JULIE OF THE WOLVES,
By Jean Craighead George
Selection read by Steve Swinburne, an expert on both wolves and coyotes, who’s presentation “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?” introduces children 8-13 to he good side of wolves. In books like Once a Wolf and Coyote: North America’s Dog, Steve makes nature and animals very accessible. Coming soon: I Am a Butterfly.

Steve Swinburne

Even an Inuit girl familiar with the Arctic can get lost. Thirteen-year-old Miyax has gone to live with her gussak (White) aunt, who calls her Julie. But she flees to the tundra, the vast frozen inland plain of Alaska, when her aunt marries her off to a boy she doesn’t like. Losing her bearings, she runs out of food. But her upbringing among the Inuit, who believe wolves are brothers not enemies, gives her the courage to try to become a member of the pack so that they will provide her with meat.

THINGS TO DO ONLINE

Ask Jean George a question
She admits she’s not always available to answer every email, but write if you have a question, since she answers as often as she can. Here’s what she says about why she wrote Julie of the Wolves:
The idea for the book struck me when I was in Barrow, Alaska, on an assignment for a national magazine. Barrow is the land of the midnight sun, of sea ice and Eskimos, of caribou and polar bears -- and of wolves.

When I arrived the scientists at the Barrow Arctic Research Lab were studying wolves and breaking their communication code. A few men were talking to them in their own language with posturing, whimpers and various actions. I was fascinated; and eventually was able to learn how to talk "wolf' and communicate with a beautiful female in her own "language." When she answered back, I knew that I wanted to write a book about a little girl, who is lost on the tundra and saves her life by communicating with the wolves. So I did.

What Miyax saw
Wolf facts and photos aren’t hard to find online. (It takes a while for a real photo gallery to download. Be patient.)

Read about “Mission Wolf”
Here’s an online introduction to the Silver Cliff, Colorado, organization. With discussion of re-introduction of wolves in Vermont revving up, this is a good time to learn more about them.

Did Steve get that howl right?
Listen to the wolves, if you have a sound card and a .wav file reader on your computer—just click on the sounds and they’ll load the right software. Here’s Mission Wolf’s version.

What is the right name for Miyax’s house?
No, it’s not an igloo. Find the name at this website. The Far North is a huge region of the earth, with different dialects. So, if you live in one place you may call the covered area outside the door a “porch,” or, if you live in the Midwest, a “veranda.” One style of wooden house may be a “log cabin,” another a “split-level” or a “Victorian.” Miyax, an Inuit Eskimo from Alaska, builds her house of stone and sod (see link above). But when an Inuit of the Aleutian Islands builds one, it’s called by a much funnier name.

Quick quiz
True or false? There are Ice Worms in the Arctic? Find out.

For your information
Ever hear that the Inuit have 32 words for snow, or 100, or 50 in Inuktitut? Well, here’s the straight story: This is a myth. In fact there is only one word for it: aput. But just as the English language has different terms for different conditions of snow (for example, powder snow, packing snow, slush, sleet), Inuktitut has different terms for different conditions of snow, too.

Build an igloo
What a great idea: Here’s how to do it.

MORE THINGS TO DO
Draw a picture
Submit your drawing of Miyax’s world. Contact Us and attach your scanned drawing for our Camel’s Hump Radio Illustrators’ Gallery.

Cook a gussak dessert
Camel’s Hump Cooks believes things you make yourself taste better. So here’s how to make that gelatin dessert that shimmers and shakes, a “Fruit Jelly.”

Note: The "Things to do" sections can often use an adult's help or encouragement.

FROM THE CHR LIBRARIAN

Jean Craighead George’s Book List
Jean George is a writer whose books are rich with nature lore. There are the sequels to Julie of the Wolves, Julie and Julie’s Wolf Pack. Good for reading aloud: My Side of the Mountain and its sequel On the Far Side of the Mountain. Then there are The Tarantula in My Purse: And 172 Other Wild Pets; There’s an Owl in the Shower; The Summer of the Falcon and Dear Katie, the Volcano is a Girl. A born naturalist, George has written guides to places like the Everglades and the “ecological mystery” Who Really Killed Cock Robin? A related book and sequel for ages about 12 and up is the Newbery Honor Book Incident at Hawk’s Hill and Return to Hawk’s Hill by Allan W. Eckert.

Share a laugh with your family
Here’s how two ardent Dutch skiers got around the high cost of hotel rooms. Yes, this is a TIY (Try-It-Yourself) Project.

Ready for a really cool vacation?
Plan to visit the Hotel Arctic.