Pax

Readers accustomed to the charm of Sara Pennypacker's Clementine series might be surprised by the depth and darkness of her new book for older readers. Twelve-year-old Peter and Pax, the pet fox he was forced to abandon, search for each other and learn to survive in the wild during a time of war. They find plenty of danger but unexpected kindness too, in the rare kind of story that breaks your heart and fills it up at the same time. Pax might well become a classic. (Ages 9 to 12)