Pax

• Genre: Fiction; middle grade adventure
• Originally Published: 2016
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 760L; grades 3-8
• Structure/Length: 34 chapters; approx. 278 pages; approx. 5 hours, 32 minutes on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: The circumstances of an unnamed war compel a young boy, Peter, to abandon his pet fox, Pax. Regretful and heartsick, Peter is determined to find Pax and sets out on a challenging journey in search of his beloved friend. Meanwhile, Pax devotedly searches for Peter with the help of new acquaintances.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: War; death; separation; abandonment            

Sara Pennypacker, Author

• Bio: Born in 1951; studied art and worked as a painter; homeschooled her children; has written more than 20 children’s books; contributed to Flat Stanley series; lives in Florida and Massachusetts; loves cake, pie, and art; winner of the Golden Kite Award (for Pierre in Love); Clementine books have won numerous awards, including the Christopher Award
• Other Works: Clementine (2006); Pierre in Love (2007); Waylon! The Most Awesome of All (2019); Pax Journey Home (2021)
• Awards: National Book Award for Young People’s Literature (longlist, 2016)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• Escape From Captivity Into the Wild
• The Cost of War
• False-Acting

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Develop an understanding of the emotional toll of war through analysis of the protagonist’s loss of his pet as a central theme.