by Avi
First published 2003
McKinley rules as the alpha dog among three hundred canines in the Colorado mountain town of Steamboat Springs. His human companion Jack sees only a loyal family pet and protector, unaware of the complex hierarchy McKinley navigates. Redburn, an Irish setter McKinley dismisses as a "leash-licking" rival, challenges his leadership position. When Lupin, a lone she-wolf, appears on the hillsides, she brings a dangerous proposition that threatens everything McKinley knows. She calls to the dogs to abandon their human families and join her dwindling wolf pack in the wilderness. McKinley faces an impossible choice between his wild instincts and his devotion to Jack. The conflict escalates when McKinley and Jack encounter Lupin in a canyon, then must protect her from both Redburn's aggression and a hostile neighbor who carries a gun and harbors old grudges. This story explores the deep bond between a boy and his dog while examining the pull of the wild on domesticated animals.
Genres: fiction, animals, adventure, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, man-vs-nature
Setting: Colorado, Steamboat Springs
243 pages · Library Binding · Perfection Learning