9 Great Books on Wolves, 2021 Edition
ROBERTA KRAVETTE, EDITOR, DESTINATION: WILDLIFE
by Roberta Kravette
A few years ago, I heard about a population of grey wolves on Alaska’s Prince of Wales Island that had developed some unique talents for dealing with their environment. My curiosity peaked, I started looking for more information. What answers I found were limited, sketchy, and somewhat conflicting - a situation consistent almost anywhere I inquired about a (possible) local wolf population. And so began my quest for hard facts about the mysterious Canis lupus.
Cherished Additions - Not Replacements
The more I have learn, the more I respect and love wolves. Happily, over the years I have found more than 9 Great Wolf Books. The new titles are cherished additions - not replacements. Many have risen from the unprecedented wolf-study opportunities available thanks to the Yellowstone release project.
Hint: read down. First up: What I discovered this year: 2021 Editor’s Choice(s) Followed by the (still) best picks in Wolf Reference and Science, Non-Fiction and First-Person Accounts, and a coffee table book of wonderful images.
We decided to remove the books for young adults and children. You will find them in their own new and revised list later this year. Enjoy!
New for 2021: Editor’s Choice(s)
What I discovered this year
Yellowstone Wolves:
Science and Discovery in the World's First National Park
©2020 Edited by Douglas W. Smith, Daniel R. Stahler, and Daniel R MacNulty
Just released, this book is a milestone in grey wolf research, the culmination of twenty years of intense study of Yellowstone’s reintroduced wolf population. This is the #1 MUST HAVE for anyone interested in wolves.
With wolves extirpated from nearly all their former range, studying wolves in the wild was, until recently, almost impossible. As a result, most of our wolf perceptions came from captive studies, urban legend, or mythology. However, in 1995 Yellowstone's grey wolf re-introduction allowed scientists daily access to wolves behaving the way they have done in the wild for millennia, for the first time.
Read Yellowstone Wolves: Science and Discovery in the World’s First National Park, for the bioscience, or to understand how an ecosystem regains balance, or for the love of wolves. With a foreword by Jane Goodall and chapters, articles, and guest essays by the greatest names in wolf research, this is a book you will pick up time and again.
Of Wolves and Men
©️1978 By Barry Lopez
Scribner Non-Fiction, Finalist National Book Award
How could I have missed this classic before now? Barry Lopez delves into the history, myth, and mystique of wolf/human relations with sensitivity and insight. He melds scientific fieldwork, indigenous peoples’ wisdom, his own experience living with captive and free-ranging wolves, and multicultural folklore, building a rare window into the wolf's world and our perceptions of it.
The beautifully written books takes us into the heart of what was, and in a much diminished state still is, wild and beautiful in our United States - and it made me wonder why it is that we are so afraid. There are a few facts in the first chapter slightly dated by the new research coming out of Yellowstone – however, Of Wolves and Men remains an essential and unequaled book.
The Grand Lady of Yellowstone & Other Yellowstone Stories
©2020 Brad A. Bulin
For Bulin, mountain lion researcher, videographer, long-time Yellowstone educator, and wolf-guide, wolves were just one of many species he enjoyed watching. Or so he thought.
Bulin describes experiences with the same wolf individuals described in Yellowstone Wolves: Science and Discovery in the World's First National Park, (see above) making The Grand Lady of Yellowstone an excellent companion piece. I found it fascinating to read about incidents from two different perspectives; a witness describing life events of familiar individuals and the researchers studying the behaviors of same.
Bulin's self-published short stories are elegant in their simplicity and detail. There is no sentimentality here, just first-person accounts of wolf-life in Yellowstone. In the end, Bulin found himself surprised by the impact that watching specific individuals over their lifetimes had made on him. I highly recommend his book.
New in 2021: Wolf Fiction
A novel made the list for the first time this year. It’s an engaging, mystery with a huge dose of Greek wolf myth - and a hard look at the realities of wolf conservation in communities where wolves are making a comeback.
The Wolves of Mirr
©2021 Paul S. Piper
The Wolves of Mirr is the first novel for adult readers included in this list, and frankly, I wondered if fiction belonged. But if you enjoy a well-told mystery, and wolves, this book is a fun read. And it shines critical insight into the real-life challenges of wolf conservation.
Centered in a small Montana community split by rising passions (and violence) regarding the return of once extirpated wolves. The story is set in the present day, and intertwines a wolf biologist's fight to protect a newly arrived wolf pack with ancient Greek myth, modern mystery - and even a love interest.
While many of us cheer wolf recovery, this book offers a window into the "other side," the real-life tensions and controversy in communities across the nation caused by the reappearance of the much-feared wolf.
Paul S. Piper is a writer and librarian at the Upper Washington University library
Past Picks Still Among My Favorite
Books on Wolves
Wolf Reference Books
Wolves: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation
L. David Mech and Luigi Boitani (Editors)
For almost two decades, the definitive reference book on wolves - Wolves: Behavior, Ecology and Conservation is the foundation for modern wolf understanding.
The various chapter authors share over 350 person-years of wolf study, experience, and knowledge.
Dave Mech has been a leader in modern wolf research for over 50 years. Luigi Boitani is a world-renowned conservation biologist. With his book, Mech and Boitani gave the world its first comprehensive volume displacing myth and captive wolf anomalies with wild wolf fact.
You may not sit and read the volume from cover to cover, but for comprehensive and documented information on wolves, this book remains an invaluable addition to your wolf library.
Wolf Almanac, New and Revised: A Celebration Of Wolves And Their World
©1995, 1998, 2007 Robert Busch
In his preface, Robert Busch writes of his ...hope that the the book would serve to fill the gap between wolf myths and wolf reality with facts.”
Written in an informative but accessible style, this widely respected book on wolves covers many aspects of these magnificent creatures: evolution, distribution, anatomy, behavior, and their impact on human culture. Busch then reviews the history of wolf-human interactions including the trapping for furs, hunting, conservation, and reintroduction programs.
Be sure to purchase the “new and revised” edition (2007); it includes updated photographs and information gathered from the wolves of Yellowstone, and a more recent survey of wolf status around the world.
The Best Non-Fiction Books on Wolves
Alphabetical by Author
Among Wolves:
Gordon Haber's Insights into Alaska's Most Misunderstood Animal
©2103 Gordon Haber and Marybeth Holleman
In 2019 we invited a guest expert, Maggie Howell, executive director of The Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, New York, to share her best wolf book pick.
From Magee Howell: [Among the Wolves] allows the reader a unique opportunity to learn from the late Dr. Gordon Haber and his fascinating 43-year study of Alaska’s wolves that resulted in an unwavering commitment to advocating for their preservation in the wild.
Although the crash of Dr. Haber’s research plane in Denali National Park in 2009 ended his life in an untimely manner, reading his field notes and journals, and hearing stories from friends, enables the reader to feel a powerful connection to his passion and dedication to this remarkable keystone species and to learn about some startling findings that can affect the future of wolves everywhere. — Magee Howell From Roberta: I love it, too!
Wolf Nation:
The Life, Death, and Return of America’s Wolves
©2017 Brenda Peterson
Peterson blends current environmental science, political realities, and personal stories into an unforgettable journey.
Fact and reality melts away fear-inducing myth to show the wolf as intelligent, loyal, and family oriented, team players under constant threat, from both nature and man – but ever ready for a game or a practical joke. Some data is startling, even horrifying. But there is good news too. Peterson finds people all over the country and from all walks of life doing their part to educate, protect and preserve the wolf.
As my copy’s bent edges and scribbled margins attest, Wolf Nation kept me enthralled from beginning to end - and I keep going back to it.
In an early chapter Peterson quotes a First Nation *story-poem from the Oneida tribe:
Tell Me Now My Brothers
Tell Me Now My Sisters
Who Speaks for Wolf?
Brenda Peterson speaks for Wolf. *See below for Who Speaks for Wolf
The Best First Person Stories
Alphabetical by Author
A Wolf Called Romeo
©1963 Nick Jans
For seven years, a large black male wolf, Romeo, interacted with residents, and their dogs, on the outskirts of Juneau, Alaska.
Personal narrative and wolf science primer, a journey from fear to fascination to trust.
I gave a very active octogenarian friend of mine a copy of this book while we were all in COVID lockdown. He is a city dweller with no experience in nature except his small 10-acre city-park and an occasional trip to the beach. He loved it. My friend went from disbelief to being totally engrossed in the story and the wolf information interspersed to complete outrage. Weeks later he was still talking about it.
This is a beautiful story - and it is real. If you find yourself in Juneau, visit Romeo’s monument.
Interested in hearing or (possibly) seeing a wolf in the wild? Contact us.
In the Temple of the Wolves: A Winter’s Immersion in Wild Yellowstone
©2014 Rick Lamplugh
Personal, heartfelt, and clear-eyed, Rick Lamplugh’s story tells of the life-changing winter he spent as a volunteer living in Yellowstone National Park. He shares the full beauty and drama of the park’s unique ecosystem during its most challenging season.
Rich with facts on the Park and the wildlife that inhabit it, and deep with the feelings they inspire, this book is a must-read for wolf and wildlife lovers and anyone who has experienced or dreams of experiencing Yellowstone National Park. Be prepared to laugh and cry, and to long for a visit – or another visit – to Yellowstone.
Never Cry Wolf
©1963 Farley Mowat
Hilarious, widely-read account of the 1948 misadventures of a young game warden in the Canadian North. This book helped change the conversation on wolf conservation.
Attacked for occasionally faulty science and anthropomorphizing wolves, Mowat often said that he did not want the facts to get in the way of the truth.
The book is also a great window into how natural science was done until the very recent past. I love this book.
Best Wolf Non-Fiction for Young Adults
Back from the Brink: Saving Animals from Extinction
2018 Nancy Cataldo
Non-fiction for readers aged 10 - 12 years old. This book looks at the rescue, conservation, and recovery of 7 species: grey wolf, whooping crane, bald eagle, giant Galapagos turtle, California condor, American Bison, and American alligator.
Back From the Brink is a fact-based, sophisticated but age-appropriate and understandable overview of the species it discusses and the challenges to their survival, with inspiring ideas for young conservationists. It is also encouraging - each of these animals is (so far) a conservation success story. Back From the Brink - Saving Animals from Extinction is an excellent addition to a budding nature enthusiast’s library and the perfect introduction for a child who may not have nature at their doorstep.
Nancy Cataldo has been writing about the environment and conservation for decades; among her work are many STEM books including, Sniffer Dogs: How Dogs (and Their Noses) Save the World, Back from The Brink: Saving Animals From Extinction, and Beastly Brains: Exploring How Animals Think, Talk, and Feel and this, her latest, Back From the Brink - Saving Animals from Extinction.
National Geographic Kids Mission: Wolf Rescue: All About Wolves and How to Save Them
Kitson Jazynka
For 9-12-year old Readers. This National Geographic Kids selection is a well-designed book that covers the wolf’s physical features, social behaviors, pack structure, feeding habits, and habitats. Interviews with conservationists and field scientists, quality maps, cartoons, and exemplary photographs add to the engaging layout. There are “rescue” activities in each chapter that reinforce learning.
The activities can be completed alone, in groups, or with an adult and vary in difficulty and complexity.
What we like best about the book is the underlying lesson that everyone can make a difference and that science is something that one does, not something that you just read about. We recommend the library binding for its durability.
Classic Wolf Fiction for Young Adults
Julie of the Wolves
Jean Craighead George
Winner: Newbery Medal
For Tweens, Teens, & Young Adults.
