Book cover for Pax by Sara Pennypacker
2016 Released
288 Pages
3-4 Hours
★ 3.95 52,893 ratings
Audiobook Unavailable
HarperCollinsISBN 9780062377036

New York Times Bestseller * National Book Award Longlist 

From bestselling and award-winning author Sara Pennypacker comes a beautifully wrought, utterly compelling novel about the powerful relationship between a boy and his fox. Pax is destined to become a classic, beloved for generations to come. 

Pax and Peter have been inseparable ever since Peter rescued him as a kit. But one day, the unimaginable happens: Peter's dad enlists in the military and makes him return the fox to the wild.

At his grandfather's house, three hundred miles away from home, Peter knows he isn't where he should be—with Pax. He strikes out on his own despite the encroaching war, spurred by love, loyalty, and grief, to be reunited with his fox.

Meanwhile Pax, steadfastly waiting for his boy, embarks on adventures and discoveries of his own. . . .

Pax is a wonderful choice for independent reading, sharing in the classroom, homeschooling, and book groups.

Plus, don't miss Pax, Journey Home, the sequel to the award-winning and modern classic Pax.


  • A Boy and His Fox: Peter and Pax have been together since Peter rescued him as a kit. Now, separated by 300 miles and a looming war, they’ll do anything to find each other again.
  • Dual Perspective: Told in alternating chapters from the points of view of both the boy and the fox, this novel offers a unique look at loyalty, love, and the costs of war.
  • A Coming of Age Story: On his own for the first time, Peter must face the world to right a terrible wrong, discovering his own strength and moral compass along the way.
  • Survival and Friendship: As Pax navigates the wild and Peter journeys through a changed world, both find unlikely allies and discover what it truly means to belong.

Sara Pennypacker

Sara Pennypacker is the author of the New York Times bestselling Pax and Pax, Journey Home; 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.

More by Sara Pennypacker

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