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ellemnope 's review for:
Julie of the Wolves
by Jean Craighead George
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another middle grade adventure read win. I really enjoyed this story of Miyax and her struggle for survival on the frozen tundra of northern Alaska.
There is admittedly some problematic language in the novel, as the 1972 publication did use the term "Eskimo" to refer to Miyax and her language. This term is now considered derogatory. Additionally, I have discovered that some of the historical information is inaccurate and there was some blurring of lines with regard to tribal information in the novel. Some of the language and culture mentioned was not part of the Iñupiaq tribe's history (the tribe that Miyax is stated to be a part of), but rather the Yupik. As a result of these issues, I have deducted a star from my rating. Had it been written in a more recent time, I would have taken an even larger deduction. A reading of this book needs to be undertaken with the understanding that the cultural information is not entirely accurate.
As far as appropriateness for the intended audience, there is a need to be careful. There are some dark moments in this book that may not be appropriate for younger readers. Though a lot of the writing and word choice is appropriate for the 8-9 age set, the content is more appropriate for the 11-12 age set (and even then, there needs to be parental awareness of book content as some can be mildly traumatic).
Beyond the aforementioned issues, I felt like this story was a good tale of survival and resilience. I do wish that there had been greater accuracy, but it is an entertaining read. There is a good discussion of nature in the narrative, as well as a great continuing conversation regarding the "assimilation" of Inuit peoples into American society. Forced schooling, loss of language, and diminishing resources and cultural practices are all mentioned. Though not thoroughly explored, these inclusions do give a good early introduction to American history with regard to the treatment of indigenous peoples. These passages could help to stimulate a conversation regarding cultural mistreatment.
Though there are inaccuracies and the book was not written by an OwnVoices source, I still found it to be an endearing and entertaining read. It is unfortunately a product of it's era and does have some issues, but the emotional journey is a good one.
There is admittedly some problematic language in the novel, as the 1972 publication did use the term "Eskimo" to refer to Miyax and her language. This term is now considered derogatory. Additionally, I have discovered that some of the historical information is inaccurate and there was some blurring of lines with regard to tribal information in the novel. Some of the language and culture mentioned was not part of the Iñupiaq tribe's history (the tribe that Miyax is stated to be a part of), but rather the Yupik. As a result of these issues, I have deducted a star from my rating. Had it been written in a more recent time, I would have taken an even larger deduction. A reading of this book needs to be undertaken with the understanding that the cultural information is not entirely accurate.
As far as appropriateness for the intended audience, there is a need to be careful. There are some dark moments in this book that may not be appropriate for younger readers. Though a lot of the writing and word choice is appropriate for the 8-9 age set, the content is more appropriate for the 11-12 age set (and even then, there needs to be parental awareness of book content as some can be mildly traumatic).
Beyond the aforementioned issues, I felt like this story was a good tale of survival and resilience. I do wish that there had been greater accuracy, but it is an entertaining read. There is a good discussion of nature in the narrative, as well as a great continuing conversation regarding the "assimilation" of Inuit peoples into American society. Forced schooling, loss of language, and diminishing resources and cultural practices are all mentioned. Though not thoroughly explored, these inclusions do give a good early introduction to American history with regard to the treatment of indigenous peoples. These passages could help to stimulate a conversation regarding cultural mistreatment.
Though there are inaccuracies and the book was not written by an OwnVoices source, I still found it to be an endearing and entertaining read. It is unfortunately a product of it's era and does have some issues, but the emotional journey is a good one.