book. I think I got much more out of it reading it as an adult!

What I can truly appreciate now is the wonderful depiction of the natural world, the Arctic environment. The author spent some time in Alaska, doing biological research, and her knowledge of the area just shines through. Not just wolves, but lemmings, skuas, foxes, and a variety of other birds and animals populate these pages, strongly appealing to the naturalist in me.

As a child, I certainly did not understand the sadness about the changing way of life of the people of the Arctic. George was obviously sorry to see the Native people losing their traditional way of life and becoming initiated into regular North American culture. The ending is particularly heart wrenching, as Julie faces the fact that she must also join in settled life. I experienced similar feelings when visiting Bhutan—the young people were all excited about the internet and joining in world culture, but as a visitor, I saw that their culture risked losing so much of its uniqueness as a result. Yet who in their right mind would deny them the right to modernize? It’s a balancing act, to take the best of other cultures while retaining what is best of your own.

I think there are echoes in this book of the idea that Native peoples and their cultures would inevitably die out, something which so many are still struggling against. So many indigenous languages are quickly going extinct, being replaced by European languages. Hopefully, these communities will be able to hold the line against further erosion of their cultures and languages.

[theliterateleprechaun · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was cleaning out my Rubbermaid tub of books I’d purchased when I started out in teaching and came across a trilogy that was perfect to transition to vacation reading! We are on our way to Alaska and I’m re-reading a book with (hopefully) wisdom and maturity on my side. This book is on the Canadian Grade 5 reading list and has won the Newbery Medal for American children’s literature. It is also on the ALA’s most frequently challenged (banned) books. I remembered loving it as a child and so I wanted to re-read it to make an informed decision.

It’s about teenage angst - not the type of angst teenagers find themselves in today - but the kind that meant that your choices could determine life or death. Julie (Miyax) is 13, orphaned and unhappily married. Yes, you read that correctly. She’s run away from her husband and plans to take refuge with a pen pal in San Francisco. Along the way, Julie becomes lost in the Alaskan tundra with no sense of direction, no shelter and no food. She needs to wrestle with being Julie and wanting to be a modern teenager OR being Miyax, a traditional Eskimo girl who relies on traditional customs. Her survival depends on her befriending a wolf pack.

I liked:
-The girl versus the environment theme: the focus on how the people and the animals rely on each other for survival in this harsh environment
-how Miyax relied on her Native upbringing to survive
-how she respected the wolves and gained acceptance by them, ultimately saving her life
-how the author explored the reality of trying to live with the white-faced people, or gussaks, after being raised with Eskimo traditions
-the necessity of adapting to ensure survival
-relying on one’s inner strength
-the focus on knowing when to walk away and when to stay and fight

How did I feel about this being categorized as a banned book?

Laughable, really. It confirmed for me that some people read WAY TOO MUCH into things. The scene in question is dubbed the ‘rape’ scene. I didn’t read it that way and I’m sensitive to things that could be triggers. O.K., Daniel (her husband) does push her down. But, people, he’s developmentally challenged and doesn’t solve problems the same way as I’d approach finding a solution. In pushing her down, he rips her dress. That simple. Regardless, children will read about people who have disagreements and fights, and the teacher may want to discuss appropriate ways of dealing with anger. I’m glad I had a teacher who focussed on what we could learn from a girl who starts a journey into self-discovery and questions what she really wants out of life, forcing herself beyond her present abilities to experience growth. I remember loving a story about wolves. That’s it.

Let’s keep in mind this book was published in 1972. It’s not politically correct to use “Eskimo” any longer, we use ‘Inuit’. I also think that there are outdated views of the Alaskan Natives.

I hope I’m still open-minded when my niece is old enough to read this book.

[Missy LeBlanc Ivey · Rating 4 out of 5]

2023 - 1970’s Immersion Reading Challenge

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George (1972) 170 pages.

READING LEVEL 5.8 AR POINTS 6.0
(5th grade...more or less)

Setting: Alaska North Slope - Nunivak (Miyax born) and Point Barrow (Miyax lived when married) and Alaska tundra (Miyax ran away and got lost), New Hope (trying to get to), Kangik (where she found her father, who betrayed the Inuit principals).

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, maybe because I really respect the spirit of all the indigenous people. They really seem to know and understand and are closer to nature than us “gussaks” (meaning: white people in Inuit language).

It was the cultural change, forcing the Inuits to conform to society that sent Miyax to run away into the Alaska tundra where she used some survival skills her father had taught her. She also learned the ways of the wolves and was accepted as a part of their wolf pack, even if from a distance. When the lead wolf, Amaroq, was killed by sporting hunters, Miyax had to make a decision to either conform to the gussak’s way of life and live among them, or remain loyal to her Inuit way of life.

