Book excerpt: A young child joins his scientist parents as they observe the behavior a wolf pack over the course of one year. The narrator decides to keep a diary and records how the pack’s alpha pair digs a den and then raises a litter of cubs. From watching the cubs emerge from the den for the first time, to seeing the cubs grow into adults and find their places in the hierarchy of the pack, the reader will follow the daily life of the close-knit wolf family. Colorful photos, diagrams, and clear, age-appropriate text will engage young readers as they explore the life cycle, natural habitat, physical characteristics, diet, and behavior of these intelligent and fascinating animals. The diary format models scientific observation and critical thinking—and encourages children to keep notebooks recording their own investigations into the natural world.