Parents' Guide to

Wolf Hollow

By Andrea Beach, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Tween's search for justice is intense and beautiful.

Wolf Hollow Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

age 12+

Based on 5 parent reviews

age 11+

A valuable novel with life lessons of compassion

The book is beautifully written and takes great care to create a protagonist who is multi-faceted and compassionate. It deals with the heart and learning how to navigate the truth without assumptions and appearances. A great read for older kids and middle school through high school. There is sadness, but also kindness and compassion. It feels like it is destined to become a classic and read in classrooms across the states - inspirational and honest.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
age 12+

Dark read

The book is too dark and the ending is sad. I made the mistake of reading this for my 9 year-old son. We'd already read Beyond the Bright Sea by the same author so I never thought this book would be unsuitable for him. I was disappointed overall.

This title has:

Too much violence

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (5 ):
Kids say (11 ):

Lauren Wolk will invite comparison to Harper Lee thanks to this beautifully written middle grade novel. There are many similarities to To Kill a Mockingbird, including the time period, the mysterious man considered “odd” who befriends Annabelle, and a perfectly conjured and even more gothic sense of dread. The authors diverge in their handling of the larger social issues, and in that Wolf Hollow skews to a slightly younger reader. There’s nothing going on like the big trial, and no issues that the adults understand but the children do not. Some minor characters, good and bad, are more archetypes than fully developed, and in that regard Wolf Hollow doesn’t quite measure up to Lee’s gold standard.

Wolk's rhythmic prose conveys Annabelle’s childlike understanding of people and events with simplicity, honesty, and depth. Preteens and older readers alike will find a lot to think about Annabelle’s experiences with how we judge people, how we treat them, and how and when we can speak out when we see injustice. Have a hankie nearby and be ready to talk especially with younger readers about injustice and life's frustrations.

Book Details

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