Wild Life

by Cynthia DeFelice
Lexile:  860
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Erik is so excited to have passed his test that will enable he and his best friend Patrick to go pheasant hunting.  The trip is all planned, but when Erik arrives home, his parents have some surprising news. They are both being deployed to Iraq and Erik is being sent to North Dakota to live with grandparents he barely knows.  Erik is very upset and even more so when he arrives in North Dakota and realizes his grandfather doesn't want him there.  Erik befriends a lost dog and finally finds something to like about North Dakota.