Wild Life

by Cynthia C. DeFelice

Erik is preparing for his first-ever hunting trip when he learns that his parents are being deployed to Iraq. A few days later, Erik is shipped off to North Dakota to live with Big Darrell and Oma, grandparents he barely knows. When Erik rescues a dog that's been stuck by a porcupine, Big Darrell says Erik can't keep him. But Erik has already named her Quill and can't bear to give her up. He decides to run away, taking the dog and a shotgun, certain that they can make it on their own out on the prairie. In this story of adventure and survival, Erik learns about the challenges and satisfactions of living off the land, the power of family secrets, and the pain of losing what you love.

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Adventure, Survival, Dogs, Animals, Childrens, Middle Grade

192 pages, Hardcover

First published May 10, 2011

About the author

Cynthia DeFelice is the author of many bestselling titles for young readers, including the novels Wild Life, The Ghost of Cutler Creek, Signal, and The Missing Manatee, as well as the picture books, One Potato, Two Potato, and Casey in the Bath. Her books have been nominated for an Edgar Allen Poe Award and listed as American Library Association Notable Children's Books and Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, among numerous other honors.

Cynthia was born in Philadelphia in 1951. As a child, she was always reading. Summer vacations began with a trip to the bookstore, where she and her sister and brothers were allowed to pick out books for their summer reading. “To me,” she says, “those trips to the bookstore were even better than the rare occasions when we were given a quarter and turned loose at the penny-candy store on the boardwalk.” Cynthia has worked as a bookseller, a barn painter, a storyteller, and a school librarian.

When asked what she loves best about being an author, she can’t pick just one answer: “I love the feeling of being caught up in the lives of the characters I am writing about. I enjoy the challenge of trying to write as honestly as I can, and I find enormous satisfaction in hearing from readers that something I wrote touched them, delighted them, made them shiver with fear or shake with laughter, or think about something new.” Cynthia and her husband live in Geneva, New York.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/cynthi...

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was amazing because I generally don't like "a boy and his dog books" and I'm not a hunter but I couldn't put it down and I was crying and smiling at the same time by the end of the book. Loved it and plan to order it for my library and I will be checking out the other books by Cynthia DeFelice to add to my collection.

[BooksNCrannies · Rating 3 out of 5]

"This, he felt sure, was how he was meant to live his own wild life: with his gun on his shoulder and his dog by his side, free to go where he pleased in a wide and wild place, with no grownups to give orders or hold him back. He had only the supplies he could fit in his pack and his own wits and courage, and that was all that he needed."

✏️ Review ✏️

Wild Life is a very enjoyable story about a boy, a dog, survival, hunting, and the importance of family relationships. The writing style makes for some easy and satisfying reading: it's peppered with humor, blanketed with blunt descriptions, and marked with a smooth delivery. And yet the writing holds a certain measure of simplicity that gives the story a realistic feel — just as if the twelve-year-old MC is telling the story himself, even though it's not told in the first-person perspective.

"[They] turned off the highway by a sign whose paint had peeled so badly Erik had to squint hard to make out what it said. FORTUNA, N.D. — YOU'LL 🖤 IT....

As they drove slowly down a street that was lined with boarded up dingy storefronts, Erik looked around with a sinking heart. Everything was dusty, rusty, and old.... He knew right then and there that he wasn't going to 🖤 Fortuna, not one bit."

All of the MCs exhibit a certain amount of development as the story progresses. Through these character changes, the importance of family relationships is stressed, bringing about a dynamic ending. All of the characters are presented in a very distinct way; this distinction makes them quite easy to remember and gives diversity to the unfolding of the plot.

Built upon a character-driven narrative, the plot has a very personal feel. While there isn't a super amount of action, the storyline still provides for an entertaining read.

If you enjoy hunting, character-driven stories, dynamic development, and engaging writing, then Wild Life is a book you should definitely check out.

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📊 A Quick Overview 📊

👍🏼 What I Liked:
•The varied writing style — it's humorous, blunt, and smooth, yet is quite simplistic.
•The distinct and dynamic character presentation.
•The hunting/survival aspect of the story (although it's just in a small portion of the book).

👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
•The fact that Erik (the MC) faces no consequences for running away. Since his running away is central to the plot, it's important to reinforce that there are negative repercussions for selfish and thoughtless actions.
•Maybe there could be more character depth? Not something that bothered me while reading the story, though. Just looking back, it could have made the story a bit more heartfelt. But, hey, you get what you get, right? 😄 (So I'm not even sure why I put this here.... 🤭)

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📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 3.25 [rounded down to 3 on Goodreads])
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 3/5
— 📝 Writing: 3.5/5
— 👥 Characters: 3/5

~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)

— 🤬 Language: 1/5

•Just a few uses of h*ck and h*ll.

— ⚔️ Violence: 0/5

— ⚠️ Sexual: 0/5

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📣 Random Comments 📣

•(None)

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💬 Favorite Quotes 💬

•Do the geese have dreams? Do they make plans as they fly? Do you? How will you live your own wild life? (p. 18; italicized in the original)

[Diane Ferbrache · Rating 4 out of 5]

12 year old Eric is finally old enough to get his hunting license, he’s completed the hunters’ training course and a trip with his best friend is planned. But his plans get derailed when both his parents are called up to go to Iraq and he is sent to live with grandparents he barely knows in rural South Dakota. His Oma seems nice enough, but Big Darrell, his grandfather, is another story. Eric befriends a stray hunting dog, discovers a shotgun in the house, and takes off to live off the land. He discovers that hunting and even surviving on his own isn’t quite as easy as he expected.
This is a story of family relationships, grief, secrets, and self-discovery. Adults reading it will not find anything surprising here, but it’s a classic adventure and survival story that’s sure to appeal to boys in those middle grades. There’s even a nice gross scene about gutting a pheasant. This book is in the same vein as Will Hobbs, Gary Paulsen, and Bill Wallace. A great choice for young boys or for teachers who are looking for a great read aloud for grades 4-8.

[Alaina Hanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is great

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erik is excited to show his National Guardsmen parents the completion certificate from his hunter safety course. Now he can go pheasant hunting with his best friend's family. Erik has looked forward to testing himself against nature and living like the pioneers. But his excitement is crushed when he learns his parents must deploy to Afghanistan within days, and he will have to stay with his grandparents, Oma and Big Darrell, while they are gone. Erik feels like the rug has been pulled out from under him. Everything is changing with no time to adjust: no hunting trip, no friends, no parents, and a new home in North Dakota with grandparents he barely knows.

Erik is warmly welcomed by Oma, but Big Darrell is gruff and silent. Erik can't understand why his grandfather seems to be angry at him, but he soon guesses that it has something to do with the death of his mother's only brother, Dan, in Vietnam many years ago. Erik has been at his grandparents' isolated farm only a short time when he finds a hunting dog who has been injured in a fight with a porcupine. Oma calls her veterinarian friend who has Erik hold the dog still as he removes the countless quills stuck in the her muzzle. The dog's trusting eyes win Erik's heart instantly. He names her Quill and dreams of keeping her even though Big Darrell refuses to have a dog and the vet is trying to find her owner. When the dog's owner is found and promises to come back to get her in a few days, Erik decides anyone who would leave the area without Quill doesn't deserve her. The morning when Quill's owner is to arrive, Erik is faced with a difficult choice: let Quill go with her owner or take her and run away to live on their own on the vast prairies. While Oma is away he takes Dan's old shotgun, shells, sleeping bag and boots from the closet; packs food, matches and supplies; and heads out with Quill to live life in the wild.

DeFelice hits the nail on the head with this tale of a boy struggling to survive on many fronts not of his choosing... disappointment, loneliness, and loss. Little does he know that it is the survival test he chooses that will determine whether he, Quill, and his family can survive the other challenges and losses in their lives.

