Publishers Weekly calls James Bird’s WOLF CLUB an “engrossing. . . endearing. . . [and] enjoyable action-packed offering” in starred review

★ WOLF CLUB by James Bird

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Publication Date: 09/30/2025

Ojibwe author Bird (No Place Like Home) infuses fantasy elements into an engrossing adventure novel about three middle schoolers becoming unlikely allies in a quest to protect an elusive white wolf. Though his mother doesn’t believe in the power of animal medicine, Ojibwe 13-year-old Okan finds comfort in his grand- mother’s deck of cards, which depict “the strength, skills, or power of each animal.” Following a physical altercation at school, Okan, white-cued bully Marcus, and white and Indigenous classmate Sarah become inextricably linked. When a white wolf is spotted in the Sawtooth Mountain woods surrounding his Minnesota town, Okan receives a message from the spirit world urging him to rescue the animal from hunters; his vision also suggests that major challenges in Okan’s, Sarah’s, and Marcus’s lives will be resolved if they protect the wolf together. Okan’s sincere first-person narration presents observations about his companions and their situation with endearing frankness as the children embark on their journey. Bird ratchets up the tension of this enjoyable action-packed offering—part survival expedition, part identity exploration—one swiftly moving chapter and increasingly perilous scenario at a time. Ages 9–12.

Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary. (Sept.)