Maria lives with her grandfather in a small mountain village in the snowy north.

One winter morning, she is on her way to school when she spots a small grey bundle lying under a tree, half-covered in the powdery snow - a wolf cub!

Maria knows that she should leave the cub, but her curiosity and compassion are aroused.

Will the cub still be there when she walks home? "Personal and Social Development: New to the Barefoot Young Fiction" series, this debut novel by Rochdale author Richard Knight explores key issues around the relationship between humans and animals, and between the individual and their community.