A Sign of Spring

Wolf pups are born in the spring, as I discovered when I dug into the research for my novel Runt. It was important to me as I wrote the book that I stayed true to the wolf natures of Runt and the other characters, while still building a story that my human readers could relate to—which means including the human world of language and all the emotions language lets us know we feel. This line from School Library Journal’s review tells me that I managed to pull off that tricky balancing act: “Bauer portrays the wolves' place in the natural world with compassion, respect, and warmth, but this is also the story of any unique individual's struggle to find his or her niche.”You can share more facts about wolves with your students by visiting the International Wolf Center’s website. There’s also a Classroom Guide available for Runt.