[Zane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twelve year old Erik's parents are being deployed, and he must leave his home in New York to go live with his grandparents in North Dakota. With short notice, he's on a plane and leaving everything behind. Once Erik arrives in North Dakota, he's greeted by his mother's parents, Oma and Big Darrel. They arrive at their house and Erik can't believe his parents sent him into the middle of nowhere. The next day Erik finds a dog that seems to be lost. He wishes to claim the dog as his own and leaves his grandparent's house with a shotgun and the dog he named Quill. That way when the owner comes for the dog, they will be gone. He walks the prairie with Quill hunting pheasants and living like a pioneer. Eventually he decides to return because he's worried about Oma. He knows shes worried sick about him. Once Erik has returned he has a better respect for North Dakota. He knows Quill must go and the rightful owner comes to take her away. Erik has learned a new meaning to a wild life, and that sometimes you lose the things you love most.
My favorite part of the book is when Erik killed his first pheasant. He was happy that he was able to provide food for him and Quill, but also had remorse for taking the creature's life. He thinks about how the bird had hatched from an egg to grow up surviving all kinds of things to then be shot by him. He had regrets for taking the beautiful bird from its home, but knew that's what had to be done.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the book Wild Life by Cynthia Defelice the main character Eric lives in New york and loves to hunt he just got his hunting license for the first time. His dad does not hunt so he has to go hunting with his best friend Patrick and his dad. But comes home and figures out his parents are going overseas to Iraq because they got called from the army because Erics mom is a doctor and Erics dad is a mechanic. So that means Eric can’t go hunting. He ends up going to his grandmas and grandpas house in South Dakota he has not seen them in 9 years. Eric gets to his grandparents house and finds a stray dog in his grandpa's barn with a bit of a problem. What will Eric do with the dog that he found in the barn? Read the book to find out.


Opinion: I rate the book a 5 out of 5 because it kept me interested and not many books can do that. It kept me on the edge of my set when I was reading this book. But the one thing that kept me interested the most was that I could relate to this book because I like to hunt. The author also used a lot of dialogue in this story and that kept me interested it was not just any kind dialogue either it was intense dialogue for example: “Six months is what they're telling us dad said. This means Eric is not going to be able to see his parents for SIX MONTHS that is a long time without your parents.

[Ethan B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summery:
There was a boy named Erik and he took a hunter safety cores. When he got home he knew something was wrong. He talked to his parents and it was bad news. His parents had to go to war and they were going to send him to his grandparents. He was so angry because he was going hunting with his best friend and his dad. So he tried to stay but he couldn’t.
So he went on two flights to north Dakoda from New York. Then he made it to north Dakoda. He found his grandparents. Then he had to go on a three hour long car ride to his grandparent’s house. He thought it was a piece of junk. Then he just waited arrowed tell the next day. Then he found a dog in his grandparent’s barn. So then the next day he ran away because the owner of the dog called. So they hunted for their own food and got their own water.
Main characters:
The main characters are first Erik he has brown hair and freckles. And likes to hunt. Then he learns he loves dogs. The second is his grandma. She is short. White hair. And is very kind. The third and last is big Darrel he is very big and almost always grumpy.
Setting:
At his grandparents’ house and out in the wilderness.

[Sophia Chavonelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! This book was AMAZING!!!!!!!! As soon as I read the last page, I flipped it over to read it again!!!!! 12-year old Erik finally gets his New York State hunting license, only to come home to fine out that his parents are needed in Iraq. Erik is sent of to North Dakota to live with his two grandparents, Big Darrel and Oma. To make things worse, he can't go to the hunting trip with his best friend Patrick, Patrick's dad and their awesome dog Hot Spots. One day, Erik (love that name) finds a cute brown and white spots that has porcupine quills all over her muzzle. He call the vet to pull out the quills, and she stays the night. Big Darrel wasn't very happy about that. When the vet calls Erik and tells him the owner is coming to pick Quill (the dog) up, Erik packs a little food, muck boots, a rain jacket, sleeping bag, with other necessities if he is going to live in the wild "like a pioneer boy". This amazing book goes further and tells what happens next!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kimberli Galvez · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took long enough to read this but Tanner loved it.

