Carmichael, C. (2009). Wild things. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press, Inc.Zoe is an eleven-year-old girl who has been taking care of herself while her mother is in her own drug-addled, self-involved world. When her mother passes away, her Uncle Henry steps in to take care of Zoe. Though they haven’t met before, Henry rescues Zoe from living a far too adult life because she is his half-brother’s daughter. Zoe can sense the fiery attitude as soon as Henry takes her in; the family “resemblance” is stunning. While they learn to temper one another’s lives, Zoe and Uncle Henry meld into a fearsome twosome.This was a good story, not great. Maybe I missed the boat somehow? I realize that this was a California Young Reader Medal nominee, so I wonder what all the fuss is about. I empathized with Zoe’s character, and Uncle Henry’s character too. They both had tragedy befall them on more ways than one. Maybe Carmichael needed to paint their backgrounds a little more darkly for me to really understand how they are “wild things” who need taming.Genre: realistic fictionReading level/interest level: ages 11 and upSimilar books/materials: Dear Mr. HenshawReader’s advisory notes:i. personal thoughts: Zoe has lived a hard life- an absent father, a dead mother. Thank goodness for her Uncle Henry. They really could use each other to cope with their respective losses (Uncle Henry’s wife died of cancer).ii. subjects/themes: single parent, absent/neglectful parent, death, role model, family.iii. awards: CYRM nomineeiv. series information:v. character names/description: Zoe is 11 years old, and is taken in by her Uncle Henry; Uncle Henry, a widower (wife died of cancer).vi. annotation: Who can tame a girl who’s ben acting like a stray cat, and a man who seems to have suddenly quit his job as a doctor? Maybe each other? Carmichael, Clay. (2009). Wild Things. Ashville, NC: Front Street. 167 pp. ISBN 978-1-59078-627-7 (Hardback); $16.99Zoe is stuck with Uncle Henry, another person sure to leave her. Uncle Henry’s art joins forces with a feral boy to convince Zoe that love is possible, even for a wild thing like her. Carmichael knits together all the threads in this mythic tale with an artist’s eye. The voices are magical, unique, and very real. Zoe tells her story with bitter humor: “people twice my size with half my brains get to run my life.” (72). Uncle Henry’s wild art serves as a central metaphor for taking the scraps of our lives and knitting them together into something that we eventually see as filled with beauty. This book is also notable for the ways in which it reflects on the idiosyncrasies of our animal natures (even if we should happen to be very unusual, even albino). Carmichael asks us to imagine a world in which we expect miracles, even though they always come with a personal cost. The feral cat, the deer, the wild boy, Uncle Henry, and even Zoe all share a wildness that is unusual, striking, beautiful, odd, and prone to problems. The setting is palpable. Readers will feel a part of the woods; there is an element of magic to this setting that allows the story to conclude with a clear sense of hope that is appropriate for the audience but not forced. The characters are unlike any we’ve met before and yet they are people we have always known. Wild Things is an unexpected treat filled with atmosphere, voice, and the music of language beautifully and carefully crafted! This is also that rare book that spans a wide variety of ages and interests.
What do You think about Zoë (2000)?
Such an inspiring story that shows what a child is capable of when given a nurturing environment.
—Robin
So good I read through Christmas Eve night. Thinking about making it my end of year read aloud.
—maddy
A nice story about trust and dealing with life. I liked that the cat had a point of view.
—RahnieZK
This book was boring and even more confusing.
—Jessie
