PAX
Pax was only a kit when his family was killed, rescued by “his boy,” Peter, from abandonment and certain death. Now the war front approaches, and when Peter’s father enlists, Peter has to move in with his grandfather. Far worse than being forced to leave home is the fact that Pax can’t go. Peter obeys his stern father and agrees to release Pax back into the wild. But before Peter makes it through even one night under his grandfather’s roof, regret and duty spur him to action; he sneaks out into the night, determined to find his beloved friend. This is the story of Peter, Pax, and their independent struggles to return to each other in the face of war.
From bestselling and award-winning author Sara Pennypacker comes a beautifully wrought, utterly compelling novel about the essential truths that define us and the devastating costs of war. Pax is destined to become a classic, beloved for generations to come.
PAX, Journey Home
It’s been a year since Peter and his pet fox, Pax, have seen each other. Once inseparable, they now lead very different lives. Pax and his mate, Bristle, have welcomed a litter of kits they must protect in a dangerous world. Meanwhile Peter—newly orphaned after the war, wracked with guilt and loneliness—leaves his adopted home with Vola to join the Water Warriors, a group of people determined to heal the land from the scars of the war.
When one of Pax's kits falls desperately ill, he turns to the one human he knows he can trust. And no matter how hard Peter tries to harden his broken heart, love keeps finding a way in. Now both boy and fox find themselves on journeys toward home, healing—and each other, once again.

PRAISE FOR PAX

"'Pax' the book is like Pax the fox: half wild and wholly beautiful."
– The New York Times Book Review
"A sorrowful story...moves cleanly and elegantly to an emotional end."
– The Wall Street Journal
★ "Moving and poetic."
–Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
★ "Pennypacker’s expert, evenhanded storytelling reveals stunning depth in a relatively small package."
– Booklist (starred review)
★ "In an exceptionally powerful, if grim story, Pennypacker does a remarkable job of conveying the gritty perspective of a sheltered animal that must instantly learn to live in the wild."
– Publishers Weekly (starred review)
★ "A startling work of fiction that should be read—and discussed—by children and adults alike."
– School Library Journal (starred review)
"Original and heartfelt, Pax shines and soars into your heart."
– John Schumacher, educator
"Searingly honest and heartbreakingly lovely, Pax is, quite simply, a masterpiece."
– Katherine Applegate, Newbery Award-winning author of The One and Only Ivan
"Pennypacker’s finest work yet…a story sure to resonate with readers long after they’ve finished the last page."
Dr. Rose Brock, Sam Houston State University
"It is a privilege to be destroyed and rebuilt by this novel with every read."
Elizabeth Bird, New York Public Library
"Pax will take hold of your heart from the very first page and not let go until long after you finish."
– Lisa Nehs, Books & Company
"A master storyteller, Pennypacker leads the reader along a path of shifting hopes to the story's heart-wrenching conclusion."
– Ann M. Martin, Newbery Honoree, author of Rain Reign
"You have to read this novel to experience its power."
– Margaret Brennan Neville, The King's English Bookshop
"Quite a feat – incredibly moving, highly original...a brave piece of writing."
– Monica Edinger, The Dalton School
"Sara Pennypacker has a seemingly effortless gift for capturing the innocence of childhood."
– Jonathan Hunt, San Diego County Office of Education
"Pax has that feeling of an instant classic."
– Mary Brown, Books, Bytes, and Beyond
"This book is one that will resonate with kids (and adults) for years to come."
– Leslie Hawkins, Spellbound Children’s Bookshop
"Pennypacker's Pax is a book that will remain in the minds and hearts of middle grade readers for the rest of their lives."
– Colby Sharp, co-founder of Nerdy Book Club

A #1 New York Times Bestseller

A Stunning Sequel

INSPIRE YOUR STUDENTS TO BUILD A BETTER WORLD WITH PAX

Download the Pax Classroom kit for tools to teach timely, thematic units on: IDENTITY, EMPATHY, the ENVIRONMENT & the NATURAL WORLD, and the IMPACT OF WAR.
Pax Classroom Kit
Pax Discussion Guide
 
Sara Pennypacker is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Pax; the award-winning Clementine series and its spinoff series, Waylon; and the acclaimed novels Summer of the Gypsy Moths and Here in the Real World. She divides her time between Cape Cod, Massachusetts and Florida. You can visit her online at sarapennypacker.com.
Jon Klassen grew up in Niagara Falls, Canada, and now lives in Los Angeles, California. He is the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of several books, including I Want My Hat Back and This Is Not My Hat, for which he won the Caldecott Medal. Two of his picture books have been named Caldecott Honor books: Sam and Dave Dig a Hole and Extra Yarn (winner of the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award), both by Mac Barnett. You can visit him online at burstofbeaden.com.
Art © by Jon Klassen
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