101 books
—
26 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “The Wolf Keepers” as Want to Read:
The Wolf Keepers
by
Twelve-year-old Lizzie Durango and her dad have always had a zoo to call their home. Lizzie spends her days watching the animals and taking note of their various behaviors. Though the zoo makes for a unique home, it's a hard place for Lizzie to make lasting friends. But all this changes one afternoon when she finds Tyler Briggs, a runaway who has secretly made the zoo his
...more
Get A Copy
Hardcover, 352 pages
Published
October 11th 2016
by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
The Wolf Keepers,
please sign up.
Be the first to ask a question about The Wolf Keepers
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30

Start your review of The Wolf Keepers

How I know I'm getting old... I would have given this book another star if Lizzie had told her dad the whole truth. Tell the truth, kids!
...more

Lizzie Durango is living every kids dream life - she lives in a actual zoo with her zookeeper dad. The zoo is named after the famed naturalist John Muir and his history is woven throughout the book. She has the run of the place including free food! Lizzie knows all the animals but is excited to learn more about the new wolf exhibit. She spends a lot of time observing them and their social interactions. When the wolves start becoming ill and dying unexpectedly Lizzie and her dad are worried that
...more

Lizzie lives in a zoo. Her dad is the zookeeper, and housing near the animals is just one of the amazing perks. This summer, her favorite animals are the wolves that were recently brought to the zoo. As the wolves get sick, one by one, Lizzie has to untangle her thoughts about nature, safety, and captivity.
As if the wolves aren't complicated enough, Lizzie discovers Tyler, a runaway, secretly living at the zoo. Their fast and furious friendship, mutual admiration for animals, and innate curiosit ...more
As if the wolves aren't complicated enough, Lizzie discovers Tyler, a runaway, secretly living at the zoo. Their fast and furious friendship, mutual admiration for animals, and innate curiosit ...more

I was expecting this to be a book which I read the first part to get the gist of it so I could book sell it to my students, but it turned out to be a bit of a page turner and I ended up reading the whole thing.
Lizzie lives with her dad at a California wildlife park, and she is given pretty much free reign. She becomes fascinated with a pack of wolves who have been brought into the park and spends hours watching the. Whilst doing that she comes across Tyler, who she discovers is a runaway who is ...more
Lizzie lives with her dad at a California wildlife park, and she is given pretty much free reign. She becomes fascinated with a pack of wolves who have been brought into the park and spends hours watching the. Whilst doing that she comes across Tyler, who she discovers is a runaway who is ...more

(actual rating 4.5) I read this for the group I'm working with called FOCAL (Friends of Children and Literature) Every year we choose a book for the Los Angeles Library system that deals with children's literature with a California setting. The Wolf Keepers is one of the selections on our list this year. Broach does an excellent job dealing with the topic of endangered wolves plus runaway children. Twelve year old Lizzie's dad is a zookeeper at a California wildlife park named after John Muir. S
...more

I read at the advice of our school librarian while trying to decide on the next read-aloud novel for my fifth grade class. I think this is a wonderful middle grade novel that will inspire lots of discussion about zoos, conservation, and justifying rule breaking actions with principles/morals. I’m looking forward to sharing this with my class.

Loved this book!! One of the best books I've read in awhile! Love books like this! This was a great historical mystery/ adventure! Love this author! What a great book! Highly recommended!
...more

E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline
Lizzie Durango lives at a zoo not too far from Yosemite National Park because her father is the head zookeeper. Her mother died when she was a baby. When she sees a boy steal a family's lunch, she tries to track him down to find out what he was doing. She eventually catches up with Tyler and finds out that he has run away from his foster home and is spending his summer hanging out at the zoo. Lizzie invites him to stay at the small apartment over her garage ...more
Lizzie Durango lives at a zoo not too far from Yosemite National Park because her father is the head zookeeper. Her mother died when she was a baby. When she sees a boy steal a family's lunch, she tries to track him down to find out what he was doing. She eventually catches up with Tyler and finds out that he has run away from his foster home and is spending his summer hanging out at the zoo. Lizzie invites him to stay at the small apartment over her garage ...more

While parts of this story suspend belief(someone living at the zoo, 2 children surviving in Yosemite), the story telling is strong, and the inclusion of a historical figure like John Muir, was interesting.

A great adventure story for young people with a young girl named Lizzie who lives in a zoo with her zookeeper father and the young boy named Tyler who has runaway from a foster home that Lizzie finds living in the zoo behind the elephant house.
Several things are happening in the zoo with a new exhibit of a pack of seven wolves. The wolves start to get sick, one at a time until the zoo veterinarian, Karen reports that three of the seven have died and she destroyed their bodies before they could h ...more
Several things are happening in the zoo with a new exhibit of a pack of seven wolves. The wolves start to get sick, one at a time until the zoo veterinarian, Karen reports that three of the seven have died and she destroyed their bodies before they could h ...more

May 11, 2018
Minivanmom2four
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
read-alouds-homeschool,
my-personal-library
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

This was a fantastic story with characters I really liked. The cover image and copy set a different expectation than what the book ultimately turned out to be, but it didn't matter because the entire story was fantastic regardless. I like that the story explored the grey area between right and wrong that children's literature sometimes avoids. Highly recommended!
...more

I liked how the book mixed history into the storyline. I didn't realize how much history was seamlessly interwoven into the story until I read the author's notes. I really enjoyed this book and wish there was a sequel!
...more

