Wabi: A Hero's Tale - Softcover

Bruchac, Joseph

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0142409472 ISBN 13: 9780142409473

Publisher: Speak, 2007

Synopsis

Wabi was born an owl—a great horned owl who grew to become such a strong, confident creature that he was afraid of nothing. But now he is afraid. He fears that he might never win the heart of the girl he loves. Somehow, despite his own intentions, he has fallen in love with a girl—a beautiful, headstrong human girl. And so he begins the adventure of his life. He shape-shifts into human form in order to be with her. But before he can win her love, he must face an even greater challenge in a land he comes to think of as the Valley of Monsters.

A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

* "Wabi's inquisitive and endearing personality will charm readers." —School Library Journal, starred review 

About this title

About the Author:

Joseph Bruchac is a highly acclaimed children's book author, poet, novelist and storyteller, as well as a scholar of Native American culture. Coauthor with Michael Caduto of the bestselling Keepers of the Earth series, Bruchac's poems, articles and stories have appeared in hundreds of publications, from Akwesasne Notes and American Poetry Review to National Geographic and Parabola. He has authored many books for adults and children including Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two, Skeleton Man, and The Heart of a Chief. For more information about Joseph, please visit his website www.josephbruchac.com.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 5-8-Wabi is an odd owl. For starters, he grows bigger than most horned owls do. Then he realizes he can talk to and understand other creatures. He adopts a wolf pup that becomes a loyal friend and he falls in love with a girl from the nearby Abenaki village that he protects from evil creatures. When his great-grandmother tells him that he has ancestors who were humans who shape-changed to owls, Wabi decides to become human so he can win Dojihla's heart. When his owl-tufted ears give him away, he leaves the village. On his quest to discover his true self, he encounters several nonhuman monsters; rescues a wolf pack from Oldold Woman, who is keeping them captive; and discovers his own true self. Wabi's inquisitive and endearing personality will charm readers. Even when in human form, he thinks and acts like an owl and finds joy and pleasure when his human body can do something he didn't expect, such as kick very hard. His grandmother embodies the adage of wise old owls, dispensing advice and assistance in equal measures but never too much of either at any one time, and readers can see why Wabi falls in love with Dojihla, even if the other young men find her abrasive and compare her to a bobcat. They just haven't watched her as much or as carefully as Wabi has. Give this novel to readers who aren't quite ready for David Clement-Davies's Fire Bringer (2000) or The Sight (2002, both Dutton) or to anyone who enjoys reading about journeys of self-discovery.-Lisa Prolman, Greenfield Public Library, MA
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About this edition

• Publisher: Speak
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0142409472
• ISBN 13: 9780142409473
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 208