Craig's debut novel has a prehistoric setting. Malu wants to learn to throw a spear as the boys of her cliff-dwelling clan do. She also has an unusual fascination for wolves and brings home an orphaned pup. At first, Malu's people are suspicious of Kono, the wolf, but are won over when Malu trains her to hunt and to protect them. When Kono attacks a hunter in Malu's defense, the pair must flee to avoid Kono's punishment--death. They discover the gorge where the mammoth herd that had once provided meat for the clan now lives, and Malu must convey this lifesaving knowledge to her people without sacrificing her beloved Kono. This story of man's--girl's- -first best friend may disappoint Julie of the Wolves (1974) fans with its dearth of lupine detail, but the book is otherwise a fine first work. (Fiction. 8-12)
