ACCESS DIGITIZED EDITION
Guide/Reviews Database
INTERMEDIATE FICTION
Bell, P. G.

The Big Bad Wolf Murder

224 pp. | Little | January, 2026 | Trade ISBN 9781250864864 $17.99
(2) 4-6 In a world where talking wolves live alongside humans, twelve-year-old Ruby is a rising star player of the sport Tooth & Claw, in which teams of human girls attempt to escape from a wolf opponent whose role is to hunt them. During a critical Tooth & Claw match, the wolf player chasing Ruby drops dead, and Ruby is framed as the number one suspect. Unwilling to be jailed and charged for a murder she didn’t commit, Ruby goes on the run with Fillan, a young wolf accused of being her accomplice, and they search for clues to identify the true culprit and clear their names. Bell takes a premise that pushes the limits of suspension of disbelief and runs with it, sending Ruby and the reader on a roller coaster ride featuring death-defying acrobatics, undercover investigations, and all the red herrings befitting a whodunnit mystery. The story doesn’t take itself too seriously, with tongue-in-cheek humor and plenty of winks and nods to the folktale that inspired it, such as characters named Charlotte Grimm and Wilhelm Jacobs. Although the Zootopia-esque treatment of wolves as a stigmatized population doesn’t always land, this is still an enjoyable romp that will have readers rooting for Ruby and Fillan to emerge victorious over their many enemies and obstacles.
Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2026

RELATED 

INTERMEDIATE FICTION

Speak Up, Santiago!
by Anta, Julio
INTERMEDIATE FICTION

The Tontine Caper
by Salerni, Dianne K.
INTERMEDIATE FICTION

Candle Island
by Wolk, Lauren
INTERMEDIATE FICTION

The Unlikely Heroes Club
by Foster, Kate
INTERMEDIATE FICTION

Queenie in Seven Moves
by Louise, Zanni
More

Get connected. Join our global community of more than 200,000 librarians and educators.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?