07/13/2015
Part survival story and part coming-of-age tale, Avi's (Catch You Later, Traitor) novel is told from the alternating points of view of two hunters: Nashoba, an aging wolf, and Casey, a 13-year-old country boy. Despite a leg injury and growing physical weakness, Nashoba is determined to find food for his pack during the "starving time" in early spring. His desperation drives him into dangerous territory, close to where humans reside. Meanwhile, a short distance away, eighth-grader Casey has just received his first archery set and looks forward to the thrill of hunting, which he has only experienced vicariously through computer games. One snowy day Casey ventures out with his bow and arrows in hopes of finding a target. Nashoba, spurred by need, and Casey, seeking adventure, unknowingly inch closer toward each other. The book's short chapters and steadily rising suspense will appeal to even the most reluctant readers. More seasoned readers will appreciate the story's different levels of meaning and subtle themes beyond the central man-versus-nature conflict. Art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. Author's agent: Gail Hochman, Brandt & Hochman. (Aug.)
Old Wolf
Narrated by Kirby Heyborne
AviUnabridged — 2 hours, 55 minutes
Old Wolf
Narrated by Kirby Heyborne
AviUnabridged — 2 hours, 55 minutes
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Overview
In the computer game world of Bow Hunter-thirteen-year-old Casey's world-there are no deaths, just kills. In Nashoba's world-the wolf world-there have been no kills. For this is March, the Starving Time in the Iron Mountain region of Colorado, when wolves and ravens alike are desperate for food.
With the help of a raven, the miraculous Merla, Nashoba must lead his pack of eight to their next meal. The wolf hates being dependent on a mere bird, but Merla is a bird wise beyond her years.
When Casey's path crosses Nashoba's, the worlds of two very different hunters collide.
Editorial Reviews
"...a fine tale that will benefit from being sifted for all its meanings." -Kirkus Reviews
"Fast paced and exciting, this accessible novel will appeal to those who enjoy adventure stories." - School Library Journal
"...this is likely to appeal to fans of Gary Paulsen and Will Hobbs." -Booklist
"Avi switches
perspective between Nashoba and Casey, building the tension and raising a multitude
of questions in this thought-provoking allegory. Should the head of the food
chain kill for sport? And, is that killing really sport? Naturalistic black-and-white
pencil illustrations by Floca (who also illustrated Avi’s Poppy books) enhance the
classic-feeling tale." -Horn Book Magazine
10/01/2015
Gr 3–7—"It was the starving time. Not the end of winter, not the start of spring, not cold, not hot, daylight and night dark were almost equal. Mud lay here and snow lay there. It was as if Earth herself could not decide between life and death." After this dramatic introduction, talking wolves set the stage for a modern morality play that pits youth against age, humans against nature, and virtual killing against the irrevocability of death in the real world. Two story lines alternate between Nashoba, the alpha wolf, injured by a challenger and desperate to find food for his pack, and 13-year-old Casey, who practices hunting in a video game but yearns to try out his birthday bow and arrows in the woods. Anticipation builds until the protagonists cross paths and the conflicts are, somewhat implausibly, resolved. Narrator Kirby Heyborne's boyish voice works well for Casey's chapters, while his intensity and crisp delivery bring the wolves to life. VERDICT Short chapters and suspense will appeal to middle grade animal lovers and reluctant readers. ["Fast paced and exciting, this accessible novel will appeal to those who enjoy adventure stories": SLJ 6/1/15 review of the S. & S. book.]—Toby Rajput, National Louis University, Skokie, IL
06/01/2015
Gr 5–7—Two stories, one animal, one human, set in early spring in the Lodgepole National Forest and environs, converge dramatically in this brief, engaging novel. The opening line "It was the starving time" prefaces the fight between Nashoba, elderly leader of the Iron Mountain wolf pack, and Garby, the young wolf seeking to replace him. Victorious but wounded, Nashoba sets out to find food, reluctantly following the direction of a raven. He heads into the lower Bend Valley, dangerous to wolves because of its human population, and finds a field of elk cows and calves, then returns to persuade the pack to follow him back to this food source. Meanwhile, Casey Seton greets his 13th birthday excited to apply skills from his new archery books and eager to encounter a live wolf reputed to be in the area. His parents' gift is a longbow and arrows, along with soon-to-begin archery lessons to ready him for the fall hunting season. But, left on his own the following day, Casey succumbs to the temptation of trying out his new equipment unsupervised. The narrative's alternating points of view create tension, and the anthropomorphic portrayal of the animals (they think, decide, speak to one another), found in many of Avi's previous books, heighten the drama as wolf and boy come face to face. VERDICT Fast paced and exciting, this accessible novel will appeal to those who enjoy adventure stories.—Marie Orlando, formerly at Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY
A stirring performance by Kirby Heyborne complements this thought-provoking exploration of nature’s complexity. Heyborne richly captures the various roles and voices of grey wolf pack members. Through a deep-toned, slow-paced narration, he conveys the age and wisdom of Nashoba, the old wolf who finds his role as pack leader challenged by Garby, a younger, angry, and aggressive wolf, whom Heyborne portrays with a stronger, faster-paced voice. Heyborne’s versatility in pitch brings out the enthusiastic naïveté of 13-year-old Casey and the high, raucous cawing of Merla the raven. The emotional highs and lows in the characters’ changing relationships are further expressed through Heyborne’s dynamic use of volume. Overall, this is a beautifully intense and haunting listening experience. M.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
2015-04-15
A modern-day fable intertwines the stories of a young boy and an old wolf. Like all good fables, this one tells its story with minimal characterization and unabashed moral messages. Wolf Nashoba, an aging pack leader, is desperate to find food for his starving band after the long winter, especially since the brash young wolf, Garby, questions his leadership. Meanwhile, Casey, a just-turned-13-year-old human boy who excels at the video hunting game "Bowhunter," is thrilled when he receives a real bow and arrow for his birthday. Nashoba's and Casey's stories collide when Nashoba leads a hunt—helped by wise, acerbic raven Merla—near Casey's home. Casey, searching for a stray arrow, comes across Merla, who is helping Nashoba, injured during the hunt. On instinct, Casey shoots Merla and then is shocked as he realizes the finality of real-world killing. Although the animals speak to one another in quoted dialogue and exhibit humanlike thought processes, animals and humans do not enjoy mutually intelligible speech. The fable's messages—touching on false pride, the facile violence of virtual reality, age and youth, the coexistence of species, the value of kindness, and a few others—are inevitably diluted by being so numerous, but happily, they offer gentle provocation for thoughtful readers. Floca's black-and-white pencil illustrations, with their attentive, appreciative depictions of the natural world, add real depth and poignancy to the story. Overall, a fine tale that will benefit from being sifted for all its meanings. (Fiction. 8-13)
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940170538188 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Simon & Schuster |
| Publication date: | 08/04/2015 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
| Age Range: | 8 - 11 Years |
Read an Excerpt
Old Wolf
IT WAS THE STARVING TIME.
Not the end of winter. Not the start of spring. Not cold. Not hot. Daylight and nightdark were almost equal. Mud lay here and snow lay there. It was as if Earth herself could not decide between life and death.
Videos
