This book shows an interesting portrayal of life before, during, and after the rebellion in Ireland in the summer of 1798,from the perspective of two children.It is a very well balanced book that creates no heros or villians.

I discovered this book traveling in Ireland last fall while choosing books for my neice and nephew. It is an excellent read combining mystery, Irish mythology, poetry interpretation, environmental concerns, and an inside look at the culture of Irish life. The author spins an intelligent, suspenseful, exciting, and meaningful tale filled with Irish charm and lore. I am ordering several of his books to read...and then pass along to the pre-teens in my life!

I picked this book up last year in Ireland, and then read it to my 9 year old. The level of detail in it is fantastic - in fact I was worried at first that it would bore him but it is well worth the effort. The chracters are well defined, and the pace, once it gets moving, is very fast. BTW - as in real life, animals die in this book, including some animals you really care about. But this is handled very well. Their is some great mythmaking as well as an overall "ecological" feel to it that puts you in the place of the foxes as they try to survive in a changing world. A really good read. Note that this book is not sutiable for young children - it is too complex a read.

"Run to the Wild Wood" by Tom McCaughren is a fantasy adventure story about foxes, written in the same fashion of "Watership Down" and the Redwall series. It was an easy read, about second or third grade level, and it was a charming story, but it was confusing in some places. The foxes have silly names like Scat, Twinkle, and Young Black Tip. They're cute, really, but they didn't have enough distinct characteristics that I could remember which one was which. It wasn't a big problem, however. I enjoyed the book for an easy read. I reccomend it to any young reader, or anyone who likes light, fun material.

I enjoy fantasy books, especially stories featuring animals like the Redwall series by Brian Jaques and Watership Down by Richard Adams. "Run To the Wild Wood" is exactly this kind of book, and my grandmother brought it to me all the way from Ireland. Amazon seems a much easier and better way to go. I enjoyed the book, it was a very easy read, but it was a little confusing. I lost the plot in a couple places. The story made cross references, and I think I missed out on part of a series. I got the characters confused, I kept forgetting which fox was which. I recommend it for younger readers who like fantasy books, but beware: it's not the kind of book you can read while distracted by music, talk, tv, etc...