To the Top of the World - Adventures with Arctic Wolves

Brandenburg, J. (1993). To the Top of the World-Adventures with Arctic Wolves. New York: Walker Publishing Co.

Brief Annotation: The book chronicles the experiences of wildlife photographer, Jim Brandenburg, as he spends a summer photographing an arctic wolf pack on Ellesmere Island, in Canada’s Northwest Territory.

Genre: Non-fiction, realistic animal story

Grade Level: 3-6

Readers who will like this: Kids interested in wildlife, kids exploring the important connection between wildlife and its environment, kids studying the similarities/ differences between wolves and the domesticated canine (Life science, evolutionary studies)

Response/Rating (1-4): 4, While on assignment for National Geographic, Jim Brandenburg captures the daily life on the tundra of the elusive arctic wolf. Beautiful photographs and detailed narrative let readers experience wolves in their natural habitat with a daily existence that centers on the “pack” or family life. Older kids have the opportunity to use the book as a valuable resource in the study of wildlife and its environment.

One question you would ask before a read aloud: How are wolves portrayed in books or movies? Do you think these portrayals are accurate or untrue? Why or why not?

Reading Strategies Connection: (Yopp and Yopp, p. 37). Students can benefit from the study of wildlife and its habitat by using a KWL chart prior to reading the nature selection. Students begin by writing (K column) what they already know about wolves. In column W, the students write down what they want to learn from the reading. Column L is filled in after the book is read and through class discussions. If not all questions are answered by the reading, the teacher should encourage further investigation using resources, such as additional literature or the internet. The chart can also serve as a beginning resource for the study of wildlife. Through class discussions, teachers have the opportunity to assess student knowledge and interests while also indentifying future subject material.