The Call of the Wild

by Pauline Francis, Jack London

This abridged classic tells the story of Buck, a much loved dog, who is stolen from sunny California and transported to the snowy wastes of northwest Canada to work for gold hunters. Buck has to learn to survive cruel treatment, attacks from other dogs, and a pack of wolves. It is one of a series of shortened classic stories ranging from chilling tales to gripping adventures.

48 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2002

About the author

I love books. I translated them when I lived in Africa – and I worked with them when I was a teacher and a librarian, but I never thought about writing them.

One day, about ten years ago, I decided to become a full-time writer.

My first books were for younger readers. In Drake’s Drummer Boy (1998), Will sails around the world with Sir Francis Drake; in Sam Stars at Shakespeare’s Globe (2006), Sam works with William Shakespeare.

As you can see, the sixteenth century fascinates me. A few years ago, I started to write for older readers, about people who faced very tough decisions in a world that was changing quickly: Lady Jane Grey, in Raven Queen; the lost colonists in A World Away; and the young Elizabeth in Traitor’s Kiss.

What is a typical writing day? I write very early in the morning in a coffee shop. Then I use my computer to re-write and to do my research at home in my study.

I am married with two grown-up children, and I live in Hertfordshire close to London and to Cambridge. I enjoy going to the cinema and the theatre – and anywhere where I can watch other people.

Reviews

[Pete daPixie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuufffff!