Pax

I don't often talk about books in any depth here because I am friends with many of you on goodreads, but Pax is so special that I hope you'll forgive any redundancy. I don't remember how I first came across this book, but I do remember that everything I heard and read about it made it sound exceptional. I waited anxiously for the publication date in February, then waited another several weeks for it to be available at the library. I'm happy to report that all of my less-than-patient waiting was well worth it.

I worked in elementary and middle-school libraries for many years, and when I come across a book as beautifully written as Pax it makes me wish I was back there to get this book into as many readers' hands as possible.

Pax is a fox who was rescued by twelve-year-old Peter when he was an orphaned kit. Peter himself was grieving his own mother's death, but boy and fox grow and heal together. Peter is forced to return Pax to the wild when his father heads to the front lines of the approaching brutal war and Peter is sent to his grandfather's house. The quest that Peter and Pax undertake to find each other again is told in chapters alternating between their points of view.

Sara Pennypacker has written a moving story about loss, the multiple, terrible costs of war, and the strength of friendship. It's not a Disney animal, warm and fuzzy book, but it is full of powerful, important truths for almost everyone of any age. Even though the book is listed as a middle school read for ages 9-13, do yourself a favor and read it if you happen upon it at the library. Or better yet, read and discuss it with a child. There are nine more months in 2016, but I'm betting that Pax may prove to be one of the best books I read this year.