Scholastic Classics: White Fang

In this companion volume to his classic masterpiece, The Call of the Wild, Jack London follows the life of a magnificent wolf-dog in the Yukon wilderness. White Fang is part wolf, part dog, but for the early part of his life he doesn't know what he should be. Born in a cave, suffering from famine, he has been raised as a wolf, but feels conflicted as he gets to know the world of dogs - and humans. Unfortunately, his initial experiences with people are not good. Forced to endure a series of harsh environments, White Fang finds the openness and innocence of youth turning to pure rage within him. Finally, a young prospector sees beyond the vicious anger and works to win him over. White Fang, fiercely loyal to his new owner and friend, finds redemption in his return from the wild.

Written with the same vivid immediacy that characterized The Call of the Wild, White Fang is a compelling tale of adventure and survival in the Arctic wilderness. London was a master of anthropomorphism without sentimentality, and his wolf-dog shines with a personality that will win over readers, even as the dangers of the world he lives in ring realistically true.