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Julie of the Wolves

(Julie of the Wolves #1)

Jean Craighead George,

John Schoenherr (Illustrator)

3.82 · Rating details · 57,810 ratings · 1,912 reviews

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 her pen pal, who calls her 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 though they were her brot ...more

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Paperback, Harper Trophy, 176 pages

Published July 2nd 1995 by HarperCollins (first published 1972)

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Start your review of Julie of the Wolves (Julie of the Wolves, #1)

Dec 13, 2007 Jacqueline rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: young females who like dogs

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 ...more

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Apr 09, 2017 Julie G (time traveling for a week) rated it liked it

Shelves: don-t-believe-the-hype, newbery-medal-winners, nobody-talks-like-this, baked-alaska, that-70s-show

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! ...more

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Apr 30, 2019 Calista rated it really liked it

Shelves: award-newberry, diversity, bage-middle-grade, genre-travel, 1970-1974, genre-fantasy, genre-how-to-self-help, genre-poetry-prose-rhyming, genre-spiritual, women

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 l 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. ...more

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Sep 21, 2011 Catie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Catie by: Wendy F

Shelves: for-review, historical, read-in-2011, fantasy, series, ya, middle-grade

3.5 stars

I’m glad that this is getting re-released, because I think that it deserves to find a new generation of fans. This book is very short (less than one hundred pages) and simply written, but I found it very affecting nonetheless.

The story opens with the Eskimo girl Miyax lost, alone, and starving in the Alaskan wilderness. Her only hope of survival is the nearby wolf pack, and the long ago memory of a tale that her lost father told: of one hard winter when he appealed to a wolf leader for 3.5 stars

I’m glad that this is getting re-released, because I think that it deserves to find a new generation of fans. This book is very short (less than one hundred pages) and simply written, but I found it very affecting nonetheless.

The story opens with the Eskimo girl Miyax lost, alone, and starving in the Alaskan wilderness. Her only hope of survival is the nearby wolf pack, and the long ago memory of a tale that her lost father told: of one hard winter when he appealed to a wolf leader for help and was given aid. Desperate, Miyax begins to emulate wolf behaviors and communication. The wolves slowly begin to accept her presence, but she can’t rely on them for all. Miyax must unearth a hidden strength and the nearly lost wisdom of her ancestors to survive.

As the story unfolds, we learn that Miyax has another name and another life. In childhood, she left the warmth and tradition of the seal camp and her father, to join her aunt in a more developed town. There, she attended school, gained a pen pal in San Francisco, and became Julie. But at age thirteen, according to the Eskimo tradition, she agrees to marry the son of her father’s close friend. All seems well, until her husband becomes aggressive. Julie decides to flee toward the hope of San Francisco and a new life.

This is a powerful story of conflict between two identities and two sets of traditions. Julie loves the safety of home and people; she wants to have a place in society. But when Julie runs into the wilderness, her proprieties and her limits are stripped away. She loses her fear and uncertainty and she finds Miyax underneath it all. And she finds even more than that: a new family and a new home.

But can Miyax’s new home remain untouched? With the industrialized world expanding ever further into the north, her new life is not a stable one. The ending is bittersweet, but it feels like truth.

What’s most interesting to me is that I felt my own reactions to Miyax’s environment change right along with hers. In the beginning, I felt frightened for Miyax and a bit disgusted by the lengths that she was forced to go to in order to survive. But by the end, I was happily eating raw liver and packing my sled with caribou “chips” (aka, poop) for fuel right along with her. I rejoiced at the thought of Miyax turning her back on “civilized” life and surviving on her own.

Perfect Musical Pairing

Genesis – White Mountain

From the 1970 album, an epic song about harsh reality and adventure through the eyes of a wolf on the white mountain. Couldn’t be more perfect!
...more

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Oct 09, 2007 Cathy rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: hannah and sylvia

Shelves: banned-books, newbery

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 div ...more

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Oct 31, 2021 saïd rated it it was ok

Shelves: amérindien_etc, 1_fiction

I remember reading this book as a kid and being absolutely fascinated by the descriptions of the ways the wolves (and Miyax) interacted and communicated with each other. I can't credit a single book for igniting my interest in animal intelligence, but if I absolutely had to, it'd probably be this one. It's interesting to look back on this book both as a product of its time (wolf packs in the wild don't really structure themselves into those strict hierarchies; this has long since been disproven) I remember reading this book as a kid and being absolutely fascinated by the descriptions of the ways the wolves (and Miyax) interacted and communicated with each other. I can't credit a single book for igniting my interest in animal intelligence, but if I absolutely had to, it'd probably be this one. It's interesting to look back on this book both as a product of its time (wolf packs in the wild don't really structure themselves into those strict hierarchies; this has long since been disproven) and as a compelling portrait of wolf interactions (much of what Jean Craighead George described is surprisingly accurate to canid behaviour in the wild, including many of the methods of communication).

