Runt (novel) facts for kids
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| Author | Marion Dane Bauer |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Publisher | Clarion Books |
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Publication date
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October 21, 2002 |
| Pages | 131 |
| ISBN | 978-0-618-21261-3 |
| OCLC | 49558730 |
| LC Class | PZ10.3.B317 Ru 2002 |
Runt is an exciting children's novel from 2002, written by Marion Dane Bauer. It tells the story of a small wolf pup who is the tiniest in his family, often called a "runt." This book shows how he tries to find his place and earn respect in his wolf pack.
Contents
Discovering the Wolf Pack's World
One spring day in the forests of Minnesota, a wolf pack welcomes five new pups. The pack is led by the strong alpha male, King, and his mate, Silver. The first four pups get names like Leader, Sniffer, Runner, and Thinker.
The last pup born is much smaller than the rest. His father, King, is not pleased and names him Runt. But his mother, Silver, tells Runt that one day his father will give him a much better name.
Runt's Early Challenges
As Runt grows, he gets bigger, but he is still smaller than his brothers and sisters. One day, Runt and his brother Thinker get too curious. They bother a porcupine, which attacks them with sharp quills. Both pups are badly hurt.
Sadly, Thinker gets very sick from a quill in his eye and passes away. This makes King, their father, very angry. Human wildlife rescuers find Runt and carefully remove the quills. After helping him, they let him go back to the wild.
While recovering, Runt meets a friendly dog named Goldie. He doesn't understand that Goldie is a pet. He tries to get her to come with him, but she cannot leave her human home.
Searching for a New Identity
Runt dreams of being renamed. He imagines being called "Brave One" when he howls at the humans who helped him. Later, he thinks he will be called "Provider" when he brings back a piece of a cow's tail.
However, Runt is not renamed, and he still doesn't get the respect he wants. For a while, the other wolves even avoid him because he smells like humans. This makes Runt very sad.
He decides to wander off with Bider, a wolf who is not part of the main pack. But Runt soon learns that living alone is dangerous. Bider eats some bad meat that a farmer left out, and it makes him very sick, and he doesn't survive.
Finding His True Name
As Runt continues his journey alone, he finds an old moose that is weak and easy to hunt. He howls loudly to call his pack, hoping to tell them about this big meal. His howls reach the other wolves.
When his father, King, hears Runt's howl, he finally gives him a new name: "Singer." Runt feels happy and sure of himself at last. He rejoins his pack, now known as Singer, and is finally accepted.
Main Characters
- Runt/Singer: He is the main character of the book. Runt is a black wolf pup with a white star on his chest, just like his father, King. He is the youngest and smallest pup born to King and Silver. He eventually earns the name "Singer" because of his powerful howl. Before this, he hoped to be called "Brave One" or "Provider."
- King: He is the strong alpha male of Runt's pack and Runt's father. King does not want the pack to hunt cows, which causes arguments with Bider. He is Silver's mate and can be tough to please.
- Silver: She is King's mate and Runt's mother. Silver has a beautiful silvery gray fur coat, which gives her name. She is kind and understanding towards her young son, Runt.
- Other Pack King: Runt accidentally follows this wolf into his territory, mistaking him for his mother. This wolf's pack lives close to King's territory. He allows Runt to go home but marks the trees to warn Runt and other wolves not to enter his land again.
- Bider: He is a white wolf who is not accepted by the main pack. Bider argues with King about hunting cows and is eventually forced to leave the pack. He dies after eating poisoned meat that a farmer left out.
