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Email: timberwolfinfonetwork@gmail.com
Email: timberwolfinfonetwork@gmail.com

Journey: The Amazing Story of OR-7, the Oregon Wolf That Made History

Elgin, Beckie. 2017. Journey: the amazing story of OR-7, the Oregon wolf that made history. Inkwater Press. 95 pp. Paperback. $16.95 US. Maps, Color and B & W Photos, Glossary, Notes, Misc. appendices.

Journey is a wonderfully written and beautifully designed book created specifically for middle school children that adults will also find very informative to read. Elgin has done a marvelous job weaving together a story based on the known facts behind the sojourn of this collared Oregon wolf.  She describes this wolf’s life from its birth and the time it left its natal pack in the northeast corner of the state traveling southwestward until it crossed over into California, making it the first known wolf in that state in a century.

This book is filled with scientific facts on wolves every step in the story of this wolf, but these are presented in a way that the reader can seamlessly absorb as s/he reads the story. A glossary is even available to help readers with the jargon of wolf researchers and enthusiasts.

The layout of the book is visually appealing. It has numerous sketches, and color and black and white photos that are pleasantly scattered throughout the book. Several maps are wonderfully created and show OR-7’s incredible journey. Appendices include suggested further reading, webpages with more information on wolves, and other sources on wolves.

This is the first wolf book to focus on middle school aged children in over a decade. Beckie Elgin is to be commended for this production. Although the story is geographically focused in the Pacific Northwest, the information contained is applicable to wolves no matter where they live. If you have a 12 to 14 year-old child interested in wolves, this is the book to give. I highly recommend it.