I read this book to see for myself why the reviews talk about it with such fondness and reverence. The protagonists are two 11 year old boys who are called from our world to a parallel world which needs a hero to catch a wolf. Based on Norse mythology, the wolf is Fenris and represents Fear. At the beginning of the story the boys are enemies. Forced to work together to find Fenris and restrain him they are set tasks which they must cooperate to do. Thus a friendship builds. It is a good read, and a good lesson. ( )

Small fantasy adventure tale about becoming friends and the relationship between magic and poetry.

My love of this book is colored by my memories of reading it when I was a child. I borrowed it from my teacher who then gave it to me at the end of the year. I tried to make all my friends read it, but nobody liked it but me. For many decades I was convinced I was the only person in the world who had ever read it. Then a friend quoted the central poem and I was overjoyed to find another reader. ( )