Skip to Main Content

About The Book

Hunting—the predator, and its prey—is at the heart of this riveting and suspenseful novel from Newbery Medalist Avi with illustrations from Caldecott Medalist Brian Floca.

In the computer game world of Bow Hunter—Casey’s world—there are no deaths, just kills. In Nashoba’s world—the wolf world—there have been no kills. For this is March, the Starving Time in the Iron Mountain region of Colorado, when wolves and ravens alike are desperate for food.

With the help of a raven, the miraculous Merla, Nashoba must lead his pack of eight to a next meal. The wolf hates being dependent on a mere bird, but Merla is a bird wise beyond her years.

And when thirteen-year-old Casey crosses their path, two very different approaches to hunting collide.

About The Author

Photograph by Katherine Warde

Avi is the author of more than seventy books for children and young adults, including the 2003 Newbery medal winner Crispin: The Cross of Lead. He has won two Newbery Honors and many other awards for his fiction. He lives with his family in Denver, Colorado. Visit him at Avi-Writer.com.

About The Illustrator

Brian Floca is the author and illustrator of the acclaimed picture books Locomotive, winner of the Caldecott Medal and a New York Times bestseller; Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11; and Lightship, each a Robert F. Sibert Honor Book. He is the illustrator of numerous additional books, including Avi’s Poppy series. You can visit him online at BrianFloca.com.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (August 4, 2015)
  • Length: 160 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781442499249
  • Grades: 3 - 7
  • Ages: 8 - 12
  • Lexile ® 630L The Lexile reading levels have been certified by the Lexile developer, MetaMetrics®

Browse Related Books

Awards and Honors

  • Kentucky Bluegrass Award Master List
  • Kansas NEA Reading Circle List Intermediate Title
  • Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year Selection Title
  • Green Earth Book Award Shortlist
  • Wisconsin State Reading Association's Reading List
  • Keystone to Reading Secondary Reading List (PA)

Resources and Downloads

High Resolution Images

  • Author Photo (jpg): Avi
    Photograph by Katherine Warde
    (0.1 MB)

    Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit

More books from this author: Avi

More books from this illustrator: Brian Floca