The Wolf Hour

About this book

Welcome, my little lambs, to the Puszcza. It's an ancient forest, a keeper of the deepest magic, where even the darkest fairy tales are real.

Here, a Girl is not supposed to be a woodcutter. Or be brave enough to walk alone.

Here, a Wolf is not supposed to love to read. Or be curious enough to meet a human.

And here, a Story is nothing like the ones you read in books, for the Witch can make the most startling tales come alive. All she needs is a Girl from the village, a Wolf from the forest, and a woodcutter with a nice, sharp axe.

So take care, little lambs, if you step into these woods. For in the Puszcza, it is always as dark as the hour between night and dawn -- the time old folk call the Wolf Hour. If you lose your way here, you will be lost forever, your Story no longer your own.

You can bet your bones.

Reviews

Praise for The Wolf Hour:

"A lovely, haunting weave of fable and fairytale, The Wolf Hour will claw its way into your heart and sing to your soul." -- Liesl Shurtliff, New York Times-bestselling author of Red: The True Story of Red Riding Hood

"Holmes' eerie, anachronistic storytelling style is perfectly suited for this postmodern fairy tale pastiche. . . . Holmes' dreamy narrative is not to be missed for fans of fairy tales and fairy tale retellings." -- Booklist

"This might land well with fans of Ursu's Breadcrumbs, and the triumphant conclusion could please fans of fairy tales with happy endings." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Compelling." -- Publishers Weekly

"This is a true fairy tale, a deep forest of a book. The Wolf Hour swallowed me whole." -- Laurel Snyder, author of Orphan Island

"Fairy tales are precarious places for girls and wolves. In a brash, dazzling break with tradition, Sara Lewis Holmes arms a woodcutter's daughter and a sensitive wolf pup with a means of defense against the old familiar roles that threaten to swallow them whole. The story of how they come together to rewrite fate is bewitchingly delicious; you'll gobble it up." -- Christine Heppermann, author of Poisoned Apples: Poems for You, My Pretty


Praise for Operation Yes:

* "The entire tale is purest stagecraft: quick, funny, sad, full of heart, and irresistibly absorbing." -- Booklist, starred review

"[T]his story of middle-school classmates who come together to honor their teacher and her war-injured brother entertains. . . . Miss Loupe is the kind of teacher every kid dreams about, and the 'all for one, one for all' mentality that comes through as the students band together is inspiring." -- Publishers Weekly

"In this lively, often funny novel, an enthusiastic teacher brings improv to restless sixth graders at a rundown school on a North Carolina Air Force base. . . . Pitched to readers in both military and civilian families, this engaging story avoids larger questions of war and peace, focusing instead on how they affect the lives of American kids who deal with the consequences every day." -- Kirkus Reviews

"The classroom is often a place of lessons, but Holmes tells her story -- infused with details of military life -- with heart and energy, and leaves any didacticism at the door. Sixth graders, military brats or not, will identify with this rich cast." -- The Horn Book Magazine