Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
Winner, 1973 Newbery Award
Quick Summary
Thirteen-year-old Miyax (known as Julie to her pen pal Amy) runs away from an arranged marriage, using her Eskimo heritage to survive the barren Alaskan tundra and become a trusted member of a wolf pack.
Favorite Quote
It was a yellow disc in a lime-green sky, the colors of six o'clock in the evening and the time when the wolves awoke.
About the Author
Jean Craighead George was the author of more than 100 books, many of which relate to nature. She got the idea for Julie of the Wolves after studying wolves and the tundra at the Arctic Research Laboratory in Barrow, Alaska. She died in 2012.
My Project
For my project, I wanted to create a piece that had a mix of old and new, since Julie is a girl who lives between the modern world and old traditions. I hammered the background to create long stripes to resemble the movement of blowing snow. I gave it a light wash of pearl white acrylic paint. I left some of the silver aluminum bare for a modern look, although it looks black in the photo because of the lighting.
In the center, I freehand embroidered wolf paw prints on a piece of white interfacing with a mix of gray and silver metallic embroidery floss. Julie herself does quite a bit of stitching in the book for her mother-in-law and when she's on her own.
Final Thoughts
I cannot remember if I read this book as a child or not. The title feels very familiar, but I did not recognize any of the events in the second and third sections of the book. Only the wolf "Jello" in the first section felt vaguely recognizable. As an adult, it was easy to be impressed by the main character's resourcefulness in managing her survival despite numerous setbacks. I also liked the minor subplot of Julie's relationship to her pen pal in San Francisco, as that made a nice contrast to Julie's own life. The scenes with the wolves seemed very realistic, which makes this book appealing to animal lovers who want to see animals in their nature surroundings. This book is the first in a trilogy, followed by Julie and Julie's Wolf Pack.
Your Turn
If you read this book, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments.