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Pax #1
袩邪泻褋
欧宝娱乐 Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Middle Grade & Children's (2016)袩褨褌械褉 褨 袩邪泻褋, 褏谢芯锌褔懈泻 褨 泄芯谐芯 谢懈褋, 写芯锌芯屑邪谐邪褞褌褜 芯写懈薪 芯写薪芯屑褍 锌械褉械卸懈褌懈 谐芯褉械, 褟泻械 胁 泻芯卸薪芯谐芯 褋胁芯褦鈥� 袛胁芯褦, 邪谢械 薪械 写胁芯褦鈥�
袩褉芯薪懈蟹谢懈胁芯 褖懈褉邪 锌芯胁褨褋褌褜 锌褉芯 锌褉邪胁写褍 褨 斜褉械褏薪褞, 锌褉芯 斜械蟹谐谢褍蟹写褨褋褌褜 胁褨泄薪懈, 锌褉芯 胁褉邪蟹谢懈胁褨褋褌褜 锌褉懈褉芯写懈, 锌褉芯 胁褨褉薪褨褋褌褜 褋芯斜褨 褨 胁褨写写邪薪褨褋褌褜 写褉褍谐芯胁褨, 锌褉芯 胁屑褨薪薪褟 褋锌褨胁褔褍胁邪褌懈.
袩褉芯薪懈蟹谢懈胁芯 褖懈褉邪 锌芯胁褨褋褌褜 锌褉芯 锌褉邪胁写褍 褨 斜褉械褏薪褞, 锌褉芯 斜械蟹谐谢褍蟹写褨褋褌褜 胁褨泄薪懈, 锌褉芯 胁褉邪蟹谢懈胁褨褋褌褜 锌褉懈褉芯写懈, 锌褉芯 胁褨褉薪褨褋褌褜 褋芯斜褨 褨 胁褨写写邪薪褨褋褌褜 写褉褍谐芯胁褨, 锌褉芯 胁屑褨薪薪褟 褋锌褨胁褔褍胁邪褌懈.
208 pages, Paperback
First published February 2, 2016
155 people are currently reading
310 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 7,628 reviews
June 26, 2018
congratulations! semifinalist in goodreads' best middle grade and children's category 2016!
when i first saw this book advertised at BEA, i did an anticipation-dance while drooling over that cover. it was a very messy dance, like a drunken sprinkler, and i guess it dizzied me into thinking this was a picture book. i couldn't wait to get my hands on it, and the day it came out i barreled straight over to the kids department and after rerouting myself from the picture book section, i grabbed a copy and had to pause for confusion. words?? why so many words?
there are actually very few pictures in here, and there isn't even a fox in all of them, which was kind of disappointing at first, but then i read it and there was no more disappointment. okay, there was significantly less disappointment.
this is a powerful story; it's harsh, but it's honest.
it's war and nature and violence and death and love and duty and loyalty and sacrifice. which, to be fair, would have been a lot for a picture book to take on, but the heart wants what the heart wants.
there are some middle grade books that you read when you're a kid that are totally disposable; just reading for reading's sake and you forget all about 'em ten minutes after they're done. but then there are some that are a little more challenging, that inspire complicated emotions lasting well into adulthood. for me, it was , , , , etc, and i just know that if i were a wee young'un today, this would also become one of those books for me.
it's a lovely story about a boy and his pet fox, separated by war, and their struggle to reunite. it's tender and sad and fervent emotional stuff. i didn't cry, because that's a rare and beautiful thing, but i got one of those lumps in my throat that was either temporary cancer or feelings.
my roaring about the ending of the book was written immediately after finishing it, and now that i have had a little bit of time to process it, i am somewhat less reactionary. the ending itself is fine - fair and reasonable and not dissimilar to many other books/films of its kind. is it what i wanted to happen? no, but i also didn't want andie to end up with blaine because duh.
but i do feel left in limbo - there are a couple of hanging chads bugging me and preventing me from a full-on embrace of the story. i understand with my logic-brain that it's more effective to have the book end where it did in full emotional flower of instead of having a "time passes" epilogue or something, but it does give me a little resolution-agita.
so, yeah -it seems i do still have a problem with the way the ending was handled, but i'm not gonna let that ruin my day or the five-star feel of this book in my heart.
the heart wants what the heart wants and the heart is also able to overlook as many flaws as it has to if there are enough strong positive feelings inside.
*
MY COPY IS DEFECTIVE!! DIFFERENT ENDING PLEASE.
review to come, regardless of this fact.
when i first saw this book advertised at BEA, i did an anticipation-dance while drooling over that cover. it was a very messy dance, like a drunken sprinkler, and i guess it dizzied me into thinking this was a picture book. i couldn't wait to get my hands on it, and the day it came out i barreled straight over to the kids department and after rerouting myself from the picture book section, i grabbed a copy and had to pause for confusion. words?? why so many words?
there are actually very few pictures in here, and there isn't even a fox in all of them, which was kind of disappointing at first, but then i read it and there was no more disappointment. okay, there was significantly less disappointment.
this is a powerful story; it's harsh, but it's honest.
it's war and nature and violence and death and love and duty and loyalty and sacrifice. which, to be fair, would have been a lot for a picture book to take on, but the heart wants what the heart wants.
there are some middle grade books that you read when you're a kid that are totally disposable; just reading for reading's sake and you forget all about 'em ten minutes after they're done. but then there are some that are a little more challenging, that inspire complicated emotions lasting well into adulthood. for me, it was , , , , etc, and i just know that if i were a wee young'un today, this would also become one of those books for me.
it's a lovely story about a boy and his pet fox, separated by war, and their struggle to reunite. it's tender and sad and fervent emotional stuff. i didn't cry, because that's a rare and beautiful thing, but i got one of those lumps in my throat that was either temporary cancer or feelings.
my roaring about the ending of the book was written immediately after finishing it, and now that i have had a little bit of time to process it, i am somewhat less reactionary. the ending itself is fine - fair and reasonable and not dissimilar to many other books/films of its kind. is it what i wanted to happen? no, but i also didn't want andie to end up with blaine because duh.
but i do feel left in limbo - there are a couple of hanging chads bugging me and preventing me from a full-on embrace of the story. i understand with my logic-brain that it's more effective to have the book end where it did in full emotional flower of instead of having a "time passes" epilogue or something, but it does give me a little resolution-agita.
so, yeah -it seems i do still have a problem with the way the ending was handled, but i'm not gonna let that ruin my day or the five-star feel of this book in my heart.
the heart wants what the heart wants and the heart is also able to overlook as many flaws as it has to if there are enough strong positive feelings inside.
*
MY COPY IS DEFECTIVE!! DIFFERENT ENDING PLEASE.
review to come, regardless of this fact.
March 8, 2016
2 1/2 stars.
My ultimate weakness is animal stories.
I'm not much of a book crier, to be honest. If you pack the emotional punches in a non-manipulative way, then you might get a sniffle or a watery sheen over my eyes. But if you want to make me sob, go for the animals. Especially animals that look like this:
Yes, I'm shallow like that. I still think in a movie/book/tv show.
What I'm saying is: I went into expecting to have my heart ripped out. In fact, I wanted it. As soon as I heard this was a moving story about a boy and his pet fox, my tear ducts got ready for action. But, unfortunately, it just missed the mark for me.
When Peter's father enlists in the war, he makes Peter release his pet fox - Pax - into the wild. But Peter immediately regrets it and decides to set out to find his best friend, who also happens to be trying to find him. Both will face struggles and new realizations along the way.
There's a lot of repetition of the story's main message - that humans destroy everything with war and that war is the ultimate horror of horrors. Even for a middle grade novel, it lacked a little depth. And it grew very slow in parts.
I got the feeling that it would have made a better short story than a full-length children's novel. Partly because it got so repetitive, but also because Peter's journey to find Pax is a long, boring trek with some chapters feeling thrown in to pad out the story. I also only liked Pax's perspectives in the beginning. After a while, his animal narrative became more and more of the same - scents, food and "I need to find my boy".
Though I think the real let down for me was the ending. I pushed through some of the novel's slower parts in order to reach a conclusion I was sure would destroy me. I predicted what would happen, but that was okay - it didn't need to be surprising to have an impact.
Yet, there was no impact. It kind of petered out... flat, emotionless and brushed under the carpet. Not even a sniffle.
| | | | |
My ultimate weakness is animal stories.
I'm not much of a book crier, to be honest. If you pack the emotional punches in a non-manipulative way, then you might get a sniffle or a watery sheen over my eyes. But if you want to make me sob, go for the animals. Especially animals that look like this:
Yes, I'm shallow like that. I still think in a movie/book/tv show.
What I'm saying is: I went into expecting to have my heart ripped out. In fact, I wanted it. As soon as I heard this was a moving story about a boy and his pet fox, my tear ducts got ready for action. But, unfortunately, it just missed the mark for me.
When Peter's father enlists in the war, he makes Peter release his pet fox - Pax - into the wild. But Peter immediately regrets it and decides to set out to find his best friend, who also happens to be trying to find him. Both will face struggles and new realizations along the way.
There's a lot of repetition of the story's main message - that humans destroy everything with war and that war is the ultimate horror of horrors. Even for a middle grade novel, it lacked a little depth. And it grew very slow in parts.
I got the feeling that it would have made a better short story than a full-length children's novel. Partly because it got so repetitive, but also because Peter's journey to find Pax is a long, boring trek with some chapters feeling thrown in to pad out the story. I also only liked Pax's perspectives in the beginning. After a while, his animal narrative became more and more of the same - scents, food and "I need to find my boy".
Though I think the real let down for me was the ending. I pushed through some of the novel's slower parts in order to reach a conclusion I was sure would destroy me. I predicted what would happen, but that was okay - it didn't need to be surprising to have an impact.
Yet, there was no impact. It kind of petered out... flat, emotionless and brushed under the carpet. Not even a sniffle.
| | | | |
November 23, 2021
Still just as heart warming and heart wrenching the second time 馃挅 Now I can dive straight into the sequel!
****
Original review
鈥淭he plain truth can be the hardest thing to see when it鈥檚 about yourself. If you don鈥檛 want to know the truth, you鈥檒l do anything to disguise it.鈥�
3.5 stars 猸愶笍
This was a really sweet book. Peter and Pax have been best friends since Peter saved Pax as a cub. When the war strikes and Peter鈥檚 dad enlists, he is sent to live with his grandfather, but Pax can鈥檛 come. He is abandoned on the side of the road, his favourite toy thrown into the woods, in the hope he will follow it in.
However, Peter is wracked with guilt and fear for Pax鈥檚 survival. He has never hunted before, knows nothing of the wild - how will he get by?
So Peter runs away, to cover the 200 miles back to where they left Pax, in the hope he can find him before anything bad happens to him.
While on his travels Peter meets Vola. A wonderful lady who lives alone on her farm with her wood carvings. I loved Vola, she is real and flawed and cares an awful lot about Peter.
Almost 4 stars were it not for the ending. It鈥檚 not that it was a bad ending, and I don鈥檛 see how it could have ended any other way. But it seemed rushed, and I鈥檇 have liked to have known what happens after that. I think a good epilogue would have tied up the loose ends.
But overall a sweet story, alternating POVs between Peter and Pax. Plus the illustrations were fantastic.
****
Original review
鈥淭he plain truth can be the hardest thing to see when it鈥檚 about yourself. If you don鈥檛 want to know the truth, you鈥檒l do anything to disguise it.鈥�
3.5 stars 猸愶笍
This was a really sweet book. Peter and Pax have been best friends since Peter saved Pax as a cub. When the war strikes and Peter鈥檚 dad enlists, he is sent to live with his grandfather, but Pax can鈥檛 come. He is abandoned on the side of the road, his favourite toy thrown into the woods, in the hope he will follow it in.
However, Peter is wracked with guilt and fear for Pax鈥檚 survival. He has never hunted before, knows nothing of the wild - how will he get by?
So Peter runs away, to cover the 200 miles back to where they left Pax, in the hope he can find him before anything bad happens to him.
While on his travels Peter meets Vola. A wonderful lady who lives alone on her farm with her wood carvings. I loved Vola, she is real and flawed and cares an awful lot about Peter.
Almost 4 stars were it not for the ending. It鈥檚 not that it was a bad ending, and I don鈥檛 see how it could have ended any other way. But it seemed rushed, and I鈥檇 have liked to have known what happens after that. I think a good epilogue would have tied up the loose ends.
But overall a sweet story, alternating POVs between Peter and Pax. Plus the illustrations were fantastic.
May 4, 2020
Pax is a story about the separation of a young boy named Peter and his pet fox, Pax. As a baby, Pax鈥檚 parents were killed and he was taken in by Peter. Peter raised him and gave him the care that he needed to grow; he was devoted to Pax and they developed a powerful relationship.
Then the unexpected happens: war is on the horizon and Peter鈥檚 dad tells him Pax must go back to the wild. Peter will be forced to stay with his grandfather, miles from Pax. It鈥檚 heartbreaking for Peter to be separated from Pax, and his father is less than sympathetic. It isn鈥檛 long until Peter takes matters into his own hands and sets off to navigate miles of wilderness to reunite with his beloved fox.
We鈥檙e all animal lovers here and couldn鈥檛 wait to read Pax. I ended up reading this with my two middle graders, and at first we were all engaged, but about half way through they were losing some interest because parts of the book seemed to drag on. They were anxious to discover the ending, but they were also able to figure it out well beforehand. Perhaps this was because Pax鈥檚 adventures in the wild are shared in between Peter鈥檚 perspective which prompts you to put two and two together. It鈥檚 certainly not the ending we wanted, but it was an understandable and acceptable ending. I had hoped there might be a little more continuation to it, but overall the story was wrapped up nicely.
Pax truly is a wonderful story which opens up for a lot of discussion. There鈥檚 so much going on with these characters and much more to think about than just Peter finding Pax. I personally thought the book was written well and enjoyed this story. The alternating point of view between Pax and Peter kept me engaged and characters were well-developed and interesting. Peter and Pax learn many lessons on their way back to one another. It鈥檚 a beautiful story with themes of friendship, human/animal companionship, perseverance, and also a sobering reminder of the consequences of war.
Occasionally we subbed in the audio, but we were happier just reading this out loud together.
4-stars
Then the unexpected happens: war is on the horizon and Peter鈥檚 dad tells him Pax must go back to the wild. Peter will be forced to stay with his grandfather, miles from Pax. It鈥檚 heartbreaking for Peter to be separated from Pax, and his father is less than sympathetic. It isn鈥檛 long until Peter takes matters into his own hands and sets off to navigate miles of wilderness to reunite with his beloved fox.
We鈥檙e all animal lovers here and couldn鈥檛 wait to read Pax. I ended up reading this with my two middle graders, and at first we were all engaged, but about half way through they were losing some interest because parts of the book seemed to drag on. They were anxious to discover the ending, but they were also able to figure it out well beforehand. Perhaps this was because Pax鈥檚 adventures in the wild are shared in between Peter鈥檚 perspective which prompts you to put two and two together. It鈥檚 certainly not the ending we wanted, but it was an understandable and acceptable ending. I had hoped there might be a little more continuation to it, but overall the story was wrapped up nicely.
Pax truly is a wonderful story which opens up for a lot of discussion. There鈥檚 so much going on with these characters and much more to think about than just Peter finding Pax. I personally thought the book was written well and enjoyed this story. The alternating point of view between Pax and Peter kept me engaged and characters were well-developed and interesting. Peter and Pax learn many lessons on their way back to one another. It鈥檚 a beautiful story with themes of friendship, human/animal companionship, perseverance, and also a sobering reminder of the consequences of war.
Occasionally we subbed in the audio, but we were happier just reading this out loud together.
4-stars
February 28, 2017
to watch a video review of this book on my channel, From Beginning to Bookend.
Twelve-year-old Peter's greatest companion is his fox, Pax. When they are divided by necessity in preparation for impending war, Peter's need for his fox and his regret over the way they were separated is so great that he embarks on a difficult journey to be reunited with Pax. Meanwhile, Pax must learn to fend for himself in the wild, a new and foreign terrain he's entirely unfamiliar with. The destruction of war threatens his new habitat, and he struggles to survive long enough to see Peter again.
Chapters alternate between Peter and Pax, charting their parallel adventures. Peter's chapters are occasionally difficult to believe; what he accomplishes as a twelve-year-old boy is quite a feat. The help he finds along the way makes for a touching story of friendship, recovery, and self-discovery. Pax's chapters shine. His view of the world is cleverly portrayed, playing on the use of his senses to perceive his surroundings. The author superlatively demonstrates Pax's limited understanding of Peter and his unfailing devotion:
The fox licked at the [boy's] tears and then grew more confused. There was no scent of blood. He squirmed out of the boy's arms to inspect his human more carefully, alarmed that he could have failed to notice an injury, although his sense of smell was never wrong.
Whatever his boy needed - protection, distraction, affection - he would have offered.
Because this is a middle grade novel, it bears mentioning that mature topics are explored. Pax makes mention of anxiety, PTSD, war and loss of bodily limbs. The book deals a lot with death, often portraying it graphically. While this book may help to nurture a young reader's sympathy and compassion for animals, the subject matter doesn't always seem suitable for its intended audience. Parents are well advised to first read Pax before handing it to their little ones.
What he sensed alarmed him. He tried to describe it: Air choked with death. Fire and smoke. Blood in a river, the river running red with it, the earth drowning in blood. Chaos.
Lessons include how thoughtless and destructive mankind can be, the challenges and triumphs of self-discovery, the search for truth, and the true cost of war.
"The plain truth can be the hardest thing to see when it's about yourself. If you don't want to know the truth, you'll do anything to disguise it."
How many kids this week, he wondered, had woken up to find their worlds changed that way, their parents gone off to war, maybe never coming home? [. . .] How many kids went hungry? How many had to move? How many pets had they had to leave behind to fend for themselves?
And why didn't anyone count those things?
Despite the difficult subject matter, Pax is a tale of loyalty and responsibility, beautifully rendered for lasting impact.
The blackness had quivered with the rustle of night prowlers, and even the sounds of the trees themselves - leaves unfurling, sap coursing up new wood, the tiny cracklings of expanding bark - had startled him over and over as he waited for Peter to return.
Readers won't soon forget the story of Pax and his devoted boy, Peter.
Twelve-year-old Peter's greatest companion is his fox, Pax. When they are divided by necessity in preparation for impending war, Peter's need for his fox and his regret over the way they were separated is so great that he embarks on a difficult journey to be reunited with Pax. Meanwhile, Pax must learn to fend for himself in the wild, a new and foreign terrain he's entirely unfamiliar with. The destruction of war threatens his new habitat, and he struggles to survive long enough to see Peter again.
Chapters alternate between Peter and Pax, charting their parallel adventures. Peter's chapters are occasionally difficult to believe; what he accomplishes as a twelve-year-old boy is quite a feat. The help he finds along the way makes for a touching story of friendship, recovery, and self-discovery. Pax's chapters shine. His view of the world is cleverly portrayed, playing on the use of his senses to perceive his surroundings. The author superlatively demonstrates Pax's limited understanding of Peter and his unfailing devotion:
The fox licked at the [boy's] tears and then grew more confused. There was no scent of blood. He squirmed out of the boy's arms to inspect his human more carefully, alarmed that he could have failed to notice an injury, although his sense of smell was never wrong.
Whatever his boy needed - protection, distraction, affection - he would have offered.
Because this is a middle grade novel, it bears mentioning that mature topics are explored. Pax makes mention of anxiety, PTSD, war and loss of bodily limbs. The book deals a lot with death, often portraying it graphically. While this book may help to nurture a young reader's sympathy and compassion for animals, the subject matter doesn't always seem suitable for its intended audience. Parents are well advised to first read Pax before handing it to their little ones.
What he sensed alarmed him. He tried to describe it: Air choked with death. Fire and smoke. Blood in a river, the river running red with it, the earth drowning in blood. Chaos.
Lessons include how thoughtless and destructive mankind can be, the challenges and triumphs of self-discovery, the search for truth, and the true cost of war.
"The plain truth can be the hardest thing to see when it's about yourself. If you don't want to know the truth, you'll do anything to disguise it."
How many kids this week, he wondered, had woken up to find their worlds changed that way, their parents gone off to war, maybe never coming home? [. . .] How many kids went hungry? How many had to move? How many pets had they had to leave behind to fend for themselves?
And why didn't anyone count those things?
Despite the difficult subject matter, Pax is a tale of loyalty and responsibility, beautifully rendered for lasting impact.
The blackness had quivered with the rustle of night prowlers, and even the sounds of the trees themselves - leaves unfurling, sap coursing up new wood, the tiny cracklings of expanding bark - had startled him over and over as he waited for Peter to return.
Readers won't soon forget the story of Pax and his devoted boy, Peter.
September 30, 2018
A beautiful book, especially the illustrations were awesome. I absolutely adored the style and they helped building the atmosphere a lot.
*potential spoiler ahead*
I definitely get why some people are disappointed by that ending but I actually felt like it was the right thing to do.
*potential spoiler ahead*
I definitely get why some people are disappointed by that ending but I actually felt like it was the right thing to do.
June 18, 2017
This book started out with a lot of promise to me. I had been eyeing it on the self of my local library for a long time, but finally decided to pick it up this last week because that is a beautiful cover, and the first chapter is beautifully written. I'd say any time we are in the fox's POV it is beautifully written, honestly, and there are places in the boy's POV that are good too ... but the further I got into this story the more frustrated I got. The message is pretty heavy handed, and it's not a hard or subtle message. The "war is bad," "humans are destructive" thing is not a new lesson to be learned, and it tends to be treated with a lot more nuance by other authors.
It's going to be hard to break down my major issues without touching on the ending a lot, so I'm going to put spoiler tags after this point.
It's going to be hard to break down my major issues without touching on the ending a lot, so I'm going to put spoiler tags after this point.
October 11, 2015
This book. Oh my. This story broke my heart and then healed it too. A beautiful beautiful story.
July 16, 2023
鄢/鄣
讴丕乇鬲賵賳 賵丕賱 丕蹖 乇賵 丿蹖丿蹖丿責 丕蹖賳 乇賵亘丕賴蹖卮賴
亘毓賳賵丕賳 乇賲丕賳 賳賵噩賵丕賳 賵丕賯毓丕 禺賵亘賴貙 讴賱蹖 丕賲 丿乇爻 夭賳丿诏蹖 丿丕乇賴 讴賴 賲賳 丨賵氐賱賴 賳丿丕乇賲 丕蹖賳噩丕 亘诏賲.
蹖讴賲 賲賲讴賳 睾賲 丕賳诏蹖夭 亘丕卮賴貙 丕诏乇 禺賵丕爻鬲蹖丿 亘賴 賳賵噩賵丕賳蹖 賴丿蹖賴 亘丿蹖丿貙 倬蹖卮賳賴丕丿 賲蹖讴賳賲 卮乇丕蹖胤 乇賵丨蹖卮 乇賵 丿乇 賳馗乇 亘诏蹖乇蹖丿.
讴丕乇鬲賵賳 賵丕賱 丕蹖 乇賵 丿蹖丿蹖丿責 丕蹖賳 乇賵亘丕賴蹖卮賴
亘毓賳賵丕賳 乇賲丕賳 賳賵噩賵丕賳 賵丕賯毓丕 禺賵亘賴貙 讴賱蹖 丕賲 丿乇爻 夭賳丿诏蹖 丿丕乇賴 讴賴 賲賳 丨賵氐賱賴 賳丿丕乇賲 丕蹖賳噩丕 亘诏賲.
蹖讴賲 賲賲讴賳 睾賲 丕賳诏蹖夭 亘丕卮賴貙 丕诏乇 禺賵丕爻鬲蹖丿 亘賴 賳賵噩賵丕賳蹖 賴丿蹖賴 亘丿蹖丿貙 倬蹖卮賳賴丕丿 賲蹖讴賳賲 卮乇丕蹖胤 乇賵丨蹖卮 乇賵 丿乇 賳馗乇 亘诏蹖乇蹖丿.
February 9, 2022
4.5
Volim Paxa ve膰 duge 膷etiri godine. Prije tri sam ga dobila na dar za ro膽endan od svojih dragih 膷italica i jedna mi je od dra啪ih pri膷a na polici. Prijateljstvo dje膷aka Petera i lisice Paxa je posebno i kao takvo preporuka i za male, ali i za velike.
Cijeli osvrt na duologiju prona膽ite ovdje:
Volim Paxa ve膰 duge 膷etiri godine. Prije tri sam ga dobila na dar za ro膽endan od svojih dragih 膷italica i jedna mi je od dra啪ih pri膷a na polici. Prijateljstvo dje膷aka Petera i lisice Paxa je posebno i kao takvo preporuka i za male, ali i za velike.
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February 5, 2016
2.5 stars
Originally posted .
I was really hoping that 2016 would be different than 2015 when it came to me and super hyped beloved by the kidlit powers that be MG books. If Pax by Sara Pennypacker is any indication, I'm still going to be one of the minority dissenters. So be it. Honestly, I could write an entire post about the sort of books that get the most attention and promotion from said powers and what that says about the priorities of the kidlit elite, but for today I will stick to my thoughts on this particular book.
Pax is a fox who was rescued as a helpless kit whose family was killed by a boy named Peter. His entire life has been knowing Peter and Peter's care for him. Then one day they drive to a distant place, Peter starts a game of fetch, and then drives off with his father. Leaving Pax alone to fend for himself for the first time ever. Pax is in denial and stays close to the road hoping for Peter's return. But soon the events in the forest and the lives of the other foxes draw him in and he begins to form new ties and learn to be a fox in the wild. Meanwhile, Peter realizes he did a terrible thing following his father's instructions to abandon Pax. He sets off to find him despite the distance separating them and the looming war that has him now living with his grandfather while his father volunteers to serve in the military. Injured in his journey, Peter is taken in by Vola, a lonely hermit woman who is an injured veteran of a war herself. They help each other get back on their feet before Peter sets back out to reunite with his fox.
Let me say this first: The sentence level writing of this book is remarkable. The language, imagery, and sentence structure is beautiful. If we wanted to laude books solely on how poetic they are, I would be throwing the world's biggest party for this one. But that's not why I read books. It's always a nice plus, but it's not enough to make me love a book on its own.
Regular readers of this blog know that I don't go in for animal stories much. My dislike of them is, however, proportionate to how much the animals are acting like humans. This is not the case here. The foxes are very much foxes. I loved the foxes. In fact, if this book had been all about the foxes my feelings would be very different. Pax learning to hunt and succeeding. My heart. His relationship with all the other foxes and how he begins to take care of them. My heart. The fox community and the way the human incursion is impacting them is so well done. The foxes are real characters you can feel for. The themes of broken humanity and its affect on everything shown through their eyes are subtilely rendered.
The humans ruin everything.
This is funny because that is literally the theme of the book, but for me the human characters ruined the book. Peter is as flat a character as you can find. He is a prop. Vola swoops in to teach him things, but ends up needing him just as much. She imparts wisdom. He teaches her to live again. Sound heartwarming? It possibly could have been if their chapters weren't filled with rambling dialogue intended to whack the reader upside the head with the moral of the story. Enough already. I got it. Humans suck. War sucks. The military is Evil. I. Got. It. Already. All subtlety and nuance were tossed out the window in these chapters. The book's pacing also takes a hit as these chapters are longer (or perhaps just feet longer?), and I kept wanting them to stop talking and get back to the foxes. It was a very strange position for me to be in. Character matters to me more than any other part of a book though. This book failed on every level with human characters. I have some issues with the relationship dynamics here too. One thing I have to amusedly appreciate about this section is how much Pennypacker was able to put the word "damned" into a book for children merely by using the Haitian-Creole form of the word.
The end of the book is annoying as well. There is a certain amount of closure to both personal journeys of fox and boy, but one can not ignore the fact they are both still in the middle of an area about to erupt into a full out military battle. (Peter will probably be fine. My expectations for the foxes are less hopeful. Sadly I'm more invested in their welfare.) The book's setting is completely undefined, however it has a very dystopian feel to it. There are enough hints to know it is in a future North America. A war is about to be fought with the "west" over a lack of water. (It's definitely North America because coyotes play an integral part in the plot.) I'm not giving this a genre tag as a result. It's not contemporary or historical. I can't label it sci-fi despite the future aspect because it's not really sci-fi. And yes, this was frustrating and distracting to me for a good 1/3 of the book. Being confused about where/when I am in a story distracts from my being able to lose myself in the story. That combined with how bored and annoyed I was by Peter's chapters left me more than a little underwhelmed overall.
My experience reading Pax was eerily similar to my experience watching the Pixar movie Wall-E. It is the same story and themes, but with foxes instead of robots. (Pax is Wall-E. Bristle is Eve. Exactly.) Do you know how many kids I know who actually enjoy Wall-E? It's a small list. So who is this book for? To me it feels very much like one of those books adults want to give to kids so they will Learn an Important Lesson about life. Could it win the 2017 Newbery? Absolutely. I think that is the very reason it was published. There are some books I read, and automatically think, "This is medal bait." That is a far cry from me reading a book and thinking, "This deserves a medal." For me this goes squarely in the former category.
I read an ARC provided by the publisher, Balzer & Bray, via Edelweiss. Pax is on sale now.
Originally posted .
I was really hoping that 2016 would be different than 2015 when it came to me and super hyped beloved by the kidlit powers that be MG books. If Pax by Sara Pennypacker is any indication, I'm still going to be one of the minority dissenters. So be it. Honestly, I could write an entire post about the sort of books that get the most attention and promotion from said powers and what that says about the priorities of the kidlit elite, but for today I will stick to my thoughts on this particular book.
Pax is a fox who was rescued as a helpless kit whose family was killed by a boy named Peter. His entire life has been knowing Peter and Peter's care for him. Then one day they drive to a distant place, Peter starts a game of fetch, and then drives off with his father. Leaving Pax alone to fend for himself for the first time ever. Pax is in denial and stays close to the road hoping for Peter's return. But soon the events in the forest and the lives of the other foxes draw him in and he begins to form new ties and learn to be a fox in the wild. Meanwhile, Peter realizes he did a terrible thing following his father's instructions to abandon Pax. He sets off to find him despite the distance separating them and the looming war that has him now living with his grandfather while his father volunteers to serve in the military. Injured in his journey, Peter is taken in by Vola, a lonely hermit woman who is an injured veteran of a war herself. They help each other get back on their feet before Peter sets back out to reunite with his fox.
Let me say this first: The sentence level writing of this book is remarkable. The language, imagery, and sentence structure is beautiful. If we wanted to laude books solely on how poetic they are, I would be throwing the world's biggest party for this one. But that's not why I read books. It's always a nice plus, but it's not enough to make me love a book on its own.
Regular readers of this blog know that I don't go in for animal stories much. My dislike of them is, however, proportionate to how much the animals are acting like humans. This is not the case here. The foxes are very much foxes. I loved the foxes. In fact, if this book had been all about the foxes my feelings would be very different. Pax learning to hunt and succeeding. My heart. His relationship with all the other foxes and how he begins to take care of them. My heart. The fox community and the way the human incursion is impacting them is so well done. The foxes are real characters you can feel for. The themes of broken humanity and its affect on everything shown through their eyes are subtilely rendered.
The humans ruin everything.
This is funny because that is literally the theme of the book, but for me the human characters ruined the book. Peter is as flat a character as you can find. He is a prop. Vola swoops in to teach him things, but ends up needing him just as much. She imparts wisdom. He teaches her to live again. Sound heartwarming? It possibly could have been if their chapters weren't filled with rambling dialogue intended to whack the reader upside the head with the moral of the story. Enough already. I got it. Humans suck. War sucks. The military is Evil. I. Got. It. Already. All subtlety and nuance were tossed out the window in these chapters. The book's pacing also takes a hit as these chapters are longer (or perhaps just feet longer?), and I kept wanting them to stop talking and get back to the foxes. It was a very strange position for me to be in. Character matters to me more than any other part of a book though. This book failed on every level with human characters. I have some issues with the relationship dynamics here too. One thing I have to amusedly appreciate about this section is how much Pennypacker was able to put the word "damned" into a book for children merely by using the Haitian-Creole form of the word.
The end of the book is annoying as well. There is a certain amount of closure to both personal journeys of fox and boy, but one can not ignore the fact they are both still in the middle of an area about to erupt into a full out military battle. (Peter will probably be fine. My expectations for the foxes are less hopeful. Sadly I'm more invested in their welfare.) The book's setting is completely undefined, however it has a very dystopian feel to it. There are enough hints to know it is in a future North America. A war is about to be fought with the "west" over a lack of water. (It's definitely North America because coyotes play an integral part in the plot.) I'm not giving this a genre tag as a result. It's not contemporary or historical. I can't label it sci-fi despite the future aspect because it's not really sci-fi. And yes, this was frustrating and distracting to me for a good 1/3 of the book. Being confused about where/when I am in a story distracts from my being able to lose myself in the story. That combined with how bored and annoyed I was by Peter's chapters left me more than a little underwhelmed overall.
My experience reading Pax was eerily similar to my experience watching the Pixar movie Wall-E. It is the same story and themes, but with foxes instead of robots. (Pax is Wall-E. Bristle is Eve. Exactly.) Do you know how many kids I know who actually enjoy Wall-E? It's a small list. So who is this book for? To me it feels very much like one of those books adults want to give to kids so they will Learn an Important Lesson about life. Could it win the 2017 Newbery? Absolutely. I think that is the very reason it was published. There are some books I read, and automatically think, "This is medal bait." That is a far cry from me reading a book and thinking, "This deserves a medal." For me this goes squarely in the former category.
I read an ARC provided by the publisher, Balzer & Bray, via Edelweiss. Pax is on sale now.
November 16, 2015
All the feels! All of them!
I haven't loved a kids book the way I love Pax in a very long time. Brought me back to watching (and sobbing through) Homeward Bound as a kid.
This journey is told through the eyes of Pax and his human, Peter, as they go through feats to find one another.
This story is simple and complex all at once and has deeper issues than just finding a beloved pet. It will appeal to kids and satisfy adults as well.
I haven't loved a kids book the way I love Pax in a very long time. Brought me back to watching (and sobbing through) Homeward Bound as a kid.
This journey is told through the eyes of Pax and his human, Peter, as they go through feats to find one another.
This story is simple and complex all at once and has deeper issues than just finding a beloved pet. It will appeal to kids and satisfy adults as well.
September 3, 2022
袦薪芯谐芯 褋懈屑锌邪褌懈褔薪邪 泻薪懈卸泻邪 褋 褌褉芯谐邪褌械谢薪邪 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟 褋械 芯泻邪蟹邪 鈥炐熜靶貉佲€�. 袠褋褌芯褉懈褟 蟹邪 械写薪芯 屑芯屑褔械 (袩懈褌褗褉) 懈 薪械谐芯胁芯褌芯 谢懈褋懈褔械 (袩邪泻褋), 泻芯懈褌芯 褋械 芯泻邪蟹胁邪褌 褉邪蟹写械谢械薪懈 蟹邪褉邪写懈 蟹邪锌芯褔胁邪薪械褌芯 薪邪 胁芯泄薪邪.
袦邪泻邪褉 懈 芯锌褉械写械谢械薪邪 泻邪褌芯 锌褉械芯斜谢邪写邪胁邪褖芯 写械褌褋泻邪, 褋褞卸械褌褗褌 薪邪 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪 褉邪蟹谐褉褗褖邪 懈 褉邪蟹谐谢械卸写邪 褌械屑懈, 薪邪写 泻芯懈褌芯 懈 谐芯谢械屑懈褌械 屑芯谐邪褌 写邪 褋械 蟹邪屑懈褋谢褟褌 懈 写邪 锌芯褌褗褉褋褟褌 芯褌谐芯胁芯褉懈 鈥� 泻邪褌芯 芯褌薪芯褕械薪懈褟褌邪 胁 褋械屑械泄褋褌胁芯褌芯, 蟹邪谐褍斜懈褌械, 锌褉懈褟褌械谢褋褌胁芯褌芯, 胁芯泄薪邪褌邪 鈥� 泻邪泻胁芯 褟 锌芯褉邪卸写邪, 锌芯褋谢械写懈褑懈褌械 芯褌 薪械褟 懈 泻邪泻 薪懈 锌褉芯屑械薪褟.
袚谢邪胁懈褌械 胁 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪 褋械 褉械写褍胁邪褌 懈 褋邪 锌褉械写褋褌邪胁械薪懈 芯褌 谐谢械写薪邪褌邪 褌芯褔泻邪 懈 薪邪 袩懈褌褗褉, 懈 薪邪 袩邪泻褋. 啸邪褉械褋邪 屑懈 泻邪泻 褋邪 芯锌懈褋邪薪懈 芯褌薪芯褕械薪懈褟褌邪 屑械卸写褍 谢懈褋懈褑懈褌械 懈 芯斜褖褍胁邪薪械褌芯 屑械卸写褍 褌褟褏. 袠 泻邪泻 械写薪邪 芯锌懈褌芯屑械薪邪 谢懈褋懈褑邪, 懈蟹芯褋褌邪胁械薪邪 胁 写懈胁邪褌邪 锌褉懈褉芯写邪, 褋械 锌褉懈褋锌芯褋芯斜褟胁邪 懈 褋械 芯锌懈褌胁邪 写邪 芯褑械谢械械 懈 写邪 褋械 褋锌褉邪胁懈 褋 芯锌邪褋薪芯褋褌懈褌械 懈 锌褉械写懈蟹胁懈泻邪褌械谢褋褌胁邪褌邪 鈥� 泻邪褌芯 褌芯胁邪 泻邪泻 写邪 褋懈 薪邪斜邪胁褟 褏褉邪薪邪.
袨褌写械谢械薪芯 械 懈 谐芯谢褟屑芯 胁薪懈屑邪薪懈械 泻邪泻胁芯 胁芯泄薪邪褌邪 锌褉懈褔懈薪褟胁邪 薪械 褋邪屑芯 薪邪 褏芯褉邪褌邪, 薪芯 懈 薪邪 卸懈胁芯褌薪懈褌械, 懈 写芯 泻邪泻胁懈 锌芯褉邪卸械薪懈褟 胁芯写懈 懈 锌褉懈 褌褟褏.
袨泻芯谢芯 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟褌邪 薪邪 袩懈褌褗褉 斜械褕械 懈薪褌械褉械褋薪芯 写邪 褋械 锌褉芯褋谢械写懈 薪械谐芯胁邪褌邪 屑芯褌懈胁邪褑懈褟 写邪 芯褌泻褉懈械 懈 写邪 褋懈 胁褗褉薪械 芯斜褉邪褌薪芯 谢懈褋懈褔械褌芯, 胁褗锌褉械泻懈 蟹邪褌褉褍写薪械薪懈褟褌邪 屑褍 蟹邪褉邪写懈 褋褔褍锌械薪懈褟 泻褉邪泻, 褌芯泄 薪械 褋械 芯褌泻邪蟹胁邪 懈 械 谐芯褌芯胁 写邪 锌褉芯锌褗褌褍胁邪 褑褟谢芯褌芯 褉邪蟹褋褌芯褟薪懈械 写芯 懈蟹芯褋褌邪胁械薪懈褟 褋懈 写芯屑, 写芯泻邪褌芯 写芯褋褌懈谐薪械 芯褌薪芯胁芯 写芯 袩邪泻褋.
袙芯谢邪 鈥� 卸械薪邪褌邪, 泻芯褟褌芯 屑褍 芯泻邪蟹胁邪 泻褉邪泄薪芯 胁邪卸薪邪褌邪 锌芯屑芯褖 蟹邪 褌芯胁邪, 褋褗褖芯 械 械写懈薪 屑薪芯谐芯 写芯褋褌芯械薪 锌械褉褋芯薪邪卸 褋 懈薪褌械褉械褋薪邪 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟.
袣薪懈谐邪褌邪 褋褗写褗褉卸邪 懈 泻褉邪褋懈胁芯 锌芯写薪械褋械薪懈 懈谢褞褋褌褉邪褑懈懈.
袗 褋泻芯褉芯 锌褉械写褋褌芯懈 懈 懈蟹谢懈蟹邪薪械褌芯 薪邪 胁褌芯褉邪褌邪 褔邪褋褌 薪邪 鈥炐熜靶貉佲€�, 泻芯褟褌芯 芯褌薪芯胁芯 褖械 屑懈 械 谢褞斜芯锌懈褌薪芯 写邪 锌褉芯褋谢械写褟.
(懈蟹芯斜褉邪卸械薪懈械褌芯 薪械 械 褔邪褋褌 芯褌 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪)
袦邪泻邪褉 懈 芯锌褉械写械谢械薪邪 泻邪褌芯 锌褉械芯斜谢邪写邪胁邪褖芯 写械褌褋泻邪, 褋褞卸械褌褗褌 薪邪 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪 褉邪蟹谐褉褗褖邪 懈 褉邪蟹谐谢械卸写邪 褌械屑懈, 薪邪写 泻芯懈褌芯 懈 谐芯谢械屑懈褌械 屑芯谐邪褌 写邪 褋械 蟹邪屑懈褋谢褟褌 懈 写邪 锌芯褌褗褉褋褟褌 芯褌谐芯胁芯褉懈 鈥� 泻邪褌芯 芯褌薪芯褕械薪懈褟褌邪 胁 褋械屑械泄褋褌胁芯褌芯, 蟹邪谐褍斜懈褌械, 锌褉懈褟褌械谢褋褌胁芯褌芯, 胁芯泄薪邪褌邪 鈥� 泻邪泻胁芯 褟 锌芯褉邪卸写邪, 锌芯褋谢械写懈褑懈褌械 芯褌 薪械褟 懈 泻邪泻 薪懈 锌褉芯屑械薪褟.
袚谢邪胁懈褌械 胁 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪 褋械 褉械写褍胁邪褌 懈 褋邪 锌褉械写褋褌邪胁械薪懈 芯褌 谐谢械写薪邪褌邪 褌芯褔泻邪 懈 薪邪 袩懈褌褗褉, 懈 薪邪 袩邪泻褋. 啸邪褉械褋邪 屑懈 泻邪泻 褋邪 芯锌懈褋邪薪懈 芯褌薪芯褕械薪懈褟褌邪 屑械卸写褍 谢懈褋懈褑懈褌械 懈 芯斜褖褍胁邪薪械褌芯 屑械卸写褍 褌褟褏. 袠 泻邪泻 械写薪邪 芯锌懈褌芯屑械薪邪 谢懈褋懈褑邪, 懈蟹芯褋褌邪胁械薪邪 胁 写懈胁邪褌邪 锌褉懈褉芯写邪, 褋械 锌褉懈褋锌芯褋芯斜褟胁邪 懈 褋械 芯锌懈褌胁邪 写邪 芯褑械谢械械 懈 写邪 褋械 褋锌褉邪胁懈 褋 芯锌邪褋薪芯褋褌懈褌械 懈 锌褉械写懈蟹胁懈泻邪褌械谢褋褌胁邪褌邪 鈥� 泻邪褌芯 褌芯胁邪 泻邪泻 写邪 褋懈 薪邪斜邪胁褟 褏褉邪薪邪.
袨褌写械谢械薪芯 械 懈 谐芯谢褟屑芯 胁薪懈屑邪薪懈械 泻邪泻胁芯 胁芯泄薪邪褌邪 锌褉懈褔懈薪褟胁邪 薪械 褋邪屑芯 薪邪 褏芯褉邪褌邪, 薪芯 懈 薪邪 卸懈胁芯褌薪懈褌械, 懈 写芯 泻邪泻胁懈 锌芯褉邪卸械薪懈褟 胁芯写懈 懈 锌褉懈 褌褟褏.
袨泻芯谢芯 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟褌邪 薪邪 袩懈褌褗褉 斜械褕械 懈薪褌械褉械褋薪芯 写邪 褋械 锌褉芯褋谢械写懈 薪械谐芯胁邪褌邪 屑芯褌懈胁邪褑懈褟 写邪 芯褌泻褉懈械 懈 写邪 褋懈 胁褗褉薪械 芯斜褉邪褌薪芯 谢懈褋懈褔械褌芯, 胁褗锌褉械泻懈 蟹邪褌褉褍写薪械薪懈褟褌邪 屑褍 蟹邪褉邪写懈 褋褔褍锌械薪懈褟 泻褉邪泻, 褌芯泄 薪械 褋械 芯褌泻邪蟹胁邪 懈 械 谐芯褌芯胁 写邪 锌褉芯锌褗褌褍胁邪 褑褟谢芯褌芯 褉邪蟹褋褌芯褟薪懈械 写芯 懈蟹芯褋褌邪胁械薪懈褟 褋懈 写芯屑, 写芯泻邪褌芯 写芯褋褌懈谐薪械 芯褌薪芯胁芯 写芯 袩邪泻褋.
袙芯谢邪 鈥� 卸械薪邪褌邪, 泻芯褟褌芯 屑褍 芯泻邪蟹胁邪 泻褉邪泄薪芯 胁邪卸薪邪褌邪 锌芯屑芯褖 蟹邪 褌芯胁邪, 褋褗褖芯 械 械写懈薪 屑薪芯谐芯 写芯褋褌芯械薪 锌械褉褋芯薪邪卸 褋 懈薪褌械褉械褋薪邪 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟.
袣薪懈谐邪褌邪 褋褗写褗褉卸邪 懈 泻褉邪褋懈胁芯 锌芯写薪械褋械薪懈 懈谢褞褋褌褉邪褑懈懈.
袗 褋泻芯褉芯 锌褉械写褋褌芯懈 懈 懈蟹谢懈蟹邪薪械褌芯 薪邪 胁褌芯褉邪褌邪 褔邪褋褌 薪邪 鈥炐熜靶貉佲€�, 泻芯褟褌芯 芯褌薪芯胁芯 褖械 屑懈 械 谢褞斜芯锌懈褌薪芯 写邪 锌褉芯褋谢械写褟.
(懈蟹芯斜褉邪卸械薪懈械褌芯 薪械 械 褔邪褋褌 芯褌 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪)
November 8, 2020
I wanted to read this book because I have always had a fondness for foxes. Another beautifully written book for young adults. It is all about the bond between a boy Peter and his pet fox.
July 3, 2016
Not really sure how I feel. On the one hand, this is a beautifully written, beautifully illustrated, book.
On the other hand, who is it for?
It's violent in places, even gross, with animals being killed and having body parts blown off. Because it's about war, and the horrors of war, but war that takes place . . . where? And when? So in a way it's sort of a fairy tale, or cautionary tale. But my kids had trouble following it because they were trying to figure out: is this WWII? Is this now, in the Middle East? Is it here in America, in the future? And I didn't know what to tell them either. I liked how Pennypacker explored the lives and communication of foxes, but the heavy-hitting moral about war was, I think, rather clumsily done. I could have handled the death and maiming, if the rest of the book had been a bit clearer, but it was just one more element that didn't really add up. I picked up this book because we all love foxes, and Jon Klassen, not because I'm trying to teach my children about the brutality of Life.
On a side note, it seems that we have entered another era of Dead Animal Stories. When I was a kid, you just knew that if you picked up a book with an animal on the cover, the animal (dog, horse, deer, whatever) would be dead by the end. Then kid when through a golden time when the animals lived. But now we're starting to see more and more dead animals stories again! Dead elephants, dead foxes . . . really, people? Didn't we learn from Bambi, and Black Beauty, and Where the Red Fern Grows?
On the other hand, who is it for?
It's violent in places, even gross, with animals being killed and having body parts blown off. Because it's about war, and the horrors of war, but war that takes place . . . where? And when? So in a way it's sort of a fairy tale, or cautionary tale. But my kids had trouble following it because they were trying to figure out: is this WWII? Is this now, in the Middle East? Is it here in America, in the future? And I didn't know what to tell them either. I liked how Pennypacker explored the lives and communication of foxes, but the heavy-hitting moral about war was, I think, rather clumsily done. I could have handled the death and maiming, if the rest of the book had been a bit clearer, but it was just one more element that didn't really add up. I picked up this book because we all love foxes, and Jon Klassen, not because I'm trying to teach my children about the brutality of Life.
On a side note, it seems that we have entered another era of Dead Animal Stories. When I was a kid, you just knew that if you picked up a book with an animal on the cover, the animal (dog, horse, deer, whatever) would be dead by the end. Then kid when through a golden time when the animals lived. But now we're starting to see more and more dead animals stories again! Dead elephants, dead foxes . . . really, people? Didn't we learn from Bambi, and Black Beauty, and Where the Red Fern Grows?
September 3, 2019
That's all it was. Just okay. There was no sadness or great plot between Pax and Peter that I could be awed or shed a sweet tear about. There was talk of a war but I kept wondering what country or timeline this was supposed to be. I guess the story was so bleh it wouldn't have made a difference. It was nice to learn how foxes communicate and someone getting them as kits could train them to be tame like dogs.
When I realized I didn't like it much I started skimming and then tried to read it as a young kid probably between the ages of 9-13 and I still couldn't like it any better. I still finished it and forgot about it as soon as I set it down.
When I realized I didn't like it much I started skimming and then tried to read it as a young kid probably between the ages of 9-13 and I still couldn't like it any better. I still finished it and forgot about it as soon as I set it down.
November 8, 2018
What a great story about a boy and his fox. Pax was taken in as a kit by his boy. After five years his father makes him leave the fox in the woods saying it is because of the war. His heart is broken and this book is about both their journeys. You alternate between the story of the fox and the story of the boy. It is a very heartfelt story that I didn't want to stop. Beautifully written and full of emotion, the characters were wonderful and you rooted them on. This is a pretty short read and I would definitely recommend. I loved it.
September 12, 2016
I haven鈥檛 written a review about this book yet because I don鈥檛 really have anything to say about it. Overall, it was just kind of鈥� meh. It鈥檚 disappointing because I expected to like this book or at least be affected by it in some way, but the truth is it didn鈥檛 tug at the heartstrings, it didn鈥檛 make me cry, and it didn鈥檛 really make me react at all.
The book gets kind of repetitive early on. It switches between Peter鈥檚 perspective and Pax鈥檚 and all the chapters are fairly similar: Peter is toiling away and thinking about how he needs to find his fox more quickly, and Pax is exploring new scents and places and thinking about finding his boy. Actually, in all honesty, the book is kind of preachy. It鈥檚 okay if you have a good story that鈥檚 preaching a good message, but when the story is just okay, it feels like the message came first and the story was an afterthought which shouldn鈥檛 be the case, especially with a middle grade book. You need to get your reader truly involved before you start smacking them with the people-ruin-everything mallet.
The ending was鈥� predictable, but not what I wanted nor what I think should have happened in this particular story. I liked the truth that Peter learned about himself, but again, the author tried to things up in a way that didn鈥檛 really fit.
The book gets kind of repetitive early on. It switches between Peter鈥檚 perspective and Pax鈥檚 and all the chapters are fairly similar: Peter is toiling away and thinking about how he needs to find his fox more quickly, and Pax is exploring new scents and places and thinking about finding his boy. Actually, in all honesty, the book is kind of preachy. It鈥檚 okay if you have a good story that鈥檚 preaching a good message, but when the story is just okay, it feels like the message came first and the story was an afterthought which shouldn鈥檛 be the case, especially with a middle grade book. You need to get your reader truly involved before you start smacking them with the people-ruin-everything mallet.
The ending was鈥� predictable, but not what I wanted nor what I think should have happened in this particular story. I liked the truth that Peter learned about himself, but again, the author tried to things up in a way that didn鈥檛 really fit.
April 8, 2021
4,5 馃専
Ta historia to taki nowy "Ma艂y Ksi膮偶臋". To ksi膮偶ka o dziko艣ci, przyja藕ni, stracie i wojnie, kt贸ra sieje spustoszenie nie tylko w 偶yciu ludzi, lecz przede wszystkim w 偶yciach zwierz膮t.
"Czasami jab艂ko pada bardzo daleko od jab艂oni."
Ta historia to taki nowy "Ma艂y Ksi膮偶臋". To ksi膮偶ka o dziko艣ci, przyja藕ni, stracie i wojnie, kt贸ra sieje spustoszenie nie tylko w 偶yciu ludzi, lecz przede wszystkim w 偶yciach zwierz膮t.
"Czasami jab艂ko pada bardzo daleko od jab艂oni."
February 20, 2020
Boy meets fox, enter war, lives change
Peter's best friend is a pet fox named Pax. Suddenly, Peter's dad forces Peter to free the fox at the end of a dirt road and drops him at his grandfather's house. The bulk of the stories goes back and forth between Peter and Pax's perspectives as they try to piece together life without each other and desperately try to reunite. Will the introduction of war keep them apart?
A nice story of a boy and his best animal friend. My heart warmed thinking of my little pup many times throughout this one. It was nice to watch these characters develop and mature as they had to face surviving in the wild. A good read, even though I'm outside of the target demo.
Peter's best friend is a pet fox named Pax. Suddenly, Peter's dad forces Peter to free the fox at the end of a dirt road and drops him at his grandfather's house. The bulk of the stories goes back and forth between Peter and Pax's perspectives as they try to piece together life without each other and desperately try to reunite. Will the introduction of war keep them apart?
A nice story of a boy and his best animal friend. My heart warmed thinking of my little pup many times throughout this one. It was nice to watch these characters develop and mature as they had to face surviving in the wild. A good read, even though I'm outside of the target demo.
May 3, 2016
Well written, I suppose, but I was disappointed when I learned this is not just about a boy separated from his pet fox, but is also a middle grade grief book. I'm just so sick of that storyline! Then, on top of my disgust over that well-worn path for character development and plot tension, the sadness of Peter leaving Pax and Pax's struggle to survive made this a book that I had a hard time enjoying. Going into this knowing it was an animal book made me expect sadness, of course, but I think you need to like and enjoy the characters in order for it to be the type of sadness that you can experience while simultaneously enjoying the experience of reading about it. Unfortunately, Peter's father was a one-dimensional villain and the theme of war/humans=bad was a too repetitive. Peter himself was just okay--nothing special. I also didn't enjoy Peter's stint with Vola. I just thought it was boring and too long, and I didn't find her character or Peter's transformation under her care believable. I only looked forward to the parts from Pax's perspective. I also found the ending less than satisfying. Even though it's what I wanted to happen and what I thought was going to happen, it didn't have much punch to it. I wish it would have ended on Pax's perspective rather than Peter's, because I think that would have made it more emotional.
October 16, 2015
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book for review, and then proceeded to read the entire book in one sitting. This is one of the most remarkable books, let alone middle-grade reader books, that I've read in a very long time. Pennypacker's prose is crystalline, surprising, and utterly lovely as she bounds from Pax's perspective to Peter's, and back again. I so appreciate that even though this book is "for younger reader's," she doesn't condescend to them in the slightest; she raised the bar and expects kids to rise to it, and I have no doubt that they will. This is not a light, playful tale of a boy and his pet; it is a complicated meditation on the costs of war and relationships--what we gain and what we lose when we offer ourselves to others to be "tamed." What a shock, I wept and wept and wept when I finished it, not entirely because of the ending; rather, I wept because it ended.
Truly a fantastic book that I hope will be on the shelves of young readers for years to come.
Truly a fantastic book that I hope will be on the shelves of young readers for years to come.
November 23, 2015
With the seemingly universal love for Pax, I feel like I'll be left out to the coyotes with the rating I'm giving it. I was left underwhelmed by the book in general 鈥� it seemed to stall at very specific points, both in the plot and setting, and while it hit the sentimental notes of the bonds between man and furry friend, I was left wanting more of an emotional punch to the gut. The narrative voice which switched back and forth between Peter the boy and Pax the fox made for some compelling and challenging tone that forces the reader to be empathetic towards both perspectives, yet proves to be unnecessarily confusing and choppy.
What surprised me was how grownup the story felt with its themes of responsibility, sacrifice, post-traumatic stress, and learning to let go. No doubt will it become a new classic with an accompanying film (animated, please) in years to come because of its cross-generational messages.
What surprised me was how grownup the story felt with its themes of responsibility, sacrifice, post-traumatic stress, and learning to let go. No doubt will it become a new classic with an accompanying film (animated, please) in years to come because of its cross-generational messages.
April 24, 2021
CW:
Well that ending was too abrupt!
I needed more closure on the following questions:
Aside from that it was a lovely story about found family.
Well that ending was too abrupt!
I needed more closure on the following questions:
Aside from that it was a lovely story about found family.
January 13, 2023
賵購賵賱丕 爻乇卮 乇丕 亘丕賱丕 诏乇賮鬲 賵 亘賱賳丿 賯賴賯賴 夭丿:" 丕賵賴貙 亘匕丕乇 蹖賴 趩蹖夭蹖 亘賴鬲 亘诏賲. 丕丨爻丕爻丕鬲貙 賴賲賴 卮賵賳 禺胤乇賳丕讴 賴爻鬲賳丿. 毓卮賯貙 丕賲蹖丿貙...! 丕賲蹖丿! 賮讴乇 賲蹖讴賳蹖 趩賵賳 禺胤乇賳丕讴 賴爻鬲賳 賲蹖鬲賵賳蹖 丕夭卮賵賳 賮乇丕乇 讴賳蹖責 賳賴貙 賳賲蹖鬲賵賳蹖 丕夭 賴蹖趩 讴丿賵賲卮賵賳 賮乇丕乇 讴賳蹖. 賴賲賴 賲丕 蹖賴 丿蹖賵 鬲賵蹖 賵噩賵丿賲賵賳 丿丕乇蹖賲 亘賴 丕爻賲 禺卮賲. 賵賱蹖 丕鬲賮丕賯丕 丕賵賳 賲蹖鬲賵賳賴 亘賴賲賵賳 讴賲讴 讴賳賴貨 禺蹖賱蹖 賵賯鬲丕 丕诏賴 丕夭 趩蹖夭賴丕蹖 亘丿 禺卮賲诏蹖賳 亘卮蹖貙 趩蹖夭賴丕蹖 禺賵亘 亘賴 賵噩賵丿 賲蹖丕丿. 賲蹖卮賴 亘丕 禺卮賲貙 趩蹖夭賴丕蹖 睾蹖乇毓丕丿賱丕賳賴 乇賵 亘賴 毓丕丿賱丕賳賴 鬲亘丿蹖賱 讴乇丿 丕賲丕 丕賵賱 亘丕蹖丿 亘賮賴賲蹖賲 讴賴 趩胤賵乇蹖 丿乇爻鬲 賮讴乇 讴賳蹖賲."
September 5, 2017
隆Qu茅 historia m谩s preciosa! Estoy m谩s que satisfecha con ella. Me han gustado los puntos de vista tanto de Pax como de Peter, pero sent铆 que me llegaba mucho el personaje de Vola. Es un libro especial, que te hace sentir una calidez profunda. Denle una oportunidad, no los va a decepcionar.
September 29, 2020
*Based on a reading of an ARC
Let's make 2016, the year of the fox.
I really like the book, it actually reminded me of Pixar鈥檚 animations which cater to young and old.
We don鈥檛 know the time or place where this story takes place and that seems to be intentional since war affects us all, human and non-humans no matter the age, sex or which part of the world they reside. The concept itself is not new, but it鈥檚 beautifully written and uses the parallel narratives of a 12 years-old boy name Peter and his pet fox, Pax. The main human characters (Peter and Vola) are complex, fighting their own personal demons but those things elevate the book from simple story for children to older readers. Pax, himself grows in his own way left in the wild. I do like that the females play vital roles in both Peter and Pax's growth and healing process.
Some scenes are graphic which will make animal lovers cringe, but I like that the author was brutally honest in the effects of war. My only complaint is that the ending was rather abrupt, realistic but abrupt. Mind you I did tear up but it could have been better written to give the closure it deserved.
I do look forward to the illustrations which were missing in the ARC and I plan to purchase one to add to my collection.
Let's make 2016, the year of the fox.
