The Dog with Golden Eyes

Winner of the Milkweed Prize for Children's Literature, "The Dog with Golden Eyes" is not only a factual nature story but also a book about responsibility in the face of tough issues. Cassie feels that the world is collapsing. Her father leaves her and her mother alone, Cassie's best friend dumps her, and her mother refuses to let her have her fondest wish: a dog. When a big white dog shows up at her house, Cassie decides to adopt it, naming it Toklata. She learns to earn money to pay for dog food, and, in her curiosity about Toklata's background, she comes to realize that her adopted dog is an Arctic wolf. Cassie also realizes that a wolf can't be treated like a dog nor is a wolf safe living near human society. When Cassie comes to terms with the inevitability that Toklata must be returned to the wilderness, she also finds out that, for her own future, what seems like a closed door can really be an open window of opportunity. --Susan Swartwout