LONE WOLF

A tender tale of loss and the redeeming power of love from Franklin (Eclipse, 1995, etc.). For three years Perry Dubois, 11, has been coping with the pain of his little sister's death and his mother's subsequent abandonment of him and his dour, taciturn father. Leaving St. Paul behind, they move to a remote area of the north woods where Perry is home-schooled. The boy's only consolations are his dog and a cave that is high on the side of a steep hill, safe from prying eyes and intruders. When he hears the rare call of a lone timber wolf, he resolves to find him. Before he can, though, a large family moves into the old white house in view of the cave, which is on their land. The Pestalozzis are generous, loving group, everything Perry would like to ignore, but Willow, the oldest girl, quickly insinuates herself into Perry's life and draws him into her family, too. She insists on sharing his cave and tracks the timber wolf with Perry. Starved for love and companionship, Perry finds himself feeling more at home with the Pestalozzis than with his dad. The way in which Willow and her family break through Perry's carefully constructed shell provides a sensitive study on the vulnerabilities of the human heart. The writing is sure; the dovetailing of grief and memory with the events of the plot is impeccable. Readers won't soon forget Perry and his father as they rejoin the human race. (Fiction. 9-13)