In the late 1800s, both Native people and wolves are being forced from the land. Starving and lonely, an orphaned timber wolf is befriended by a boy named Red Wolf. But under the Indian Act, Red Wolf is forced to attend a residential school far from the life he knows, and the wolf is alone once more. Courage, love, and fate reunite the pair, and they embark on a perilous journey home. But with winter closing in, will Red Wolf and Crooked Ear survive? And if they do, what will they find?

This book is about a 5 year old boy and a red wolf. The boy is taken from his home and family and taken to a residential school to be raised.
The author captures the emotional toll on the family and the child at being ripped apart. The writing is not graphic and is appropriate for young readers, but the heartbreaking reality of residential schools and forced "assimilation" comes through. The book hints at abuse and describes some of the punishments the children had to endure.
As adults we know of many more types of abuse that occurred at these schools, but the book keeps it appropriate for young readers.

I thought this was an excellent book and very well written. I read it with sadness, but feel it should be mandatory reading in schools, so that this chapter of Canadian history is not forgotten. ( )

This book is about a 5 year old boy and a red wolf. The boy is taken from his home and family and taken to a residential school to be raised.
The author captures the emotional toll on the family and the child at being ripped apart. The writing is not graphic and is appropriate for young readers, but the heartbreaking reality of residential schools and forced "assimilation" comes through. The book hints at abuse and describes some of the punishments the children had to endure.
As adults we know of many more types of abuse that occurred at these schools, but the book keeps it appropriate for young readers.

I thought this was an excellent book and very well written. I read it with sadness, but feel it should be mandatory reading in schools, so that this chapter of Canadian history is not forgotten. ( )

This book is about a 5 year old boy and a red wolf. The boy is taken from his home and family and taken to a residential school to be raised.
The author captures the emotional toll on the family and the child at being ripped apart. The writing is not graphic and is appropriate for young readers, but the heartbreaking reality of residential schools and forced "assimilation" comes through. The book hints at abuse and describes some of the punishments the children had to endure.
As adults we know of many more types of abuse that occurred at these schools, but the book keeps it appropriate for young readers.

I thought this was an excellent book and very well written. I read it with sadness, but feel it should be mandatory reading in schools, so that this chapter of Canadian history is not forgotten. ( )

This novel tells the story of a boy named Red Wolf who is forced to attend a residential school. He has a connection with a wolf called Crooked Ear, but the two stories don't intersect that much, instead they run parallel to each other. The book does a great job of painting the native experience at the residential school and hints at some of the abuse that might have taken place. I think it would make a great read aloud for a teacher wanting to lead a discussion about the residential experience for Natives in the late 1800s, but due to the sensitive nature of the experience, it might be best used with teacher guidance and discussion. Although I really liked the story, I'd hesitate to just hand it to someone under 12. ( )