Julie Trilogy: Julie of the Wolves (Book 1)

I found it vaguely reminiscent of 'My Side of the Mountain', from a distinctly female perspective, and facing a harsher landscape. The wolves and their social structure, of course, were my primary draw to this book. The idea of a human (and a 13 year old girl, at that) could be incorporated into a wolf pack was nothing short of enchanting to me.

At the time I read this (while still in my Young Adult years) the emphasis on reading subtle signal and body language brought me to a better consciousness of non-verbal communication in both animals and humans. It also imparted a healthy respect for one's environment and the resources at hand. While I wasn't a fan of the ending, I thought the content made it more than worth enduring.