Pax

This book features some pretty devastating and violent deaths and maimings of main characters and their families through beatings and land mine explosions. Think red mist. There is also a side story about a woman who has killed a man in war. I do not think this is suitable for 10 year olds and I regret not reading it first which is often my habit, before giving it as a gift to my 10 year old. Your mileage may vary.

I read this book and the follow-up book Pax, the Journey Home with my 10-year-old son. He is a sensitive person who doesn't like animal death or other scary elements, but we were able to navigate this book together by me reading alongside him. The chapters alternate between the Boy's perspective and the fox Pax's perspective. I read the "boy" chapters and he read the "pax" chapters. These books were exceptional stories that we both enjoyed. Sometimes I needed to stop and answer his questions and help him process what was happening. Yes, the story takes place during a war and the boy abandons his pet fox, Pax. This is important because the whole story revolves around them finding one another again. There are themes of loss, bad people in the world; death; war; abandonment, and struggle. There is also a lot of love, hope, recovery, resilience, and friendship. My son tends to lose interest in books part way through and he wanted to finish both of these books. Highly recommend that you read these two books with your child, we had a very lovely experience.