Search This Blog







2025 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

2025 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama (1)
- Alaska (2)
- Arizona (2)
- Arkansas (2)
- California (11)
- Colorado (3)
- Connecticut (1)
- Delaware (2)
- Florida (2)
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho (1)
- Illinois (1)
- Indiana (1)
- Iowa (3)
- Kansas (1)
- Kentucky (1)
- Louisiana (2)
- Maine (5)
- Maryland (1)
- Massachusetts (4)
- Michigan (2)
- Minnesota (2)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri (1)
- Montana (1)
- Nebraska (1)
- Nevada (1)
- New Hampshire (1)
- New Jersey (3)
- New Mexico (1)
- New York (9)
- North Carolina (4)
- North Dakota (1)
- Ohio (1)
- Oklahoma (2)
- Oregon (3)
- Pennsylvania (2)
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina (1)
- South Dakota (1)
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (2)
- Utah (3)
- Vermont (3)
- Virginia (2)
- Washington (5)
- West Virginia (1)
- Wisconsin (1)
- Wyoming (1)
- Washington, D.C.* (2)
International:
- Australia (5)
- Canada (3)
- England (18)
- France (3)
- Greece (2)
- Italy (1)
- Japan (1)
- Norway (1)
- Puerto Rico (1)
- Scotland (2)
- Vietnam (1)


2025 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge



2025 Build Your Library Reading Challenge









Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Ever Wonder What It Would Be Like to Be a Wolf? So Did Jala ...
8:22 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
As part of the festivities for Multicultural Children's Book Day, I was matched with author Marti Dumas. Yesturday, I featured the first two books in her upbeat Jaden Toussaint series, which stars a genius kindergartner who uses scientific reasoning (and ninja dance parties) to solve everyday problems.
Dumas' standalone novel, Jala and the Wolves, focuses on another child who uses knowledge to overcome challenges. Jala is a 6-year-old who lives in New Orleans. She hates getting her hair combed, but she loves to eat, read, and learn facts about animals, especially wolves. One day while she's waiting (very hungrily) for her mom to make her breakfast, Jala notices something strange in her room—a magic mirror. Just as she's settling down to read a favorite book, her room starts to change. Then, Jala begins to transform. Suddenly, she can leap and smell and hear like a wolf because somehow, she is a wolf.
When Jala meets Milo, a nervous cub who needs her help to save his pack, she has to use all her skills to figure out what to do. With the pack, which is made up of very young pups, counting on her, she needs to come up with a plan—or else the cubs will die just like their parents did. Can she teach the babies what they need to know to survive? They're looking to her for
help, but what about her family back in Louisiana? Which is her real pack? How can Jala choose? She can't think her way out of this one—this time, it's her heart that must decide.
Like Jaden, Jala is an admirable character. Not only is she kind and loving, but she's also smart, logical, and brave. Throughout her adventures in the wolf world, she has to use all these traits to bring a struggling pack together. Her plight shows young readers the power of compassion, putting another's needs before your own, and using teamwork to solve problems. Not only does Jala and the Wolves teach some valuable lessons, but it's also a fast, exciting story that will appeal to anyone who's ever wondered what it would be like to be their favorite animal. And, really, who hasn't done that? Personally, I very much enjoyed this quick, engaging read.
(Readalikes: Hm, I can't think of anything. Can you?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for a little bit of blood/gore related to hunting
To the FTC, with love: I received a copy of Jala and the Wolves from the generous Marti Dumas as part of the festivities for Multicultural Children's Book Day. Thank you!
Subscribe to:
Comments
(Atom)

Reading
Everyone in This Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson
Listening
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Followin' with Bloglovin'
-
Savannah Sleuth by Alan Chaput1 hour ago
-
Book Quotes3 hours ago
-
-
-
Five Stolen Rings4 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
First Lines Fridays: November 7, 20259 hours ago
-
A Dark September Night by Patricia Smiley10 hours ago
-
Pick a Color by Souvankham Thammavongsa11 hours ago
-
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid19 hours ago
-
-
Two short reviews23 hours ago
-
A Review of For the Rest of Us1 day ago
-
-
Audiobook: Every Step She Takes1 day ago
-
WIP Wrap-up for October 20251 day ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Welcome Annie1 week ago
-
November TBR - pending1 week ago
-
A short break...back soon...2 weeks ago
-
-
Sorry About the Spam…2 months ago
-
-
No Roundup this month6 months ago
-
Sunday Post #5686 months ago
-
February 2025 Reading Wrap Up7 months ago
-
One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery8 months ago
-
-
-
I'm Still Reading - This Was My October11 months ago
-
Girl Plus Books: On Hiatus1 year ago
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?2 years ago
-
6/25/23 Extra Ezra2 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?3 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Grab my Button!
Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ▼ 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ► 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)
2025 Goodreads Reading Challenge
2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction
2023 - Middle Grade Fiction
2022 - Middle Grade Fiction
2021 - Middle Grade Fiction
2020 - Middle Grade Fiction




