Customer Reviews

The Bears of Blue River (Library of Indiana Classics)

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The book "The Bears of Blue River" was a very interesting book for me to read. The content of the book was very simple and quite easy to follow. Children of all ages, along with adults, will find this book hard to put down after they start to read it. This story takes place in Shelby County. One of the main reasons I chose to read this book was because I live in Shelby County.
My grandmother read this book to me when I was in pre-school. I have always remembered about how Balsar, the main character in the book, loved his gun and the outdoors. In this book it talks about how there is a "blowout hole" where the Conns Creek and the Flatrock River flow together. We (Hinkles, my family) actually own property that is on the banks next to the blowout hole. So this was very interesting for me. I too have also explored the many little caves and such that are on the Flatrock River.
I believe this is a wonderful book that boys and girls, even men and women, will be able to enjoy very much. The book has absolutely amazing descriptions of various places in Shelby County. I have found these descriptions to be very accurate, as I have hiked, camped, fished, or hunted on the exact same land the author, Charles Major, described so very well.

In 2001 my father age 82 mentioned this book as the only one he remembered his father reading to him as a young boy. I'm his son at age 59 and decided to get a library copy for us to read again. Dad doesn't read much anymore but he devoured the book which brought good memories back. I liked it as well because it gave me a family "connection" over 3 generations, and the book is also easy to read and good reading to boot. Our ancestors settled in Indiana in the 1830's and they lived next to the Flatrock River(in the book)Had to buy a copy for family keepsake

The Bears of Blue River was written by Charles Major a native of Indiana. The story takes place in the early nineteenth century in rural Indiana. Indiana was just a baby state during the time of the story.
The characters of this story are very significant. Balser Brent and his wife moved their family including three children, Little Balser, a younger brother Jim and a one year old sister, to Indiana. The family moved from North Carolina. When they moved to Indiana the family purchased 80 acres of land. The land was located on the east bank of the Big Blue River.
Little Balser is the main character of the book. He was a very brave young man. He was brave because he always had encounters with bears and wildlife. One day Little Balsers mother told him to go fishing and take his fathers gun incase he ran into some bears. As he was on his way back home with the fish he had caught, he ran into a bear. It was standing in front of Balser. Balser fed the bear one of the fish and then Balser shot the bear with his father's gun.
Little Balser had a big dream to own his own gun someday. Balser helped a young couple to escape to be married. The couple wanted to repay Balser, but they didn't know how. So they asked Balser if there was something they could bring him. Balser told them he really wanted his own gun. A few weeks later the couple brought Balser back his very own gun from Indianapolis.
There are many other exciting adventures with Balser. One significant part is when Balser and his father found two cubs in a cave close to Conns Creek. They had killed the momma and papa bears, so Balser took the cubs home to raise. Balser named the cubs Tom and Jerry. This is significant because the statue on the north end of the circle in Shelbyville, Indiana is Balser holding up the two cubs. Every summer Shelbyville holds a celebration "The Bears of Blue River." The celebration consists of a parade and entertainment to remember Shelbyville, Indiana and how it once was in the past

Growing up in the small town of Shelbyville, IN, The Bears of Blue River is a must read book. Everyday in the town of Shelbyville, one can be reminded of little Balsar and his adventures. Located around the circle in Shelbyville, stands a statue of Balsar holding the two bear cubs, Tom and Jerry. The statue is part of the history behind Shelbyville.
The Bears of Blue River brings back many wonderful childhood memories. After recess everyday in the fourth grade, my class would gather in the front of the room to hear what exciting adventures were in store for Balsar. The Bears of Blue River puts youngsters on the edge of their seat. I know that I could not wait to see what dangers Balsar would overcome next; I believe this is why I love the book. The pages of this book cannot be turned fast enough. The Bears of Blue River was the book that opened my eyes to the wonderful world of reading. Children are not the only ones who love to read the book, adults enjoy the book as well.
The book depicts what real life was like back in the twenties, something no reality show can duplicate. Harsh winters and fierce animals were only a part of what the Brent family had to encounter, sometimes on a daily basis. The book allows children to relive the life of Balsar and his friends. I think the book could really give children a deeper appreciation of today's way of living.
I am a first year college student, who still to this day thinks that The Bears of Blue River is the most fun and action packed book one can buy. Children and adults of all ages are sure to fall in love with the brave little Balsar and all of his friends.

