Summer of the Wolves

Reach for this book when your child is grappling with a sense of displacement, whether through foster care, a move, or the loss of a loved one. It is a soul-soothing choice for the child who feels like an outsider and finds more comfort in the natural world than in social circles. The story follows Skye, a girl who has moved between many foster homes, as she spends a summer in the Minnesota wilderness with her brother and a great-aunt they barely know. When she helps rescue and raise an abandoned wolf pup, she begins to see parallels between the wolf's need for a pack and her own need for a permanent home. While it touches on the heavy realities of grief and the foster system, it remains deeply hopeful and age-appropriate for the 8 to 12 range. It is an ideal choice for building empathy and exploring the healing power of nature.