[JefferyV · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the book Wild Life By Cynthia DeFelice, published on May 10th 2011, is fiction told in third person point of view. In this book you will see how Erik, the main character, is determined and loving.Erik is worried that he is going to lose the dog that he found in the barn.The dog had porcupine’s quills in her mouth, so Eriks’s grandma calls a doctor so the dog didn’t have to have the quills in her mouth. After that, Erik named the dog Quill. Erik’s grandpa doesn't like the fact that there is another dog in the house after his Uncle Dan passed away, so Erik is planning on running away with the dog.The setting of the book is mostly outside when they running away but the other part of the book they are inside with his mom and dad in the beginning of the book and the rest of the book inside and outside with his grandma and grandpa.The main plot line is when Erik and Quill decide to run away because Erik didn't want to lose Quill so Erik and Quill run away for three days until someone found them and took Erik’s gun. They start to walk home and when he does get home, his grandpa is so glad to see him and Erik didn't understand why he was so glad to see him after all he has done to them with running away. His grandpa said that his grandma went to look for him in the car and she hasn't driven the car after his uncle passed away.
I like the book; the author seems to know what she is doing with the book, and I think that any person that likes to hunt would like that part where he was out with his dog.

[JordanK · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the book Wild Life by Cynthia DeFelice the protagonist Erik lives in New York and he has to go to his grandparents’ house in North Dakota because his parents have to go to Iraq. He doesn't really know his grandparents, but he goes and meets them again. Erik’s grandpa (Big Darrell) is really strict and mean to Erik. Erik finds a dog in their barn. It turns out it got into a tussle with a porcupine. Erik called a friend of his grandmother (Oma) and he helped get the quills out. Later in the book, Erik has to give the dog back to the owner. Erik really loved this dog so it was hard for him to give him up, so he ended up running away with the dog so he didn't have to give up the dog. He is ambitious to keep the dog for as long as he can. Towards the end of the book, he get caught by a stranger. The stranger was going to turn him in, but Erik managed to escape and started to head home. When he got home, Big Darrell was thrilled to see him. Erik and Oma sees a change in Big Darrell. Erik does the same stuff frequently and feels emotional at certain times. When he runs away he is frequently moving, doing the same thing everyday. He gets emotional when ever he thinks about losing or give the dog back to the owner.
I recommend this book to people who like adventure, hunting or anything related to those topics. I would rate this book a five star because it is well written and I like the topics included.

[Tarissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story of a boy who is looking forward to going on his first hunting trip. Suddenly the opportunity is yanked away, as his parents depart with the Army Reserves, and he gets sent across the country from New York to forsaken North Dakota.

But it is there that he meets a bird dog. One that is perfect to take out hunting, one that is the perfect four-legged companion to a lonely boy.

NOTE to parents: Erik does run away from his grandparents' house, because he feels it's too stifling there. The main "adventure" of the story takes place because he's is trying to strike it out alone in the wild, without guardian consent.

These two newly-acquainted friends tough it out in the ever-changing and unpolished North Dakota landscape. Erik quickly sharpens his hunting skills in order to survive each day.

By the end of the story, we see more emotions playing out, including showcasing various stages of grief and love. I was pretty impressed with the display of emotional scenes in such a rugged setting.

Overall? Yeah, I'm glad I read Wild Life. It's pretty good.

[Julie Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another boy-and-his-dog story that is more contemporary and accessible than my favorite one, Where the Red Fern Grows. I could relate to Eric's experience of having to go live with relatives in the boonies, which made his character believable. GREAT ending. I'd highly recommend this to kids who love to hunt, fantasize about being a pioneer or running away from it all and living off the land, or just enjoy a good survival story but may find Hatchet too detailed.

Themes/content:
Grief, loss, children's desire to have more autonomy over their lives because parents make huge decisions that leave them powerless (like moving), obligation to others/responsibility, bond between dogs and people, outdoor survival, running away, adapting to change, coping, family, coming-of-age.

P.S. The audio version is both delightful and irritating. The actress who reads the part of Oma has the best North Dakotan accent ever (I could listen to this all day), but the one who reads for Erik is pretty flat and irritating. The audiobook was done as reader's theater.

