Booklist calls James Bird’s WOLF CLUB an “odyssey of understanding and resilience. A shining addition to the middle-school canon of survivor stories. . . to be shared and savored” in starred review

★ WOLF CLUB by James Bird

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Publication Date: 09/30/2025

Bird creates a memorable journey of self-discovery for three broken teens in this novel set in the Sawtooth Mountains of Northern Minnesota. The story is related by Okan, whose narrative interweaves Ojibwe language and cultural wisdom into the search to save a white wolf from rifletoting trophy hunters. Along the way readers delve into the lives and history of Okan (aka< Raccoon), Sarah (Skunk), and Marcus (Moose), as the characters begin to recognize the unspoken truths that bind them. Throughout, Ojibwe animal medicine is prevalent, shared primarily through the voice of Okan’s nookomis (grandmother), who is bereaved after the loss of her husband and waiting for death. Multigenerational trials and tragedies combine with the strength of family and friendship to give a tangible authenticity to these characters and situations. Particularly satisfying is the way the three teens take off on their quest, which harkens back to the time when youthful searches led to one’s arrival at adulthood. The book’s mixture of humor, heart, sad realities, and satisfying outcomes delivers a remarkably readable mystical adventure. Each character, encounter, and movement wonderfully expands this odyssey of understanding and resilience. A shining addition to the middle-school canon of survivor stories, Wolf Club needs to be shared and savored.

— Beth Rosania