Julie of the Wolves

George, J. C., & Schoenherr, J. (1972). Julie of the wolves ([1st ed.). New York: Harper & Row.

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George is a Most Challenged Book according to bookspot.com

1973 Newbery Medal Book

First part: Miyax is an Eskimo girl that is trying to communicate and learn from a pack of wolves in order to survive, she ran away from home to go to San Francisco wher her friend lives.

Second part (flashback): Miyax as a younger girl lived with her father until he had to go to war, she went to live with her aunt and attended school where she changed her name to Julie, she becomes pen pals with Amy Pollock who lives in San Francisco, after some time, Julie and her aunt are led to believe that Julie's father died, eventually Julie is taken to another village to marry Daniel but when he tries to hurt her, she escapes.

Third part: Miyax is adopted by the wolves and follows them, when it is hunting season, Miyax separates from the wolves and travels South, some hunters are after the pack that saved her life, she saves one of the pups and lives on her own for a while until she learns through some travellers that her father is alive, when she finds him, she is disappointed for he has married a white woman and does not follow with Eskimo traditions, he has become a hunter. Miyax decides to return to his father and leave behind the Eskimo life.

I enjoyed this book because the protagonist, a young teenager learns how to be independent but also knows the value of a family, in this case the family or community being a pack of wolves. She survives the harsh Alaska weather and becomes a mature teenager that eventually has to decide between living in the wilderness and returning to life with other humans. This predicament shows how Julie even though she was thankful to the wolves, knew that living on her own was probably not going to be the easiest choice, she had to leave that behind. Although she didn't agree with her father's new ways, she knew the importance of family and community.

A Wrinkle in Time

L'Engle, M. (1962). A wrinkle in time . New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. 

A Wrinkle in Time is a Most Challenged Book according to http://www.bookspot.com/lists/mostchallengedbooks100.htm

A 1963 Newbery Award Book

Meg is the eldest of the Murry children but constantly feels inadequate. She finds refuge in her young brother Charles Wallace that seems to have the ability to "read her mind." One night, during a storm Meg, Mrs. Murry and Charles Wallace are visited by a strange woman: Mrs. Wahtsit. The visit leaves Mega and Mrs. Murry confused but Charles Wallace seems to understand all about Mrs. Whatsit. The children visit the abandoned house with another boy, Calvin O'Keefe, where they will meet Mrs. Whatsit and her two other friends. Calvin and Meg talk for a while, she tells Calvin how much she misses her father and that they all wished he would come back. While the kids are outside, Mrs. Who materializes and tells them that it's time to go. The children leave believing that they will find their lost father with the help of their new friend Calvin, Mrs. Who, Mrs. Whatsit and Mrs. Which. They travel through space to a far away place where Mrs. Whatsit shows them a blackness that covers stars and planets alike. The blackness is taking over planet Earth and must be stopped. Mrs. Which reveals to Meg that her father is being held captive in a planet that has fallen to the dark thing. The children decide to go to the planet to rescue their father. Once in the planet they notice that the people in this planet seem to act differently. They reach a building calles the Central Central Intelligence Building in which they find a man with red eyes that controls the population of the planet. This man is delighted to have them and to take control of Charles Wallace. After Charles Wallace's will is controlled by IT, he takes Meg and Calvin to see Mr. Murry. Meg and Calvin are able to escape taking with them Mr. Murry, they travel to another planet where different creatures and Mrs. Which, Whatsit and Who help Meg recover. After sometime Meg decides to go back to Camazotz to get Charles Wallace back. Charles Wallace confronts his sister and she wins him back with her love for him. They return to earth, her father is reunited with the rest of the family and they know how to fight the black matter.

This book is a great Science Fiction novel that invites the reader to explore beyond his/her surroundings. The characters go through changes and mature as they confront their fears. Charles Wallace, the youngest child, shows great maturity from the beginning but when IT takes control of his mind, the only way to get him back is through true love. Meg discovers many things about herself during their journey and in the end she turns into a brave young woman that overcomes hopelessness.
I recommend this book for upper elementary grades and higher. The students will enjoy some suspense and science combined with fantasy.