The book was published in 1972, and as such is not necessarily an accurate portrayal of the Inuit people, specifically the Iñupiaq. The story follows Miyax (her English name is Julie), a young Iñupiaq girl, who was raised by her father, Kapugen, after her mother's death; her father went out seal hunting alone and was presumed dead after pieces of his boat washed ashore. Miyax then lives with her aunt Martha, and accepts an arranged marriage in order to escape her aunt's house; however, the boy she marries is physically abusive and attempts to sexually assault her. Miyax runs away from Barrow, Alaska in hopes of travelling to San Francisco, California to stay with her pen pal (her plan is to walk to Point Hope, between 640-730 km, where she could catch a ship), but ends up stuck on the tundra, where she finds a wolf pack and manages to teach herself how to communicate with them.

The misrepresentations of Iñupiaq culture begin with Miyax herself: the Iñupiaq alphabet does not have the letter x, so "Miyax" is definitely not an authentic Iñupiaq name. One review I read on the Alaska Native Knowledge Network said that it was unrealistic for Miyax not to snare ptarmigan or fish in the numerous lakes and rivers she would have encountered, which is a fair point, although I'd allow for some unrealism because Miyax is 13 and traumatised, so she probably wouldn't be operating at full capacity. The ANKN's point about how unrealistic it would be for Miyax to steal food from a wolverine using only a set of shed antlers for protection is legitimate though. The article I linked also talked about how Jean Craighead George mixed elements of Iñupiaq culture with other native Alaskan cultures, such as Yupik:

I especially did not appreciate the blending of the Yupik words and culture, as she was talking about the Iñupiaq region. The author used the word "kuspuk" when we used "atikæuk" for the outer covering of a parka. She also used "Gussak" which is also a Yupik word for a white man, derived from the Russian "Cossacks." Our Iñupiaq name for white man is "Tanik." She talked about the bladder festival. Again it is derived from a Yupik celebration, not Iñupiaq.

This is unfortunately a common trend in media created by white Western people who want to "represent" cultures foreign to them. It was a common complaint after the release of Disney's Moana, which blended multiple Polynesian cultural elements into one story without acknowledgement of the vast array of different cultures in the many Polynesian Islands.

The review I linked, which really is an excellent breakdown of various issues in the book, also noted scientific inaccuracies, such as Miyax's excitement to see willow trees closer to Point Hope (the book claimed the willows didn't grow near Barrow; in reality this is inaccurate), the explanation of why the tundra "pops" (the book claimed it was caused by freezing in the winter; in reality the geometric shapes and "popping" noises are caused by thawing ice), or the brightness of the midnight sun in winter (the book claimed it was as bright as the noon sun; in reality it is a deeper, darker colour, more like a setting sun). There was also a repetition of the old debunked theory that lemmings commit mass suicide (they don't), and of course the long-since disproven theory of wolf pack hierarchal behaviour.

However, I do think it's important to note the value in this book as well. Yes, it is a book written by a white author, containing an inaccurate portrayal of Iñupiaq culture. But it's also a wildly popular book about an Iñupiaq girl who uses her culture (or some mishmash of it...) and education in order to survive. The book is, in many ways, a love letter to the Arctic landscape, and as such it's incredibly effective. An effort was made, is what I'm saying; and, apart from all of the aforementioned problems, I really enjoyed the book. As a product of its time, with the knowledge of its inaccuracies and misrepresentations, it's a good book. ...more

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Feb 14, 2022 Karina rated it it was ok

"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 ...more

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Mar 10, 2018 Lesle rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2-young-adult, read-in-2018, 3-newbery-award-nominee

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 (M ...more

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Nov 13, 2014 Amanda NEVER MANDY rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, prologue

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 ...more

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Mar 22, 2020 Evelina | AvalinahsBooks rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Evelina | AvalinahsBooks by: Jackie B. - Death by Tsundoku

Shelves: family, books-of-2020, childrens, fiction, favorites, middle-grade, other-cultures, human-relationships, scribd

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 ...more

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Jul 04, 2016 Wanda Pedersen rated it really liked it

Shelves: childrens-books, female-authors, public-library, read-in-2016

***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 ...more

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Sep 10, 2011 Emily rated it really liked it

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

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Oct 09, 2013 Sam Wescott rated it liked it · review of another edition

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 ...more

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Feb 11, 2010 Jen rated it it was ok

Recommends it for: Chris- it has lots of poop!

