Wolf Brother Novel Dubbed Mad Max for Children

Posted on September 6, 2004

The latest children's novel with big buzz involves a child hunter partnered with a wolf. BBC News reports that British author Michelle Paver is being referred to as the next J.K. Rowling after reworking her 1982 novel, Wolf Brother. Described as "Mad Max for Children," the book tells the story of Torak, a 12-year-old hunter who lived in a forest 6,000 years ago. After his father is killed, the youngster teams up with an orphaned wolf cub and sets out to rid the forest of an evil force.

Paver's agent Peter Cox told BBC News, "Wolf Brother is very, very tough and gritty. It's been described as Mad Max for children."

Ms. Paver first wrote the book as an adult novel, while she was at Oxford University. Last year, she reworked the book as a children's fantasy title, and netted a cool $5 million advance, with rights sold around the world. The U.S. version will be released by Harpercollins in Spring, 2005.