I really like the book, it actually reminded me of Pixar鈥檚 animations which cater to young and old.
We don鈥檛 know the time or place where this story takes place and that seems to be intentional since war affects us all, human and non-humans no matter the age, sex or which part of the world they reside. The concept itself is not new, but it鈥檚 beautifully written and uses the parallel narratives of a 12 years-old boy name Peter and his pet fox, Pax. The main human characters (Peter and Vola) are complex, fighting their own personal demons but those things elevate the book from simple story for children to older readers. Pax, himself grows in his own way left in the wild. I do like that the females play vital roles in both Peter and Pax's growth and healing process.
Some scenes are graphic which will make animal lovers cringe, but I like that the author was brutally honest in the effects of war. My only complaint is that the ending was rather abrupt, realistic but abrupt. Mind you I did tear up but it could have been better written to give the closure it deserved.
I do look forward to the illustrations which were missing in the ARC and I plan to purchase one to add to my collection.
May 21, 2018
Being an individual that is rather fond of foxes, I was excited but also apprehensive about reading this book. It was again, initially the beautifully illustrated cover, that attracted me to this book. And throughout the book, there are more of these gorgeous illustrations for us to feast our eyes on.
The story didn't disappoint. It was a story about a boy and his fox. The boy and his fox( Pax) were then split up, and we then experience the journeys that they face, in order to be reunited again. You can't help but love Pax. He is brave, fierce and fearless, and he has so much love for his boy. My favourite character is Vola, though. If anyone has read the book, they'll know why.
The relationship that develops between the boy and Vola is well written. I found it poignant and totally believable.
The issue I had with this beautiful book, was the ending. It wasn't what I expected, and it kind of threw me off, as well as disappointing me. Apart from that, this was a charming read.
The story didn't disappoint. It was a story about a boy and his fox. The boy and his fox( Pax) were then split up, and we then experience the journeys that they face, in order to be reunited again. You can't help but love Pax. He is brave, fierce and fearless, and he has so much love for his boy. My favourite character is Vola, though. If anyone has read the book, they'll know why.
The relationship that develops between the boy and Vola is well written. I found it poignant and totally believable.
The issue I had with this beautiful book, was the ending. It wasn't what I expected, and it kind of threw me off, as well as disappointing me. Apart from that, this was a charming read.
December 30, 2015
The best book I have read in a long, long time. I'll write a review once I finish putting my heart back together. Hoo boy.
REVIEW:
Wild and tame, war and peace, anger and love--Pax is a beautiful meditation, almost fable-like, on these interconnected themes. No word is wasted or wanting in the luminous tale of Peter and his fox, Pax and and their converging journeys. Pennypacker masterfully creates emotions that are palpable, like the tension of the father鈥檚 simmering anger or Peter鈥檚 overwhelming surges of love for those he has lost. Pennypacker hits the mark in giving Pax a voice, portraying his believably complex inner life with the perfect amount of pathos. This is a story that will break your heart open and rebuild it again, much like a phoenix rising out of the flames--a bright, beautiful, breathtaking rumination on our humanity and our brutality.
REVIEW:
Wild and tame, war and peace, anger and love--Pax is a beautiful meditation, almost fable-like, on these interconnected themes. No word is wasted or wanting in the luminous tale of Peter and his fox, Pax and and their converging journeys. Pennypacker masterfully creates emotions that are palpable, like the tension of the father鈥檚 simmering anger or Peter鈥檚 overwhelming surges of love for those he has lost. Pennypacker hits the mark in giving Pax a voice, portraying his believably complex inner life with the perfect amount of pathos. This is a story that will break your heart open and rebuild it again, much like a phoenix rising out of the flames--a bright, beautiful, breathtaking rumination on our humanity and our brutality.
August 20, 2018
丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 丿乇亘丕乇賴 蹖 蹖賴 倬爻乇 賵 乇賵亘丕賴卮賴貨 丕賵賳丕 丕夭 賴賲 噩丿丕 賲蹖卮賳 賵 賴乇讴丿賵賲 爻賮乇 禺賵丿卮賵賳賵 卮乇賵毓 賲蹖讴賳賳 賵 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 禺賵丿卮賵賳賵 賲蹖诏賳貨 丿丕爻鬲丕賳蹖 讴賴 賲鬲賮丕賵鬲賴貨 丕賲丕 丿乇賵丕賯毓 蹖讴蹖賴.
噩丕賱亘 鬲乇蹖賳 趩蹖夭 卮賳蹖丿賳 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 丕夭 夭亘丕賳 倬讴爻賴貨 丕蹖賳讴賴 蹖賴 乇賵亘丕賴 丿賳蹖丕 乇賵 趩賴 噩賵乇蹖 鬲噩乇亘賴 賲蹖讴賳賴貨 賵 丕丨爻丕爻丕鬲卮 亘賴 氐丕丨亘卮 賵 丿賵爻鬲丕卮.
丕賲丕 亘賴 賳馗乇 賲賳 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 丿乇 賵丕賯毓 丿乇亘丕乇賴 蹖 噩賳诏賴.
丕蹖賳讴賴 噩賳诏 亘丕 丿賳蹖丕賴丕蹖 讴賵趩蹖讴 鬲讴 鬲讴 賲丕 趩賴 讴丕乇 賲蹖讴賳賴 賵 趩賴 胤賵乇 賲丕乇賵 鬲睾蹖蹖乇 賲蹖丿賴.
芦...噩賳诏 蹖賴 亘蹖賲丕乇蹖賴...賵賯鬲蹖 噩賳诏 亘蹖丕丿 賴賲賴 亘蹖 鬲賮丕賵鬲 賲蹖卮賳...禄
賵 丿乇亘丕乇賴 倬蹖丿丕 讴乇丿賳 芦禺賵丿禄賴. 丿乇亘丕乇賴 蹖 丕蹖賳讴賴 讴丕乇蹖 讴賴 丕夭 毓賲賯 賵噩賵丿 賲蹖丿賵賳蹖 亘丕蹖丿 丕賳噩丕賲 亘丿蹖 貙 乇賵 丕賳噩丕賲 亘丿蹖貨 賵 丕蹖賳讴賴
芦...丿賯蹖賯丕 噩丕蹖蹖 賴爻鬲賲 讴賴 亘丕蹖丿 亘丕卮賲貙 讴丕乇蹖 乇賵 丕賳噩丕賲 賲蹖丿賲 讴賴 亘丕蹖丿 丕賳噩丕賲 亘丿賲. 丌乇丕賲卮 蹖毓賳蹖 丕蹖賳.禄
噩丕賱亘 鬲乇蹖賳 趩蹖夭 卮賳蹖丿賳 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 丕夭 夭亘丕賳 倬讴爻賴貨 丕蹖賳讴賴 蹖賴 乇賵亘丕賴 丿賳蹖丕 乇賵 趩賴 噩賵乇蹖 鬲噩乇亘賴 賲蹖讴賳賴貨 賵 丕丨爻丕爻丕鬲卮 亘賴 氐丕丨亘卮 賵 丿賵爻鬲丕卮.
丕賲丕 亘賴 賳馗乇 賲賳 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 丿乇 賵丕賯毓 丿乇亘丕乇賴 蹖 噩賳诏賴.
丕蹖賳讴賴 噩賳诏 亘丕 丿賳蹖丕賴丕蹖 讴賵趩蹖讴 鬲讴 鬲讴 賲丕 趩賴 讴丕乇 賲蹖讴賳賴 賵 趩賴 胤賵乇 賲丕乇賵 鬲睾蹖蹖乇 賲蹖丿賴.
芦...噩賳诏 蹖賴 亘蹖賲丕乇蹖賴...賵賯鬲蹖 噩賳诏 亘蹖丕丿 賴賲賴 亘蹖 鬲賮丕賵鬲 賲蹖卮賳...禄
賵 丿乇亘丕乇賴 倬蹖丿丕 讴乇丿賳 芦禺賵丿禄賴. 丿乇亘丕乇賴 蹖 丕蹖賳讴賴 讴丕乇蹖 讴賴 丕夭 毓賲賯 賵噩賵丿 賲蹖丿賵賳蹖 亘丕蹖丿 丕賳噩丕賲 亘丿蹖 貙 乇賵 丕賳噩丕賲 亘丿蹖貨 賵 丕蹖賳讴賴
芦...丿賯蹖賯丕 噩丕蹖蹖 賴爻鬲賲 讴賴 亘丕蹖丿 亘丕卮賲貙 讴丕乇蹖 乇賵 丕賳噩丕賲 賲蹖丿賲 讴賴 亘丕蹖丿 丕賳噩丕賲 亘丿賲. 丌乇丕賲卮 蹖毓賳蹖 丕蹖賳.禄
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