You will learn some true facts about the wolf, their habits and communications, and some of the skills the Inuits might use to survive extreme cold…40 to 50 degrees below zero; therefore, I would say this is more historical fiction rather than just fiction. I actually can’t give this a straight up 5-star because I couldn’t envision or understand some of those things that 13-year-old Miyax, an Inuk girl, was making for her survival. But, they were very short, so I just moved along.

According to wikipedia, this story is based on an Inuk woman named Julia Sebevan, who taught George the ways of the Inuits.

Sequels

#2 Julie (1994)
#3 Julie’s Wolf Pack (1997)

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

The genre was action/fiction. When Amaroq died, it was very sad. One of the things that made me sad was when Amaroq died was when Julie screamed "For a bounty, for money, the magnificent Amaroq is dead!" I think this might be how some one feels when someone important dies. (pg. 140). At first, Amaroq did not let Julie in the pack. Why do you think he eventually did? Why was Jello a wolf in shame? why did the men kill Amaroq and then not take him with them? I think that this was a very good book because I liked how the quite moments and the action tied together to make one.

[Cherisa B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enchanting fable of an “Eskimo” adolescent girl living alone on the ice after running away from an arranged marriage she can’t abide. Adopted by a pack of wolves, she puts their lessons and those of her father when she was much younger to the test. Sweet, ambiguous, a little pat.

[Sam Wescott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really, really adored this book when I was young. I was pretty sure that if I could manage to meet a wolf, I would be able to talk to her because I had memorized this story so well. I definitely had a thing for Young Native Woman Survivalist Novels (Island of the Blue Dolphin was another fave) and this one was extra fun because I was going through my weird wolf girl phase (why yes, it did coincide with my weird horse girl phase, why do you ask?).

Going back to it now, I was a little shocked by how bleak it is. It's a survivalist novel, yeah, but it's also a child marriage horror story with an attempted sexual assault right in the middle. There's a lurking story about native children being rehomed and forcibly re-educated into English culture and losing the ability to participate in their own culture, but the story being told through the eyes of a 13 year old did simplify that down a little bit.

But geez, this book made raw Caribou liver sound delicious so there's definitely some engrossing writing in there.

But! As an adult reader with a little more nervousness about representation, I am slightly concerned to find out that the author isn't native. It seems like she has a lot of expertise in the local nature and climate, but I did find a couple reviews online from native folks who actually live in this part of Alaska and they were not pleased with some of her inaccuracies. Apparently she got a lot of the language wrong ("amoraq" should be "amaguq" and there's no "X" in the Inupiaq alphabet, so "Miyax" is not a native name etc) and some of the basic geography and behaviors don't really make sense to actual native readers from Barrow and if they thing this story isn't good representation, I am going to defer to them.

So, loved it as kid, but as an adult it's a little cringe-y to see a white author writing about how this girl likes that starvation has made her cheeks hollow like a white girl's face. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

According to this book, to survive in the tundra you might need to drink from a wolf's teat, collect upchucked food from furred friends, and stuff your pockets full of excrement for fuel. It also doesn't hurt to be be very, very optimistic about life and your chances of survival in general. According to Kapugen, Julie's father, when you're feeling fear you need to change your position. So, when Julie begins to fear life among a new family, she changes position by walking out into barren landscapes and winging it, hoping by the end that she reaches San Francisco (see how well her optimism serves her?). Anyway, when one lives like Julie does for so long there is a good chance that re-adjusting to life among those less optimistic and normal is a struggle...but in the end I'm rooting for her to manage it, although I don't think she'd ever stop singing out her love for a certain lead wolf after gently biting him on the nose and all.

[Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5 stars, rounded up.

When I was 9 years old, I picked up Hatchet for the first time, because all of the boys in my class were obsessed with it. I immediately shared their obsession and had to find anything else that featured a young person surviving alone in the wild. I read the rest of Brian’s Saga, and The Island of the Blue Dolphins, and My Side of the Mountain and the books that followed. I also read this book and the rest of the trilogy. I haven’t read Julie of the Wolves in over 20 years, and I didn’t remember nearly as much about it as I thought it did. Which made it a fun story to revisit.

I’ve always had a soft spot for any story that takes place in Alaska, so I especially loved the setting of this particular series. Julie, or Miyax, as she prefers to go by her Eskimo name, is a great character. I love that our protagonist is a very capable female, which isn’t as common in this small subgenre of children’s novels. However, I had completely forgotten how much sadness there was in this story, and that there was a scene involving a near rape. I’m often surprised when I revisit a children’s classic by the content that I don’t recall, that obviously didn’t bother me when I was a child. Which, in my opinion, is an argument for why we shouldn’t ban books to protect our kids. The vast majority of the things we’re worried about either won’t bother the children we are trying to protect, or will lead them to asking big, and very important questions.

