Stikki the Squirrel is a heartwarming, wholesome YA adventure story that will appeal to young and old alike. I wish I had this one to read to my grandchildren when they were younger, and I’m sure they would have re-read it after they had mastered that skill themselves.

Stikki is such a mischievous character who gets into trouble often with his inquisitive squirrel nature but has the best luck and skill for surviving those adventures unscathed.

I loved how author Jane Wood used her drawing talents along with her writing skills to illustrate the chapters along the way to enjoy the story even more.

It was interesting how the author brought each animal character to life with their very distinctive personalities, and I loved the imaginative names the author gave to each of the animal characters. The names made me smile and even chuckle at times.

I highly recommend this adventure to stimulate, educate, and entertain the young mind as well us older folks who are still young at heart.

A charming adventure. Jane Wood’s stories that take readers into the hearts and minds of animals are not to be missed. I found Stikki’s story that followed him from childhood and time with his sweet family to the wild adventures of him making his way in the wider world to be engaging and charming. The heartwarming tale swept me up and kept me intrigued to the end. The world building immersed me in Stikki’s world and I could picture each vivid scene.  Even though the book is aimed at younger audiences it is a delightful read for anyone.

A delightful little middle grade tale with exquisite illustrations, Stikki the Squirrel will be sure to appeal to fans of Colin Dann and Wilson Rawls. The story follows the seasons and the life of a family of squirrels. Stikki encounters many dangerous and entertaining situations as he grows to adulthood. The author clearly has a great love of nature and animals, and her descriptions are quite beautiful.

A sweet, coming-of-age tale of a young squirrel and all the crazy antics he gets up to. There were a number of elements to this smartly plotted story I particularly enjoyed. Firstly, I loved Stikki; he’s so full of energy and so wanting to know what everything is and how everything works, the perfect protagonist for this sort of story. Secondly, there’s a good flow to the writing style; not only that, but the vocabulary is also well-chosen, making this accessible to the reading age. And thirdly, it’s all so very innocent. Yes, there’s danger, but it’s mostly the exciting sort, and nothing too terrible happens. So, if you are a grandparent, parent or school looking for a ‘safe’, classic-feeling chapter book for 7 – 11-year-olds, you can’t go far wrong with Stikki the Squirrel. It’s a fun story filled with all sorts of twists and turns, and I suspect most readers will enjoy getting to know Stikki and rooting for him.

Enchanting Story.

I bought this book and Stikki the Squirrel for my grandchildren and ended up reading them myself after my granddaughter Emily told me how engaging the stories were.

The book is beautifully written; I love how the author effortlessly interacts with the human characters and animals in this enthralling, well-crafted, delightful tale that will entertain adults and children alike.

Highly recommended.

Gripping Tale of Man and Nature.

An entertaining and page-turning adventure book for all ages. Jane Wood enchants the reader with thrilling, fast-moving scenes and vivid descriptions.

“GoldenEars,” is a fictional “behind-the-scenes” look at the lives of wolf packs. It is made more poignant by experiencing much of the story through the eyes of the animals.

This is a heartwarming and sometimes terrifying story that should open readers’ minds and hearts to the plight of the wolves caught in a continuous vicious cycle as they struggle to survive in a world where humans are encroaching on their territory.

Jane Wood’s brilliant writing kept this reader transfixed and made me acutely aware of the importance of supporting those who are protecting our precious wildlife.

GoldenEars is a lovely read geared toward the YA audience. Breaking out of that nutshell, however, let me emphasize the book involves much more than that simple assessment. Well-researched and well-written, the book is the story of a young man named Edmund, trying to find himself and his purpose as young people do. On a weeks-long camping trip in the wilds of Alberta, Canada, Edmund develops an unlikely friendship with a runt wolf pup named Kegg – with odd golden tips to his ears – and it changes his life. One of my favourite aspects of this book is the alternating perspective between the wolves and the humans. Reading in the voices of the pack enriched the story in a brilliant way.

While any YA reader who loves animals and nature will enjoy this book, adult readers will enjoy it too and appreciate the firm stance it takes on nature conservation, wildlife protection, and ecological thinking.

If you love stories about animals you will absolutely adore this story. You can identify with Edmund as he passionately defends his love for the wolf pup he encountered and has formed an inexplicably strong bond with. Hints of some supernatural influences become clear at the end, which makes the story all the more enticing. Parts of the story were seen through the eyes of the wolves which were my absolute favourite. You really get an insight into their lives and I felt completely invested in their plight and adventures. Great for kids and adults.

Oh my, talk about another gripping instalment! The strong bond between Edmund and the wolf cub Kegg that developed in Whispering Mountain deepens in The Pale Skulls.

Now a full-time ranger, Edmund meets Joe, a Native American who shares his passion and knowledge of wolf legends. Together, they embark on a dangerous, supernatural journey into the wolf’s spirit world.

Author Jane H. Wood weaves suspense, intrigue, and compelling characters into the Canadian wilderness setting, her evocative descriptions with Native American culture, friendship and loyalty, adding a rich layer to the narrative.

The first book was unexpected, and this one is really exciting, as Edmund first has to rescue the wolves from the murky ‘after life’ and then they have the challenge of how to get rid of the extremely scary ‘Pale Skulls’, which they name the almost invisible but highly dangerous dead-but-not-dead beasts which have escaped when the wolves left the After Life. Think vampire animals here, for that’s how I imagined them, except a bite from one of them meant death from a vicious poison. I found this book to be one that I had to keep reading, and all the time worrying for both people and wolves.

The Pale Skulls have all the elements of a great story: suspense, intrigue, and compelling characters, and even a supernatural element. I especially like how Jane H. Wood focuses on the bonds not only between Edmund and Kegg/GoldenEars, but amongst all of the characters, from family to friendships. This story has wonderful depth that you can take from the book to real-life with you as it helps you to realise that good, pure, balanced relationships are truly the most important thing in life. Plus, you get the added bonus of learning about Native American culture and spirituality from a new friend that Edmund crosses paths with on his journey.

While being a fantasy it is sympathetic to wolves in the wild. The main thing to mention is it has a very visual quality. I like books where I can see the adventure as I read them. I think it would make a fantastic fantasy film for young adults if combined with aspects of book one to give it context to the narrative. Read both books…you won’t be disappointed.