Red Wolf by Jennifer Dance

Pages: 240

Intended Audience: Mature tweens and up

Genre: Historical / Indigenous issues

Notes for Parents: Contains some mature content

The Back Cover

In the late 1800s, both Native people and wolves are being forced from the land. Starving and lonely, an orphaned timber wolf is befriended by a boy named Red Wolf. But under the Indian Act, Red Wolf is forced to attend a residential school far from the life he knows, and the wolf is alone once more. Courage, love, and fate reunite the pair, and they embark on a perilous journey home. But with winter closing in, will Red Wolf and Crooked Ear survive? And if they do, what will they find?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The back cover description is a little deceiving. The story is mostly about Red Wolf growing up in the residential school system and how that affects his relationship with his family. Crooked Ear is a thread that follows Red Wolf throughout his journey.

What’s good?

While this is a middle school-level book, the nature of the content means some younger readers may not fully understand the gravity of what’s happening. This is an excellent introduction to the residential school experience and an important part of our history that every Canadian needs to know. It’s easy to read and takes a simple approach to the heart-breaking truth about the Canada’s attempt to wipe out its indigenous culture. The story of the wolf, Crooked Ear, parallels the story of the boy in that wolves were also seen as dirty and savage and white settlers set out to slaughter them, not recognizing the importance of wolves to the land’s ecosystem.

Best Part: The grandfather’s stories.

What isn’t good?

The pace is slow and the writing is choppy. The constant brutality at the residential school is difficult to read, especially since Red Wolf’s feelings about it are never fully explored. This could be because he was so young at first, but a deeper understanding of how the abuse and neglect affected him personally would have strengthened the character and the plot.

Worst part: The pace.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☻☻ (3/5)

Wolves and natives were seen as dangerous and savage by European settlers. The goal became to “tame” the natives and kill the wolves in order for the settlers to feel safe. Red Wolf’s story is a glimpse into what would eventually amount to a culture genocide that stripped the native peoples of their land, their language, and their traditions. It’s an important story, and this novel is a good introduction to that history.

Dance, Jennifer. Red Wolf. Toronto: Dundurn 2014.