Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk

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Justification

Wolf Hollow is an excellent choice for including in a middle grade collection because it deals with themes of friendship, classism, self-forgiveness, anti-Semitism, and doing what is right in a small town setting during World War II. 

Evaluation

Characters: Annabelle is a lovely, well rounded character who is utterly believable in her innocence, determination, and sensitivity. Her family is full of wonderful background characters who all contribute to Annabelle's growth throughout the story. Toby, a character who does not necessarily how growth through the story, is integral to the plot and perfectly illustrates the complexities of PTSD. Betty Glengarry, Annabelle's nemesis is believably awful with acts that quickly escalate to the point of another child losing an eye because of a thrown rock. Annabelle is a great role model for young readers. She knows what she wants and understand what she needs to do to accomplish her life goals and her mission to save Toby.

Plot: Wolf Hollow is told through Annabelle in the past tense, giving the reader insight into just how innocent Annabelle was during the events of her childhood. The plot feels neither too fast nor too slow, but moves at a steady and compelling pace. Between the action and the feelings conveyed through Annabelle's narration, the reader feels the same dread Annabelle does.

Dialogue: The dialogue is well written and easy to understand. What we do not see in dialogue is easily conveyed through Annabelle's mood and thoughts.

Conclusion

Wolf Hollow is a beautifully written novel that fits both coming of age and historical fiction niches with a strong female main character. It was a touching and bittersweet story that I genuinely was sad to finish. 

Citation

Wolk, L. (2016). Wolf hollow. New York: Dutton Children's Books.