This was a refreshing revisit, and I loved my time with Miyax and the wolf pack that becomes her family. There’s nothing like a children’s classic when you’re needing a mental palette cleanser.

[Amy Lenarz · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has (likely unintended, but still) significant themes of white supremacy. It conflates various indigenous cultures under the heading of Eskimo. It has a sexual assault scene that I found traumatic to read as a fifth grader in the 1990s, and still find upsetting now that I've reread it in my 30s. Its one-dimensional treatment of the developmentally delayed character is awful. And it's written by a white author who appropriated the culture of the indigenous people to great acclaim. While this may have been seen as a step forward for representation in the 1970s when it was published, there are surely YA novels by native authors now, 40+ years later, that can replace this one in the canon.
TL;DR: outdated and not recommended

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a beautiful book with a wonderful heroine. I did not read any Jean Craighead George books when I was a kid for obvious reasons--but read a couple of her books to my daughter when she was a child in the 90s. But I didn't read this one about an Inuit girl who learns survival in the Alaskan wilderness--with the help of wolves. Glad I found it in a booksale and I read it in one night. Just wish I could read it to my daughter, but she's 33 now....I understand there's a sequel?? I will look for it!

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've loved this series since I was young. Of course, I've loved wolves since I was very young, so it always appealed to me in the best way. Suffice it to say, it holds up in an adult reading; I still actually felt teary at one point. That medal was well-deserved.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this survival story. I loved the journey Julie goes on in learning to embrace her Eskimo way of life.

[Joy D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thirteen-year-old Miyax (aka Julie) is an Inupiat girl who becomes lost in northern Alaska near Barrow, (now Utqiagvik) while fleeing an arranged marriage. To survive, Miyax learns to communicate with a wolf pack and gains their acceptance. In flashback, we learn about her early years living with her father and the events that led to her crisis. The final section reverts to the present, as Miyax continues to travel toward civilization. It is a story that highlights the conflicts between traditional Indigenous culture and modern Western society. It was written and published in 1972, and some of the terminology is outdated. It is touted as a book for children, but it contains enough depth that adults can enjoy it too. It is an early example of a book that highlights both environmental and cultural preservation.

[Cassi Haggard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little bit curious when I saw this book on Netgalley. It's not like the other new releases. Mainly because it's not new at all. It's a Newberry Medal winner published in 1972 repackaged for the ebook market with a shiny new cover (which I like).

Aside from the curiosity two things drew me: Alaska & Eskimos (any variety of Native Americans has this effect on me). Child me loved stories involving Native Americans, obsessively so. I even built a wigwam in the woods once with sticks no joke. In other news I was a really strange child.

Julie of the Wolves took me a little while to get into it. The style is different from the fast-paced melodrama of current YAs. It builds slowly but the pay-off in the end is worth the wait. At least it was for me.

The book starts by following Miyax (Julie is her "gassak" aka whitefolk name) lost on the tundra as she tries to gain acceptance into a pack of wolves. My modern very skeptical brain of course is like "Could this really happen" but then child me pops in "Who cares! And you totally would've believed that when you were young." In the end I don't know enough about wolf behavior to make a judgement call. But I decided it didn't matter because connecting with the wolves had more to do connecting to her Eskimo culture than anything else.

I enjoyed reading about the wolf pack and their behavior. But the novel seems slow at this point. Child-me would've loved it because well...not only was I obsessed with Native Americans BUT animals. I tried to rescue all the neighborhood dogs. Like I said, weird kid. But I don't know how this point will connect with the modern YA audience because even though I'm only 26 their childhoods were SO different from mine. They're so much more iPhone and less save the puppies! Though my sister still constantly brings home strays so maybe I'm wrong.

But once it flashbacks to Julie's life with the Eskimos I was completely engrossed. In the Eskimo village she's like every girl, she wants to be normal but she's not. She doesn't know where she belongs. She's lost both her mother and more recently her father. She dreams of San Francisco, of somewhere different where her penpal Amy lives. The penpal relationship was one of my favorite aspects of this section. Amy's life contrasts with the Eskimo traditions and lifestyle.

At age 13 Miyax is married to Daniel. But not for the reasons you think. It's not that type of novel and I was glad for it. For the most part it harkens to a more innocent time and avoids melodrama. But Daniel starts out dull, but becomes worst with time. Rather than be mistreated she leaves immediately. I love the strength and determination of Miyax. She's not mopey and doesn't feel sorry for herself. Even when she's worried about starving she doesn't sit around pouting. She does something about it. There's a self-sufficiency and strength that I find admirable.

This book has a quiet strength and for me the ending packed a punch. I'm really glad I read this book but kind of sad I didn't read it as a kid. Because if you haven't realized it, kid me would've been obsessed. I hope the re-release and repackaging helps this finds a place with a modern audience. Somewhere there might be a kid like me waiting for this book and I hope she finds it.