[Karter Duvall]

This is a super good book, I recommend it if you like hunting or the outdoors. It is a story about a 12 year old boy, and his parents got deployed to Iraq. In that time he was planning on a pheasant hunt with his best friend, but he couldn't go. His parents are sending him to south dakota to live with his grandparents he hasn't seen since he was about 2. The good part about that is there is pheasants all over that state. so he gets on the plane and flies to south dakota, and starts living with them. in the middle of the night he seen something run into the barn, he went out and looked and it was a dog, a Short haired pointer, amazing bird dog. He ran in and asked his grandparents if he could keep it and they said no, so he got his gun and some shells and he ran away with the dog. They hunted together and really connected. time goes on and he runs into a man that said thats his dog and erik had to give the dog back.

[Austin Hubler]

ok so the book I read was wild life. it is by Cynthia DeFelice. its about a kid that always wanted to go hunting. so he took the hunter safety test. to hunt pheasant with people. but his parents got a call. That they have to get deployed. So he has to go live with his grandparents that he barely knows. so his world came crashing down. when he gets there he finds out that they are mean so he he gets a dog and they run away. so they live out on the land.

[Saylor Alberts]

Personal Response:
This was a very fun and exciting book to read and always kept you wondering what is going to happen next. Even though this was a shorter book, I thought it was very exciting and enjoyed it very much.

Plot Summery:
Erik had just received his hunters safety, and was looking forward to hunting with his best friend and his dogs. But when his parents are sent to War, his plans are ruined by being sent to his Grandmother and Grandfather's house in North Dakota. At their house in the middle of nowhere, Erik discovers a closed bedroom at the top of the stairs that he is not supposed to go into. His Grandfather Big Darrell, is not very nice to him and forbids him to go into the bedroom. One day Erik discovers a dog with porcupine quills stuck on her face. He falls in love with the dog and names her Quill. He can't bare to give her up so he goes to to closed bedroom and discovers a gun, amo, and belongings of his grandparents son who passed. Erik wonders if that is why Big Darrel is so nasty. Erik and Quill head out into the prairie and have an adventure of a lifetime. He shoots his first ducks and loves his new dog Quill. But one night, a man finds Erik and Quill in a barn and tries to capture them for an award. Erik hurries home and finds out they found Quill's owner. So Erik gives up Quill, actually named Flash, and comes in terms with Big Darrel.

Audience Recommendation:
I recommend this book for anyone in third grade and up who enjoy adventure stories about hunting and giving up what you love. Anyone younger than third grade, or are not a good reader, should probably not read this book. If you do not like outdoor adventure books, then this is not the book for you.

[Connerknudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes place in Fortuna North Dakota. The twelve year old Brown haired green eyed Erik Carlson LOVES to hunt. He got his hunting license and was ready to hunt for the first time then he got the devastating news that he had to go to his grandparents in North Dakota because his parents had to be shipped to Iraq. He has to stay out their for at least 6 months. He gets to North Dakota and meets his frail and friendly Grandmother, Oma, and his mean and big Grandfather, Big Darrel, then they drive for what feels like days to their house and finds out about a secret room. Their is no internet no cable and no telephone service so he has to send his parents letters. Then when his grandparents are gone he finds a hunting dog with lots of porcupine quills in her face. He calls his grandmother and she calls the vet and they pull out the quills. The dog stays at their house until Big Darrel gets home. He says the dog has to sleep in the barn so Erik slept with it. He called the dog Quill. Then before the owner came to get Quill he went into the secret room and got supplies and a shotgun. He ran away to live on the land. After a day they finally catch a bird and eat it. Erik gets sick and it is snowing. After that they find a case of mountain dew, a bag of Doritos, and a snickers bar. Then they catch 3 birds and are really proud.
They find shelter in a barn and are caught by a man who wants to claim the $5,000 reward. Then he got away from the man and ran home. Big Darrel changed from the experience and is now really nice. I really liked this book and would give it 5 stars, I would reccomend this book to anyone who likes action books and hunting.

