On his twelfth birthday, Charlie Merriam learns that his newborn baby brother, Dara, has a heart defect. He flees into nearby Mandel Forest, where he finds himself transported back in time to the Stone Age. Charlie finds an injured boy wearing deerskins lying unconscious in the stream. Charlie rescues the boy, whose name is Hartboy, and helps him search for his baby sister, Mothgirl.
The Wild Way Home contains examples of:
- Big Brother Instinct: Hartboy is determined to find and protect Mothgirl.
- Death by Childbirth: Hartboy's ma gave birth to Mothgirl, then fell ill. Hartboy gave her the deertooth around his neck in the hopes that it would protect her, but she died anyway. Hartboy fled into the forest, fell in the stream, and hit his head on a rock.
- Disappeared Dad: Charlie's friend Lamont's dad left last year. Lamont rarely talks about it.
- Identity Amnesia: Hartboy hit his head on a rock in the stream, and remembers nothing except the need to protect Mothgirl. His memories gradually return during the story.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Charlie's friend Beaky hates her real name, Beatrice Bird, and never uses it.
- Pet's Homage Name: Charlie's cat is named Howard Carter. He used to have another one named King Tut.
- Siblings Wanted: Charlie has wanted a sibling his whole life.
- Tears of Joy:
- Charlie cries after Dara is born, before he learns about Dara's heart defect.
- Charlie and his dad both cry when they learn Dara's operation went well.
- Unexpectedly Abandoned: Charlie and Hartboy find the camp where he lived with his family, only to find it deserted, with meat left cooking over the fire. His ma is dead. His pa is out looking for him.