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 landsca ...more

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May 11, 2022 theliterateleprechaun rated it liked it

Shelves: 2022-reads, children-s

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 wa 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. ...more

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Oct 05, 2020 Jim rated it really liked it

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 i ...more

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Oct 12, 2011 Gina rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: wolf lovers

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. ...more

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Jul 11, 2021 Krista rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2021

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

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Apr 27, 2021 Terris rated it really liked it

Enjoyable, interesting, educational, but .... sad. I'm glad I finally read it, though :) ...more

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Sep 15, 2011 Cassi aka Snow White Haggard rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, ya, read-in-2011, galleys

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. 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. ...more

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Jan 21, 2021 Celeste rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical, childrens-books, classics-i-ve-read, rereads

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 ...more

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Oct 03, 2018 Chaser rated it really liked it

Ever reading a book and as it's getting to the last 20-30 pages you feel like you don't want it it end? I really enjoyed this, and it makes you look at the wilderness, and animals in the wild on a different light. If you do not like wolves, you will likely feel differently after this. The girl in the book has a sad past and you feel for her and are wanting things to work out for her. I would recommend this to readers who enjoy "Swiss family Robinson" , "the hatchet" or "life of pi"... It's that ...more

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Jan 02, 2009 Dan rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: newbery-medal-winners

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

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Aug 17, 2019 Dan rated it really liked it

I read this book to my girls many years ago. It is a Newberry Award winner. Both the imagery and descriptions of the wolves amidst the seemingly barren landscape are quite extraordinary for a children’s book. The story itself of the young girl living alone on the Tundra was not in any sense believable but otherwise it gets an A for the writing and the ability to capture the angst of being a teenager.

4 stars.

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May 24, 2017 Tiffany PSquared rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: childhood-memories, favorited

There was something about his book that drew me in. It was one of the only books that I would read over and over again. I thought no one was as brave as Julie, making her life in the wilderness with a family of wolves.
I loved this book then and it still brings me fond memories.

...more

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Nov 29, 2014 Katharine rated it really liked it

Julie of the wolves Book Report
By: Katharine B.

If you plan to read this book then DO NOT read this book report, due to SPOILERS!

Introduction
The author of the Newberry award winner of Julie of the Wolves is "Jean Craighead George" and the pictures were made by "John Schoenherr". Jean Craighead has also written books called "My side of the mountain" “the talking earth" and a few others. John Schoenherr was the illustrator of the books called "Gentle Ben" "Owl moon" and some others. The genre of t ...more

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Mar 20, 2021 Victor The Reader rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed-from-library, childrens-fiction-reviews

This fascinating story is about Julie, or known as her Inuk name Miyax, who is trying to reach her San Francisco pen pal while in the Arctic tundra where she lived with her cold hearted aunt after her father died while hunting. Meanwhile, she’s now living with a wolf pack and starts to bond with the wolves and see them as her family.

While it’s storytelling takes a while to follow, it’s a harrowing adventure in the wildlife and about finding where you belong. Julie’s story about her early life an ...more

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Sep 29, 2020 Anna rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-reading-challenge, childrens

This book is very beautiful, but also very sad.

Popsugar Reading Challenge 2020: Read a banned book during Banned Books Week

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Nov 21, 2017 Alissa Patrick rated it liked it

Shelves: 2017reading-challenge, books-for-amelia-sydney

3.5 Stars

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Nov 09, 2018 Overbooked ✎ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, children-ya

3.5 stars

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Children's Books: The Newbery books of 1973 - Julie of the Wolves- D&A October 2021	21	33	Oct 29, 2021 05:28AM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA fiction. Girl is raised by wolves, she might have wandered away from her family into the wilderness. Set in the Arctic. [s]	11	38	Feb 11, 2021 06:07PM
Play Book Tag: Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Craighead George, 3.5 stars	1	8	Oct 18, 2020 03:58PM
Play Book Tag: [Poll Book Tally] Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George rounded up to 4 stars	1	7	Sep 27, 2020 05:22PM
Play Book Tag: (Poll Ballot Tally) Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George - 4 stars	1	6	Sep 26, 2020 10:10AM
Play Book Tag: [Poll Tally] Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George	5	18	Mar 16, 2020 08:35AM
Play Book Tag: (Poll Ballot) Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craigshead George - 3 stars	3	14	Feb 21, 2020 02:42PM

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About Jean Craighead George

Jean Craighead George

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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 ...more