First Wolf

This is a brilliant book from a former Shropshire primary school teacher, traveller, poet, actor and artist. And now Carole Carr from Ludlow can definitely add 'children's novelist' to her list of many talents. In her first book, aimed at 10 to 12 year olds, she uses her expertise and life experiences, woven together with a brilliant imagination to create 'First Wolf'. Youngsters will be plunged into a brilliant vibrant adventure with just enough energy and realism to keep them on the edge of their seats without being 'too heavy' or too grown-up to cope with.
Together with Carole's Anglo-Saxon hero Toland, young readers will be transported on a journey to an incredible world. And along the way, they learn about truth, honesty, and friendship. and of course, that good always triumphs over evil.
I enjoyed this book, it has a proper plot, unlike some publications for pre-teens, and reading it holds so many benefits for young bookworms. It provides excellent fodder to bridge the gap between books for children and the more adult material available for teenagers.
After visiting plenty of historical places with her school children, Carole said she used the sites as an extension of her classroom. She encouraged children to create their own music, paintings, to write their own stories and poetry, and to make mathematical models, and all of these experiences have formed a basis for her novels. --Sophie Bignall, Head Reporter, Shropshire Star

In a world and time more like our own than we would admit, Carole Anne Carr creates a story woven with child-understanding, Anglo-Saxon history, and mythical allusions. While full of adventure, action, and mystery, this hero-tale is anchored in a young boy s rite of passage that involves the killing of his first wolf and his survival in the destructive adult world in which he lives. More evident in our early history, than in our present time of science and technology, are the boy's otherworldly helpers who are everywhere around him, and central to this story is Toland s dedication to fulfilling his promise to the monks of Lindisfarne, despite the threats to his life that this single-minded focus brings. From the beginning, the story holds readers both young and old and does not fail to surprise throughout. Left wanting more of this boy-man s life, I would pose that readers will not let Carole rest until she returns to this period of history. Attempting to describe the lives of those who lived in Northumbria in the Dark Ages presents her with many difficulties, but in our return to the 8th century we are given glimpses of beliefs that have been passed down to us through the ages and that we still hold more deeply than we ever recognise. Paddy Kennington, Ph.D., LPC, NCC, EMDR Level II --Review from Dr. Paddy Kennington, [Professor, Georgia Tech. Atlanta]

From the moment I opened the cover and read the first paragraph of Carole Anne Carr's First Wolf I was hooked. We follow the journey of twelve year old Toland and his family who are forced to flee from the horrible Eorl Uhtred who is attacking villages, and due to Toland's father's refusal to give Eorl Uhtred what he wants, their village is next. I really cared about what happened to Toland and I was amazed by the ferocity of his sense of honour and courage as he helps his grandmother, mother and younger brother to safety. I forgot several times in the book that he is a boy and not a man. Despite his disability and young age, his dogged determination to follow his father's instructions and the quest entrusted upon him by the monks of Lindisfarne endeared me to him and his plight. It's a coming of age book that shows older children that although unfair and bad things do sometimes happen, the power of the good in people does win through over the bad. Sometimes children are forced to take control and lead the way. Poor Toland has enough trials and danger to last him a life time in First Wolf, but with his beloved dog Bodo by his side, and his friendship with a young girl Kendra, and help from others they meet on the way, mixed in with a little mythology and the supernatural, First Wolf is an excellent read. --Book review of First Wolf by writer and journalist Julie Phillips

Carole Anne Carr was a primary teacher in Shropshire and always searching for suitable fiction to support her work in the classroom. As an historian, and with short stories and poetry published and broadcast, she is now producing novels for the primary school age range that are the result of years of historical study with school children in Shropshire and historical research in other counties.