Woolvs in the Sitee

Of all the picture books that I have read, none have had as much of a lasting, profound effect upon me as Woolvs in the Sitee (2006) by Margaret Wild (illustrated by Anne Spudvilas). This award winning, yet controversial book sends the reader on a wild, heart pounding ride of an adventure. By the time you get to the end, you have to re-read it to make sure you didn't miss anything!

Woolvs in the Sitee is a brief, terrifying story a boy, Ben, who is trapped in a single room in a basement by himself. He is trapped by the "woolvs" who have taken over the city where he lives. In this first person narrative, Ben doesn't tell us who or what the "woolvs" are, but he lets us know they are there. His only ally, Miss Radinski, goes missing one day and Ben has to face his fears and the "woolvs" and go out to rescue her, the same way she had rescued him once.

The spelling and dark colors on the cover of Woolvs in the Sitee set an ominous tone for the story. The reader can't help but wonder what has gone wrong. The edge to edge dark illustrations and childlike spelling of the actual text create a dark textured story. Throughout the story, the images are either what Ben sees looking up, or views looking down on Ben. Ben is always looking off somewhere else, except on the last page where the illustrator uses demand. On the last page, Ben is looking directly up at us, the readers, and saying, "Joyn me," as he goes out to face the demons that he fears and that have taken Miss Radinski.

While not appropriate for kindergartners, Woolvs in the Sitee would be better suited for third grade students and up. I would have my students retelling the story through B-M-E organizers. I would also have them do some character work, telling me how Ben changes. This exercise has them telling me how he feels at the beginning and at the end of the story and how he changed. Through this exercise, they would also tell me what the catalyst was that caused this change. And of course, we would discuss who or what the "woolvs" in the story represent.

Woolvs in the Sitee is a profound, thought provoking story. I feel like it might be a good book for an upper grade classroom library. I feel like the story is powerful enough to interest and hook students who claim they don't enjoy reading.