Julie Of The Wolves

Julie of the Wolves

• Genre: Fiction; middle grade/young adult coming of age
• Originally Published: 1972
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 860L; grades 5-9
• Structure/Length: 3 parts; approximately 176 pages; approximately 4 hours, 24 minutes on audio
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: Miyax (known as Julie in English) is a young Inuit girl who becomes lost on the Alaskan tundra. To survive, she must appeal to a pack of wolves for help, learn to communicate with them, and rely on her wits and knowledge of nature. The central conflict revolves around Miyax’s struggle for survival in the wilderness and her quest for identity while reconciling her Inuit heritage and the modern world.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Depictions of survival and animal behavior; animal violence and death; hunting and killing of animals; brief mentions of cultural practices; emotional challenges of isolation and independence; frequent use of the word “Eskimo”; sexual assault and child marriage; alcohol addiction; physical assault/domestic violence

Jean Craighead George, Author

• Bio: Born in 1919; died in 2012; an American writer of more than 100 books for children and young adults, many focusing on nature and the environment; celebrated for her detailed observations of the natural world; recognized as an advocate for environmental awareness and the importance of living in harmony with nature
• Other Works: My Side of the Mountain (1959); On the Far Side of the Mountain (1990); Frightful’s Mountain (1999)
• Awards: Newbery Medal (1973); National Book Award nominee (Children’s Books category; 1973)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• The Wilderness Versus Civilization
• Indigenous Wisdom and Traditions
• Independence Versus Solidarity

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Develop an understanding of the environmental and sociological contexts regarding the relationship between Inuit communities and the ecosystem in Alaska, which impacts Miyax’s relationship with the wolf pack.
• Analyze paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of The Wilderness Versus Civilization, Indigenous Wisdom and Traditions, and Independence Versus Solidarity.
• Draft and present a creative writing piece about a protagonist surviving in a difficult natural environment that demonstrates the basic elements of storytelling and parallels to Miyax’s conflict based on text details.
• Evaluate the themes, symbols, and motifs of the novel in structured essay responses on the role of songs, the novel’s distinct settings, and other topics.