Title: The Wolf Keepers
Author: Elise Broach
Published: 10-11-2016
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Pages: 352
Genre: Children's Fiction
Sub Genre: Animals, Mystery; Adventure; Suspense
ISBN: 9780805098990
Reviewer: DelAnne
Reviewed For: NetGalley
Rating: 4 Stars
I received a copy of "Wolf Keepers" from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
Description From the Publishers:
Twelve-year-old Lizzie Durango and h ...more
Author: Elise Broach
Published: 10-11-2016
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Pages: 352
Genre: Children's Fiction
Sub Genre: Animals, Mystery; Adventure; Suspense
ISBN: 9780805098990
Reviewer: DelAnne
Reviewed For: NetGalley
Rating: 4 Stars
I received a copy of "Wolf Keepers" from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
Description From the Publishers:
Twelve-year-old Lizzie Durango and h ...more

Jan 31, 2017
Barbara
rated it
liked it
Shelves:
adoption,
character-building,
animals,
conservation,
diary,
social-studies,
authors,
compassion,
survival,
death
Twelve-year-old Lizzie Durango enjoys her quiet life with her father, who is a zookeeper at a wildlife park in California, not too far from Yosemite National Park. Even though her mother died when she was long, she feels loved by her father and her grandmother. This particular summer she's spent watching the wolves in a new exhibit and keeping notes in a journal just like naturalist John Muir once did. When she sees Tyler Briggs, a boy who has been living in the zoo, try to steal food, she follo
...more

I loved the idea of this book. Kids trying to save wolves, discovering a mystery, surviving in Yosemite National Park - - It seemed like the perfect bedtime readaloud for my wolf obsessed, wilderness expert, mystery loving kid. He thought it was okay, but most of the book ticked me off. This was not a page turner. Pages dedicated to slow moving conversation and dull details, and the exciting parts of the book weren't given the attention they deserved. The last three chapters after they left Yose
...more

I was so disappointed.
2 things I hated, very much about this novel, which I read outloud to my 9 year old because he loves wolves and stories told from a girls' point of view.
1: The runaway Tyler was a total ass to the narrator/Lizzie. He doesn't redeem himself until chapter 30 when he saves her life, but then he jumps right back into bullying, guilting her, claiming he is smarter than her, and she just willingly lets him act like this - in fact she ENCOURAGES him to act like this by making ex ...more
2 things I hated, very much about this novel, which I read outloud to my 9 year old because he loves wolves and stories told from a girls' point of view.
1: The runaway Tyler was a total ass to the narrator/Lizzie. He doesn't redeem himself until chapter 30 when he saves her life, but then he jumps right back into bullying, guilting her, claiming he is smarter than her, and she just willingly lets him act like this - in fact she ENCOURAGES him to act like this by making ex ...more

THIS IS AN HONEST REVIEW AND MAY HAVE SMALL SPOILERS
Real Rating 4.75
I found this book in a used book store along the coast. I can’t say that this is one of my favorite books, but it was a fun and easy read.
Lizzie lost her mom to preeclampsia when she was born, and has been raised by her dad (who’s a zookeeper) in the zoo. She knows all of the animals and spends a lot more time with them than the normal visiter. Tyler is a kid who fan away from his foster family and has been hiding out at the zo ...more
Real Rating 4.75
I found this book in a used book store along the coast. I can’t say that this is one of my favorite books, but it was a fun and easy read.
Lizzie lost her mom to preeclampsia when she was born, and has been raised by her dad (who’s a zookeeper) in the zoo. She knows all of the animals and spends a lot more time with them than the normal visiter. Tyler is a kid who fan away from his foster family and has been hiding out at the zo ...more

This was such a fun read, and another great example as to why middle grade literature is actually the best. I learned a LOT about wolves, about conservationists, zoos, and the ethics of activism. Not only that, but John Muir as well, and about Yellowstone! I only wish I was close enough to visit there! But overall, this job does a great job of balancing so many things such as running away, activism, and foster homes. Nothing is overbearing.
Also, illustrations! There were many and they we ...more
Also, illustrations! There were many and they we ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

A 2018-2019 Missouri Mark Twain Readers Award preliminary nominee (grades 4-6).
One of Lizzie Durango's favorite things about living with her zookeeper dad on the grounds of the zoo where he works is the zoo's new wolf exhibit. But when the wolves start getting sick Lizzie and a new friend try to get to the bottom of things before it is too late.
This was fun and a little mysterious and I enjoyed learning about John Muir, but the mom in me wishes Ms. Broach would try not to send her child protagon ...more
One of Lizzie Durango's favorite things about living with her zookeeper dad on the grounds of the zoo where he works is the zoo's new wolf exhibit. But when the wolves start getting sick Lizzie and a new friend try to get to the bottom of things before it is too late.
This was fun and a little mysterious and I enjoyed learning about John Muir, but the mom in me wishes Ms. Broach would try not to send her child protagon ...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Elise Broach is the New York Times bestselling author of children's books including Masterpiece, Shakespeare's Secret, Desert Crossing, Missing on Superstition Mountain (the first book in the Superstition Mountain Trilogy) as well as several picture books. Her books have been selected as ALA notable books, Junior Library Guild selections, a Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book, a New York Public
...more
News & Interviews
Need another excuse to treat yourself to a new book this week? We've got you covered with the buzziest new releases of the day.
To create our...
3 likes · 0 comments
7 trivia questions
1 quiz
More quizzes & trivia...
1 quiz