Growing up in Shelby County, Indiana, the setting for the classic book and home of the annual Bears of Blue River Festival, this book has always held a special place in my heart. It was one of the first books I was ever read in school and as I got older, I found myself in many of the exact places that were used in the book, such as the Blowout Hole which is where the Fire Bear supposedly fell off the cliff and exploded.
The actual story is even more interesting. In that part of Indiana, there are many natural gas pockets deep in the ground. A settler had been burning brush and caused one of these pockets to explode, creating a deep hole (Blowout Hole) where the Flat Rock River and Conns Creek flow together. Both streams flowed backwards for a week, and the windows on houses were shattered for miles around. In fact, a childhood friend of mine lived in one of the nearby houses and it still exhibited a crack from foundation to roof from the mighty explosion. The tiny farming community even made the front page of the New York Times.

Anyways, just wanted to give you some background. If you're ever in the area, go visit the fields and streams south of Waldron, Indiana and your sure to see some of the settings in Majors' book. You'll probably come across a lot of Native American arrowheads and other artifacts as well--if you look close enough.

And if you haven't read the book, do so at once!!!

I am an elementary teacher in southern Indiana. I have read the Bears of Blue River to my students almost every year I have taught, which means I have read it to students for over 30 years. The only exception being that the teacher who had the class the previous year, had already read it. My students have always loved it. Many of them would check the book out of the library to read after I had read it to the class. Some of my former students remind me how much they loved that book. It is truly an enjoyable book, not only for kids, but for adults as well.

In 1953 I started first-grade in southern Indiana. My teacher, Pearl Monroe, read Charles Major's 1900 Bears of Blue River to us. She, also, read it to my father in a one-room school house. It was my favorite book. There was one sad part in the book where Mrs. Monroe always cried. She would have an older student finish the chapter. In about 1980, I read it to my kindergarten age son. I also cried when the Polly died in an explosion that killed the dreaded Fire Bear. About five years ago, in a used book store in Colorado. I read it to my father who was in his 80's. Together we enjoyed the memories it brought back. This year I started teaching fourth-grade at the Odessa Christian School here in Odessa, TX - having just retired after 21 years with the pubilc schools. I just finished reading this marvelous adventure story to my class. They all acclaimed that it was the best book they ever heard read. I highly recommend this book and the sequel, Uncle Tom Andy Bill. Donald Potter

My home room teacher read this book to my class in 1954. It was something that all of us looked forward to everyday. I have read thousands of books since, and no book has touched me like this one. It is a book that has appeal and value for young girls and boys.

The Bears of Blue River is a book I can heartily recommend parents to buy and read to their children. This book, about the many pioneer outdoors experiences of young Balser in the 1820's, is a great way to introduce youngsters to life in a simpler, yet challenging time. My children are captivated as they hang on every word of Balser's bear hunting exploits in the forests of the then-young State of Indiana. My Mother, who is 91 years of age, purchased the book for my young son, and wrote in the forward "Your Grandpa Wayne liked these stories when he was a boy". Eighty-five years later, his 12 year old and 4 year old grandsons are equally enthusiastic. Don't miss this one for your sons!

Growing up in Shelby County, Indiana, the setting for the classic book and home of the annual Bears of Blue River Festival, this book has always held a special place in my heart. It was one of the first books I was ever read in school and as I got older, I found myself in many of the exact places that were used in the book, such as the Blowout Hole which is where the Fire Bear supposedly fell off the cliff and exploded.

The actual story is even more interesting. In that part of Indiana, there are many natural gas pockets deep in the ground. A settler had been burning brush and caused one of these pockets to explode, creating a deep hole (Blowout Hole) where the Flat Rock River and Conns Creek flow together. Both streams flowed backwards for a week, and the windows on houses were shattered for miles around. In fact, a childhood friend of mine lived in one of the nearby houses and it still exhibited a crack from foundation to roof from the mighty explosion. The tiny farming community even made the front page of the New York Times.

Anyways, just wanted to give you some background. If you're ever in the area, go visit the fields and streams south of Waldron, Indiana and your sure to see some of the settings in Majors' book. You'll probably come across a lot of Native American arrowheads and other artifacts as well--if you look close enough.

And if you haven't read the book, do so at once!!!