Classic Children’s Books: White Fang

This book is certainly among the creamy lot when it comes to classics for wildlife and nature lovers. ‘White Fang’ explores the violent world of the wild juxtaposed against human society from the perspective of a young wolf-dog hybrid. This is what has perhaps made this book such a growling success.

White Fang (1906)

Author: Jack London

Set against the backdrop of the Canadian wilderness, the story begins with two sledgers and their pack of dogs being attacked by a hungry pack of wolves. The pack includes a she-wolf who is part wolf and part dog. The she-wolf is courted by the leader of the pack and gives birth to a litter of pups, out of which only one survives – he is named White Fang.

White Fang’s very first human encounter occurs when he and his mother are domesticated by a tribe of Indians. From there on, White Fang is passed on from one evil master to the other, and is even traded for a bottle of whiskey at one point.

Bullied and harassed by humans as well as other dogs, he grows up to be a ferocious and aggressive wolf. His life changes when he is finally adopted by a kind man called Weedon Scott. Will White Fang ever learn to trust humans again, or will the call of the wild win out in the end?

Why The Kids Will Love It

White Fang is a poignant tale of a young wolf-dog hybrid written in first person. Older children will easily empathize with the protagonist. A riveting narrative is teamed up with imagery so rich that it allows the brain to run a virtual movie of sorts. Every dog-loving adolescent will enjoy this coming-of-age tale about love, compassion and belonging.

White Fang is a great book to instill in your child a love of nature and animals

Why You Will Love It

There have been several stories written about animal-human relationships, but this one explores the subject from a completely novel angle. All characters are strongly etched and even ironically named at times (Beauty Smith, for instance, is an ugly, wicked man addicted to whiskey).

The text is a literary treasure, with ample use of similes, imagery, metaphors and other figures of speech. The language may come across as a bit archaic, but it still makes for a very pleasurable read. If you want to instill in your child a love of nature and animals, ‘White Fang’ is a great way to begin.

If you like this, you will also love ‘The Call of the Wild’ by the same author.

Copyright © Shuchi Kalra

Shuchi Kalra is a freelance writer based in India. Her works have been published several online and print publications- both in India and abroad. She also writes content for websites, businesses and portals. She is currently working on a short-story anthology.

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