Mary of Mile 18 by Ann Blades

Have you ever wanted a puppy so much you feel like you might die if you can't have it? I have...

Mary finds a small abandoned puppy, but she and her parents live way up north in Canada at Mile 18, just off the Alaska Highway. Not only children but animals must earn their keep. A dog is just another mouth to feed and there is not enough to go around now. Besides the puppy is part wolf, and will mostly remain wild.

Mary begs and begs, all to no avail. So she gives up and tries to move on. She takes the puppy to their nearest neighbor and leaves it in front of their door hoping they will adopt it and she still might get to see it once in a while...

But when the puppy wakes her father that night sounding the alarm that a coyote is entering the henhouse and going after the chickens, her father changes his mind. Maybe he is useful and will help pay his way. He takes the puppy in the house to Mary's bedroom and tells her she needs to help him get warm. He also gives her permission to keep him.

The illustrations show the tough winter cold of the north and how little some of the settlers there had, but it shows a great spirit in the people - and one happy little wolf pup mix!

Thanks, Tundra Books, for sharing this book with me.

Check with your local bookstores for a copy of this one for your household - especially if you are animal lovers.