[Ryan Czark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have just finished the book Wildlife by Cynthia DeFelice about a teenager whos parents have been sent to teach soldiers in Iraq. Erik is twelve years old and will be living in North Dakota for six months. His grandfather is a cold hearted man and his grandma is warm and loving. Eriks personality has changed since he had run away from his grandparents and he has matured. When Erik came back to his grandparents, he accepted the fact that he was going to be in big trouble. "Aren't you going to yell at me?"(page 160) Erik had been away for days and knew there would be a punishment, but his grandpa was scared because he had lost a son in the military and didn't want to lose Erik, Big Darrell also thought he'd leave the yelling up to Oma. This book was great because I also wonder what life would be like in the wilderness and it was well written. I didn't like that Erik would just run away with little notice but he did mature at the end and came home.

[Lane Dethrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book, Wild Life, a while ago. It was a short and really easy book! The authors writing style is very simple and like many other books. I think that anybody would really be able to understand what the book is about.
The story is mainly about a boy, Eric, who has to go live with his grandparents that he barely knows even exists. His parents were both being deployed and he has to live in North Dakota. The main characters are Eric, Oma, Big Darrell and Quill. Quill is the main character that changes Erics life. Quill showed up at his grandparents house and Eric couldn't keep this dog. So he runs away, but you would have to read the book to figure out what happens!
I would recommend this book to anybody! Like I said, I thought it was easy and a quick read. The beginning was kind of boring, but it picks up fast!

[Kendall Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this a 5 star because couldn't stop reading it. I had to read this over a weekend for school. It was no problem at all. The book is about a 12 year old that just got his hunting license. He just needed one thing a dog. Eric found a stray dog in a barn. That dog became Eric's best friend. He plans on going hunting all the time with his dog, but that changes when he finds out that both of his parents have to go to Iraq. He has to move to South Dakota with his grandparents that he barley even knows. He grandparents want him to get rid of the dog. He decides to run away with the dog so he doesn't have to get rid of his dog. This book will make you want to stand up and clap your hands. It will make you get excited, sad, and want to go out into the wild life. This book took me 2 days to read and I only read about 2 hours each day. Its a quick good book to read.

[Jack Klitzner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't think this book flowed well. I thought that this book was going to take me on an adventure but it ended up loosing my attention. The part I liked the most was the least amount written about. I enjoyed reading about the boy and his dog and how they were bonded. What I didn't like was the amount of time the author spent on the survival part of the book. The author repeated themselves and it made for a boring read. It was a good book about adventure but could have been presented differently.

[Alec · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fictional book written by Cynthia Defelice. One Day when Erik rescues a dog that has been struck by a porcupine Big Darrel says he can not have the dog stay. Erik has already named the dog Quill and Can't bear to give her up. After finding his Uncle's shotgun and camping gear, Erik takes Quill and runs away, certain that they can make it on their own. To find out how he survives out in the wilderness, read this amazing book.

[Willow · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story of a boy and his journey from hurt, anger, and selfish decisions to hard lessons about caring for others and doing the right thing. Also, about love and loss and learning to let go.

I really liked this one. It was well written and interesting.

Note: there were two uses of "hell" as a cuss word near the end. Gutting a dead bird and roasting it were described. The dog eats entrails.

[Dylan W]

If I'm wrong, i'll take her back to my office and anesthetize her.

Definition:
anesthetize-administer an anesthetic to (a person or animal), especially so as to induce a loss of consciousness.

[Trevor Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great survival/ hunting book

[Lexi Faith Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best story there is!

We'll, what can I say? I've read this book probably 5 times in my life time, and I'll probably read it again

[KEAGAN]