“Story of a 13-year-old Inuit girl, protected by a wolf family while lost on the arctic tundra. She’ll always be my favorite.” Magee Howell, executive director of The Wolf Conservation Center
This classic story of survival in Arctic Alaska, wild wolves, and Inuit culture has a mixed history. Beloved by generations of readers, It was also in the top 100 list of frequently challenged books in the 1990s and 2000s due to a single scene of domestic abuse that sends Julie, alone, into the Alaskan tundra. Perhaps the story is more important today than ever.
The story is the first of a trilogy and is followed by: Julie and Julie’s Wolf Pack
The Destiny of Wolves
©2020 Paola Giometti
Part of Giometti’s Tales of Earth series
For Tweens, Teens, & Young Adults. Published this year, this Tween / Young Adult chapter book is sometimes not as smooth a read as hoped, possibly as a result of its translation. However, The Destiny of Wolves is an imaginative story that addresses the question: what is the difference between Canis lupus and a domestic dog?
The tale, mostly set in ancient times, follows a set of wolf characters on a journey to find the future of their species. On the way, they meet a bear, a moose, and an eagle, each with particular characteristics – as well as men with their packs of terrifying semi-habituated wolves - and finally, they encounter what turns out to be a pair of modern dogs. Naturally, our protagonist wolves are not impressed – that is, until these weak, un-savvy relatives show their metal.
Best Wolf Non-Fiction - Children & Young Readers
Listed by Age-Appropriateness
Journey:
Based on the True Story of OR-7, The Most Famous Wolf in the West
Emma Bland Smith
1st to 3rd Grade. Told through the eyes of a young girl, a fictionalized account of the true story of the 2000-mile journey of the first wild grey wolf to cross over into California in more than 100 years. The girl decides to keep him safe by making him the most famous wolf in the world. The book teaches about the species, reintroduction efforts, and their relationship with humans.
Winner: 2017 Cook Prize for picture book teaching STEM principles to 3rd and 4th graders
Finalist: Washington State Book Award
Face to Face with Wolves Jim Brandenburg and Judy Brandenburg
Readers 7 -10 (younger children enjoy the images).
Remarkable images by an award-winning photographer.
Jim Brandenburg turned his boyhood dream of seeing a wild wolf into an adult quest to photograph and learn all he could about this mysterious threatened species. Join him his wolf adventure in the Arctic and even in his backyard in Minnesota. Filled with facts, information, the Brandenburgs show how it is possible for wolves and humans to live together.
The book is a paperback and only 32 pages, but no book we have seen better portrays arctic wolves in their natural habitat. Highly recommended.
Who Speaks for Wolf
Paula Underwood
Kindergarten to Adult. A Native American (Oneida) learning story as told to Turtle Woman Singing by her Grandfather.
This poem-story about respect and understand is used to teach children, but is wonderful in prose and meaning for adults, too.
Who Speaks For Wolf tells of a people challenged, as they moved into wolf’s home territory, and ultimately, finding a way to live in peace and coexistence with nature. Rolls are changed and the challenge is repeated, with terrible results, when others arrive and make their way west. This is one of those rare stories that speaks to adults as well as to children.
A Wolf Book for the Coffee Table
Wolf: Spirit of the Wild
Diana Landau
Full of photography, expressive illustrations, accurate descriptions, and first-person accounts, Wolf: Spirit of the Wild gets our vote for best coffee table book on the wolf.
The book is not a reference; rather it explores all things “wolf.” Stories and myths about these noble creatures from around the world, poetry, interviews with wolf biologists, and first-person accounts of wolves all combined with art reproductions and photography by preeminent wildlife photographers.
Wolf, Spirit of the Wild is a perfect gift for the wolf lover, but be careful when you get it - you might want to keep it for yourself.
MORE Wolf
Posts
8 Magic Places to See Wolves in the Wild
By Roberta Kravette
All About the Wildlife On Prince of Wales Island
Destination: Prince of Wales Island
By Roberta Kravette
7 Days Photographing the Most Majestic Parks in America
Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks
By Jim Fennessy
Do you have a candidate for the 9 Greatest Wolf Books List? Let us know in the comments below!