Pax by Sara Pennypacker

Pax by Sara Pennypacker is one of the seven books the HS Newbery Club is reading, discussing, and voting on during the month of September.

From Sara Pennypacker's website...
Pax and Peter have been inseparable ever since Peter rescued him as a kit. But one day, the unimaginable happens: Peter's dad enlists in the military and makes him return the fox to the wild. 

At his grandfather's house, three hundred miles away from home, Peter knows he isn't where he should be—with Pax. He strikes out on his own despite the encroaching war, spurred by love, loyalty, and grief, to be reunited with his fox.

Meanwhile Pax, steadfastly waiting for his boy, embarks on adventures and discoveries of his own.

Reviews...

• "Moving and poetic.” ~Kirkus Reviews


• “Searingly honest and heartbreakingly lovely, Pax is, quite simply, a masterpiece.” ~Katherine Applegate, Newbery Award-winning author of The One and Only Ivan.


• “A sweeping and enchanting wartime story of trust, loyalty, betrayal, and the love of a boy for the fox he’s raised since he was a kit. A master storyteller, Pennypacker leads the reader along a path of shifting hopes to the story’s heart-wrenching conclusion.” ~Ann M. Martin, Newbery Honoree, author of Rain Reign. 


• "With spare, lyrical prose, Pennypacker manages to infuse this tearjerker with a tender hope, showing that peace and love can require just as much sacrifice as war. VERDICT A startling work of fiction that should be read—and discussed—by children and adults alike." ~School Library Journal.

If you read Pax, please comment on this post using the six listed criteria. Rate the author's success in each area out of 5 and include your rating in the comments. Also include the book's total score out of 30. Provide evidence from the book to support your comments and your ratings. We will use these scores to help us determine which books move on to our final selection round. 

Character Traits/Development: This will cover the main characters and any supporting characters that seem important and/or interesting. What are the traits of these characters? What type of people are they? Do we see him/her change throughout the course of the story? If so, how and why?

Setting: Where and when does the story take place? Why do you think the author chose this setting? How does it lend itself to helping the development of the story?

Plot: What are the main events in the story? What are the events that take place that cause a change to happen in the main character(s)?

Theme: What are the big ideas? What lesson does the author want us to learn from this story?

Word Choice/Language: Describe the word choice used by the author. How does this help the reader to understand and visualize the events, characters, and message of the story?

Voice: How does the author develop the distinct voice of the characters in the story? Why do you think the author did that? Does it make the reader respond in a certain way to the different characters? How?

Finally...
What is your opinion? Do you think this should be considered for a final vote for our Mock Newbery Award? Why or why not?