Title: Wild Life
Author: Cynthia Defelice
Lexile lvl: 860L
The setting is in the plains of North Dakota where no one is around and pheasants and mule deer are the only thing you see besides grass. The main character is a 13yr old boy named Erik who just took the hunters safety course so he could go hunting with his best friend for the first time. There is two big confilicts in this book the first one is that Erik gets told that his parents have to go across seas and fight for the US in Afganistan. So Erik has to go spend 6+ months with his grandparents he barely even knows. The second biggest conflict is that Brian finds a dog that got poked by a porcipine and had quills all over its snout. Brian didnt think that the dog had an owner at first but was told that is was way to nice of a dog to be a stray. Erik gets really attached to this dog and names her Quill after only two days of being with her he gave her a name and decided that he wanted to keep her. Erik was told that the owner of Quill was going to come and pick her up in 24hrs and this really worried him so he thought long and hard and came up with and idea to run away so he grabbed some food from the kitchen and a big backpack and then went and grabbed his uncles shotgun and shells which were in his room he used to stay in Eriks uncle died fighting in battle. Erik ran away with Quill that same day and got as far as he could and he figured he would hunt pheasants for food and so thats what he tried to do but he wasnt very good at it at first but he kept on trying to get atleast one bird to eat for supper. So Erik finally got the hang of hunting pheasants and lived off them for 5 days but Erik realized that he would never survive for ever so he…
The theme of Wild Life is learning how to give something up that you love. Because over the whole book Erik thinks that he is going to keep Quill forever and they would live off the land like in pioneer days. And Erik didnt know how he could ever give up his parents and have them leave him for that long. In Wild Life it is really crazy on how much the setting changes everything about Erik like at first he loved where he live he liked his house and where he lived but then he had to move to North Dakota and he thought the land there was boring nothing but grass basically no trees just brown dry grass. But Erik learns that there is alot hiding in that grass from Mule deer to porcipines and his favorite pheasants. You can see how he didnt want to give up all his stuff and go somewhere else he didnt want to go. But he soon realized that the place he was going was a pretty cool place once you look past the dry grass and the old crappy houses.”As they jounced along over the ruts, three deer appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, running across a field to the right of the truck.” Before this point in the book Erik said everything looked and depressing but than the sun started going down and he saw these deer and that changed alot about his prospective on North Dakota with just one little sighting of mule deer.
I would totally recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about the outdoors who likes the outdoors and anyone that likes animals and dogs. I really enjoyed this book because how it was written and how it would build suspense so well and I just didnt want to stop reading it and thats what I basically did I didnt stop reading it. It wasnt to hard to read at all it was kinda leading on the easy side but Im not big on finding a book that challenges mean I enjoy reading to just relax and enjoy something really peaceful. The book wasnt really predictable but also kinda was which I thought was fine because I still really enjoyed it. I did like the ending alot because Erik finally got his grandparents to wake up and realize something. My favorite part was when Erik finally killed his first male pheasant and when he cooked it and was so happy than ate it but than threw it up. Do to these reasons I recommend the book Wildlife.

[Jeremy Britton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary For my second independent reading project I read the book Wild Life by Cynthia Defelice. The book is about a teenage boy named Erik. He lives with his parents in a small city, and he really enjoys the outdoors. He does not have many friends but he does have one very good friend, Patrick. Patrick and he are finally getting around to planning a hunting trip. They are both very excited about the trip until they find out some unwanted news.

Erik soon finds out that his parents’ jobs will be requiring them both to leave where they are currently living for awhile. They are faced with trying to find a place for Erik to live. They find out that Erik’s grandparents will be able to take care of him while they are away. The only problem is that Erik barely knows them and they live in North Dakota. Erik is rather upset with the whole situation because he will not be able to see Patrick and do the activities that he normally does.

Erik soon packs his few belongings up and prepares for his new life in North Dakota. He is very nervous because he does not really know this pair of grandparents. He only knows their names are Oma and Big Darrel. Eric gets on the plane and heads over to North Dakota. When Erik finally arrives he waits and waits at the airport. Eventually he sees his grandparents’ small red truck pull up. He gets in and they start the drive to their home.

Erik does not think much of North Dakota. He thinks that it is very boring and plain. Oma is talkative and welcoming to Erik, but Big Darell is quiet around Erik. Erik is bored and does not really have much to do around the farm. One day he looks in a room in the house and finds an old shotgun and some other hunting supplies. He is excited but he doesn't have anyone to hunt with.

One day when Erik is outside around the barn he hears a whimpering around the corner. When he looks and sees, he is in dismay. He sees a dog with porcupine quills in its snout. Erik quickly helps the dog by taking it in. He cares for the dog and keeps it in the barn because Big Darrel does not want it in the house. Erik eventually names the dog Quill.