[Katie Klein · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book in the 4th grade so I picked it up at a thrift store for my kids, but after a reread I think I may donate it again.

I found the sexual assault and her child marriage at 13 disturbing. The fact that her father left his only child (and did not die but lead his child to believe he did) and never contacted her or thought twice about her, but married her off to a boy he likely suspected was “dumb” into a family with a patriarchal alcoholic, is incredibly heartbreaking. For the charter too, I’m sure it was, because she shifted her parental attachment to a wolf. A wolf. Later she finds out it was her father who killed said wolf. That’s super messed up. Also the part where she tried to suckle milk from a female wolf was just too much for me.

The naturalist and survivalist elements were very cool but you could tell the cultural pieces were written by a white person writing about a culture somewhat foreign to them. Especially that the conclusion in the end was that her way of life and culture was dying out and “over”.

[Gina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Urgh. As difficult as this is to say, I did not end up enjoying this one as much as I once did. It's still well-written, and I can picture things much better than I once could. But the ending leaves a lot to be desired, though I can't exactly say that it's an unrealistic message. It's just bleak; and hey, if that's your thing, give it a go.

First review
I've loved this series since I was young. Of course, I've loved wolves since I was very young, so it always appealed to me in the best way. Suffice it to say, it holds up in an adult reading; I still actually felt teary at one point. That medal was well-deserved.

[DivaDiane SM · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found an audio book of a Newbery Award winning Middle Grade book from 1972: Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Craighead George for a challenge on regions. This time the polar regions.
I loved this book. Miyax, or “Julie” in English, is a 14 year old Eskimo girl who has run away from her violent and erratic husband (yes!), who she was required to marry at age 13. She got lost on the tundra trying to flee to San Francisco to be with her American penpal. The book tells the story of her survival, thanks to the wolves, who she studies, learns how to communicate with them and who help her. It’s full of interesting tidbits about the region, the flora and fauna and about traditional Eskimo life there. You would think it would be bleak, but it’s hopeful and vibrant and full of color.

Highly recommended.

[Barb Middleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second time I read this book and I got more out of it. The social structure of the wolves as it parallels humans, the symbolism of the golden puffer dying as humans destroy rather than respect nature, the culture of the Inuits, and so much more make this a rich diverse book.

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Synopsis:

To escape from an arranged marriage gone bad, Miyax (Julie) runs away into the Alaskan wilderness. Becoming lost, she quickly realizes that she must befriend a pack of wolves, or starve to death. While she left to escape from the traditions of her forefathers, she comes to realize that it is their wisdom that will guide her through her greatest challenges. If, that is, she can survive to tell the tale.

Personal thoughts:

Of the Newbery's I've read so far, this is probably the one I liked the least. It isn't that it's poorly written -- it isn't. Rather, it was a bit hard for me to grasp what the author's purpose was in writing the book.

At times, it seems like a narrative version of National Geographic, explaining in excellent detail the mannerisms of wolves and how they maintain their pack hierarchies. It also does an excellent job detailing the Eskimo traditions that help Miyax to keep up with the Alaskan tundra. Yet, that doesn't seem to be the author's intention.

Really, it seems that the point of the story was meant to be a coming of age tale, with Miyax originally intending to leave Alaska for San Francisco. Yet, through the course of the book, she realizes that there is much less "Julie" in her than there is Miyax, the Alaskan born Eskimo with traditions worth keeping.

[*** Spoiler warning ***]

I suppose that the thing that left me the most unsatisfied was the way the book ends. She finds that her father, who taught her what she needed to survive, is alive. She also discovers, though, that he has given up the ways of the Eskimo, which have kept her alive. In the end, she chooses to leave him behind also, returning to the true traditions of her fathers.

But, isn't that what she was escaping from in the beginning? What of her marriage? Does she believe _that_ tradition is worth keeping? What of the benefits brought by the Americans to fight alcoholism and other problems among the Eskimos? Surely choosing between Julie and Miyax isn't so completely black and white. And yet, for her, it is. She gives up everything.

For me, it seems that what she really wants isn't life as an Eskimo, but life with the wolves, where she didn't have to deal with the multi-faceted aspects of people's lives and traditions. In short, I don't know that she 'came of age' as much as she just reverted to a childish desire to have nothing change.

[Annalise Kraines · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alright, so I'm giving this three and a half stars because I love wolves a lot, the writing in this is very very good, and Miyax is just a great, well rounded, spunky character. I don't really know what to do about the fact that this was written by a white woman. I don't know if she listened to stories or spoke with any Native people before writing this, and it is definitely a respectful, dignified, reverent, and overall positive depiction. However George uses the word Esk*mo a lot, even for Miyax to describe herself, and I'm pretty sure this story takes place in like the 70s, but even so it feels very weird and problematic. There are some descriptions that also feel problematic to me. I don't know.