Module Four- Julie of the Wolves, Jean Craighead George

George, Jean Craighead. Julie of the Wolves. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1972.

Summary
Miyax, or Julie as she is called by white men, is a 13 year old Inupiaq Eskimo. Her mother died when she was very young so she was brought up by her father, Kapugen, an influential member of their Eskimo community. When Miyax turns nine, she is taken to live with a distant relative in a city where she can go to school. Before she leaves, Kapugen tells Miyax if things get too miserable she can escape by marrying the son of his business partner. Miyax likes going to school in the city but life with her irritable relative is hard. One day, she learns that her father went kayaking for seal and has not been seen for a month. Presuming her father is dead, she agrees to marry the son of Kapugen's business partner only to discover that he is dull, his father is an abusive drunk, and his mother makes Miyax sew parkas and mukluks constantly to bring more money into the home. Miyax runs away to catch a ferry that will eventually lead her to San Francisco where she can live with her penpal, but gets lost on the vast Arctic tundra. She survives only by becoming part of a real wolf pack. The story ends with Miyax discovering her father is alive but has married a white woman and taken up white ways. In the end, we are to assume that Miyax has decided to live with them for a while.

Impressions
Even though almost no one speaks, the imagery of the scenery and wildlife of the desolate Tundra and relationships that exist therein are enough to make this story surprisingly compelling. Also impressive is George's ability to make Miyax and the wolves very assesible and loveable since I doubt the majority of George's audience have any familiarity with wolves, the Arctic, or Eskimos.

Reviews
Reutter, Vicki. School Library Journal, May2004, Vol. 50 Issue 5, p64. Retrieved September 19, 2010, from Academic Search Premier database.
"A compelling story about...Miyax Kapugen, an Eskimo girl caught between the old ways an those of the whites, between childhood and womanhood. Jean George has captured the subtle nuances of Eskimo life, animal habits, the plain nature of growing up, and combines these elements into a thrilling adventure which is, at the same time, a poignant love story."


Stackhouse, Martha. Honoring Alaska's Indiginous Literature, Review of Julie of the Wolves. Alaska Native Knowledge Network. Accessed September 19, 2010 from http://ankn.uaf.edu/IKS/HAIL/JulieWolves.html.
"This book has the thirteen year old Inupiag girl, named Miyax, trekking from Barrow to Point Hope in order to catch a ship. The Inupiaq alphabet does not have the letter 'x' so Miyax is definitely not an Inupiaq name. I wondered why she bothered to walk to Point Hope when the ship also goes to Barrow. During this trek, Miyax begins to starve. She ate lemming , which is misleading as Inupiaq people do not eat lemmings. I especially did not appreciate the blending of the Yupick words and culture. The author used the word "kuspuk" when we use "atikaeuk"..and "Gussak" which is also a Yupick words for a white man. Our Inupiaq name for white man is "Tanik." She also talked about the bladder festival. Again, it is derived from a Yupik celebration, not Inupiaq. With all due respect for Jean Craighead George, I humbly would not recommend this book to be put on school shelves...When misinformation about the Arctic is numerous, one must say something."

Suggestions for Library Use
According to ALA's 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-1999, Julie of the Wolves ranks 32nd. While the words are simple enough, the content is rather mature. Miyax is married at age 13, there is an attempt at marital rape (although quite brief), and when Miyax encounters a couple while she is camping not far from a small city, there is a discussion about whether or not Miyax has been banished to this hut because she has begun menstruating. While this book and subsequent sequels would look nice on a display about Native American Cultures, Alaska, the Arctic, etc., because of the content, I'm not sure how a library should promote this book.