Big Darrel is having trouble sleeping at night so he tells Erik that he will not be letting Quill stay in the barn anymore. Erik is very upset with this news so he makes a major decision. During the night Erik takes the shotgun and the hunting supplies and he and Quill head out into the wild. They now have to survive and learn new things with each other in the wild of North Dakota.

My Own Experience I would say that overall I enjoyed the book. I liked how the book had a teenage boy as the main character. I also liked how the book talked about the outdoors and involved a dog. This is something I would typically read because I really enjoy the outdoors and hunting. I would say that it reminds me of the last book I read, which also dealt with the outdoors, so I was able to make connections with both books. I would recommend this book to some of my friends who have some of the same interests as me.

Big Idea Word I would say that my big idea word is Isolation. I picked this word because Eric is alone quite a bit through the whole book. True isolation sets in when he decides to take the supplies, the shotgun and Quill and go into the wild of North Dakota. The book really shows how we don't need to constantly be around everyone else and be doing what everyone else is doing. Some parts of the book really make you visualize just how alone he was like “When Erik looked back, his grandparents’ house was already no more than a speck in the distance.” One of my favorite lines in the book is “This, he felt sure, was how he was meant to live his one wild life”.

[Stephen Poland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: Wild Life is full of suspenseful times and plot twists and hard times. Erick is a young boy and is very intrigued by pheasant hunting. It would just be his dream to get to go and hunt. He had a chance to hunt with his best friends but his parents are in the military and they got deployed so Erick is going to his grandparents to live there for a while when they are away. Erick is a very polite kid with a lot of heart once he gets used to things. He can be a stranger to new things and people. Erick is also a very strong willed kid and he likes to do stuff himself and wants to get treated as an adult.

Characters: Erick Carlson is a 13 year old boy and he is an avid outdoorsman he is very interested in pheasant hunting and he would kill to get to go on a hunt. He was a very kind kid and big hearted and he just wanted everyone to be happy. Also he finds a dog he names Quill that helps him through the way of his journey away from home and even pulls him and his grandparents together. Oma witch is Erick Grandma and she is a very happy person and is very involved with the local church and she just wants to pull her family together. Also she is very happy to have Erick living with her because they don't see him very much because of the driving distance between them. Big Darrel is Erick’s Grandfather he is a big man and a man of few words. Erick is very intimidated by him at first. Big Darrel is a farmer and he is a very hard worker and he wants to get stuff fixed and get it done. Once Big Darrel opens up he is very loving but he will not open up very often unless there is a lot of emotion in the air. Quill is Erick’s dog he found in the shop whimpering and full of porcupine quills and that's how he got his name Quill. Quill made a very large impact on Ericks life; he always wanted a dog like him; he was a hunting dog, he was a bird dog.

Themes and Messages: Adventure is the theme of the book because of the adventure Erick experienced. Like when he ran away from his grandparents and had to live off the land. Erick was very confused and did not know what he was doing when he ran away. He learned how to live off the land and he became an avid outdoorsman. On “chapter 7 page 83” I'm going to live off the land and prove my family wrong.

Personal Reflection: My personal thought on the book was that it was very good and it's full of adventure. Something I find very interesting is how Erick was so avid on going hunting and how he took it into his own hands. Something that I disliked about the book was that it did not show the ending where he and his parents do not see each other and he does not tell them about his adventure. Other than that I enjoyed this book a lot. It was a very easy/smooth flowing book.

Recommendation: I recommend this book to any one that likes adventure and hunting. You can read it at any age. I also recommend this to people who like suspenseful but also wholesome books. This book is a very smooth reading book and easy to read. I recommend this book to anyone that likes action packed books.


Real World Connection: This book shows people on what they can do and what they are capable of. In the real world people are scared of what they can't do but this book shows you are capable of anything like how Erick lived off the land as a 13 year old boy. If a 13 year old boy is showing what he is capable of so can everyone else and you have to put yourself out there and try your best and show others what you are made of. So anyone is capable of everything above and beyond you just have to show it.