72 pages • 2 hours read
Rosanne Parry, Illustr. Mónica ArmiñoA Wolf Called Wander
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2019A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Essay Topics
What is the significance of the Wolf Star in A Wolf Called Wander? Who introduces it and in which contexts does it appear? What does it represent, and how does it help to illustrate and convey the relationship that the wolves in the story have with the world around them?
Compare the relationship between Wander and Sharp versus the relationship between Wander and Warm. What do these early relationships between young wolf pups say about personality, temperament, and instinct in wolf pups? How do these early traits manifest as the young wolves begin to grow older? Which traits does Wander maintain consistently to the end of the novel, and how does his perspective change because of his interactions with his siblings?
Imagine that you are asked to explain the values that Mother and Father espouse in the way that they lead their pack. If you were to develop a set of rules that would express the dos and don’ts of Wander’s first wolf pack, what would they be? What might Wander include after his long journey that his parents might not have thought to share?
How is death presented in A Wolf Called Wander? What does Wander believe about dying, and how does his conception differentiate between the deaths of family members and his need to kill in order to survive? How do the different deaths that he encounters affect him over the course of the novel?
Consider the interactions between animals and humans in A Wolf Called Wander. How does Wander depict and describe the way that humans behave as he tries to make sense of their actions? What is most difficult for him to understand about human beings?
When Wander observes how the lead stallion of the wild horse band interacts with his family, he is overcome with emotion and a sense of kinship with the stallion. What characteristics do wolf packs and horse herds share? How are they different? What causes Wander to identify so strongly with his fellow mammals?
Describe the moments in A Wolf Called Wander when Wander electively places himself in danger to protect other animals. How is it so easy for him to do that, despite his fear? Why does he choose to intervene on the horses’ behalf?
How does Wander summon the strength to survive the rapidly advancing forest fire? What strategies and elements does he utilize to make it to safety? What surprises him once he has finally found himself outside of harm’s way?
How is the first true, in-depth meeting between Wander and Night different from how Wander imagined it might be? How does he come to appreciate Night’s fierceness and assertiveness as an asset to their partnership rather than as a threat to his authority? How does his consideration of his relationship with Night in light of the relationship dynamics he witnessed between his mother and father inform his perspective as a first-time co-leader of their new pack?
Night’s presence is established early on in A Wolf Called Wander, in that Wander begins to perceive her scent not long after he sets off on his own. From this information, and the fact that she ended up in the same region, it can be inferred that Night also traveled a great distance and braved significant dangers to find herself within Wander’s range at the end of the novel. Imagine that you are writing an account from Night’s perspective and create your own tale of survival from her first-person perspective as a companion story to Wander’s.
