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3.0 

Wabi

By Joseph Bruchac
Wabi by Joseph Bruchac digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

Wabi was born an owl—a great horned owl who grew to become such a strong, confident creature that he was afraid of nothing. But now he is afraid. He fears that he might never win the heart of the girl he loves. Somehow, despite his own intentions, he has fallen in love with a girl—a beautiful, headstrong human girl. And so he begins the adventure of his life. He shape-shifts into human form in order to be with her. But before he can win her love, he must face an even greater challenge in a land he comes to think of as the Valley of Monsters.

A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

* "Wabi's inquisitive and endearing personality will charm readers." —School Library Journal, starred review 

10 Reviews

3.0
“There was a lot more action than I expected. I thought this would be a cute little romance but no. Between Wabi's sarcasm and the action, I'd read this book again. My favorite character, despite him only having a brief appearance, is the skunk. So sassy. I will say that some of the words feel like they're made up to seem like native American words. I looked them up when I came across them, because I get curious, and couldn't find them anywhere. The only one I could find was the Toad Woman and that was a book. I also looked up the author and found he's got some Abenaki blood which is where the story ideas come from. So, I'm assuming the words are based on the dialect of the Abenaki tribe, specifically.”
“When I was about 12, my mother turned up home with 3 new books for me. Wabi, was one of them. Reading the blurb of the book, I must admit it was the last one for me to pick up. I didn't think it was what I wanted, didn’t think I would enjoy it, and I suppose what I am saying is I didn’t think at all. I should not have hestitated. Going back to the novel now, 8 years later. I cannot believe I ever for a second doubted this piece of work. Wabi, is an owlet. A newly hatched one to be precise. Immediately he has sibling issues (very relatable for some). Eventually, he is literally kicked out of the nest. Now, we all as a society feel that being kicked from the nest is a jarring thing, but for Wabi, it was literally being kicked out of the next. However, Wabi was slighlty more fortunate than those being kicked from the nest in the real world. With a doting, and patient grandmother, Wabi grows up – with a fond hand to show him the way of life. Due to his nearness to the village, Wabi develops a fondness, and protective characterisation towards it. Eventualy, Wabi falls in love. Wabis grandmother – as all grandmothers have an all-seeing eye – somehow understands that Wabi wishes to become a human to win the hand of the women he's fallen in love with, the Chieftans Daughter, Dojihla. However, despite his grandmother mysteriously helping him become a human, Dojhla rejects him. Heatbroken, Wabi begins a quest to aide his animal companions to find their true home. Wabi is compassionate and brave, and through these qualities, he helps his friends achieve their goals. On their way back from their dangereous mission, Wabi somehow senses that the village he protected is in danger. He bravely fights the bear and saves the village, only to find that his great-grandmother took part in protecting the villagers. She also missed Wabi so much, she too becomes human! Dojihla and Wabi ultimately are united. Family is the strongest tie throughout this novel. Throughout this novel, there are a few key messages which resonate. However, the one which is the most potent is the idea that all live is honoured, and everything is full of wonder.”

About Joseph Bruchac

Joseph Bruchac is a highly acclaimed children's book author, poet, novelist and storyteller, as well as a scholar of Native American culture. Coauthor with Michael Caduto of the bestselling Keepers of the Earth series, Bruchac's poems, articles and stories have appeared in hundreds of publications, from Akwesasne Notes and American Poetry Review to National Geographic and Parabola. He has authored many books for adults and children including Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two, Skeleton Man, and The Heart of a Chief. For more information about Joseph, please visit his website www.josephbruchac.com.

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