Touching Spirit Bear [AUDIOBOOK] [UNABRIDGED] (Audio Cassette)

by Ben Mikaelsen (Author), Lee Tergesen (Reader)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Cole Matthews is angry. Angry, defiant, smug--in short, a bully. His anger has taken him too far this time, though. After beating up a ninth-grade classmate to the point of brain damage, Cole is facing a prison sentence. But then a Tlingit Indian parole officer named Garvey enters his life, offering an alternative called Circle Justice, based on Native American traditions, in which victim, offender, and community all work together to find a healing solution. Privately, Cole sneers at the concept, but he's no fool--if it gets him out of prison, he'll do anything. Ultimately, Cole ends up banished for one year to a remote Alaskan island, where his arrogance sets him directly in the path of a mysterious, legendary white bear. Mauled almost to death, Cole awaits his fate and begins the transition from anger to humility.

Ben Mikaelsen's depiction of a juvenile delinquent's metamorphosis into a caring, thinking individual is exciting and fascinating, if at times heavy-handed. Cole's nastiness and the vivid depictions of the lengths he must go to survive after the (equally vivid) attack by the bear are excruciating at times, but the concept of finding a way to heal a whole community when one individual wrongs another is compelling. The jacket cover photo of the author in a bear hug with the 700-pound black bear that he and his wife adopted and raised is definitely worth seeing! (Ages 12 and older) --Emilie Coulter --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-In Ben Mikaelsen's novel (HarperCollins, 2001), Cole Matthews is a teenager who has always been in trouble, and has had so many "last chances" that he figures he knows how to work the juvenile justice system. When he severely beats another boy, however, his probation officer suggests that he try something called "Circle Justice," a Native American tradition that attempts to heal the victim, the offender, and the community. The Circle decides that Cole should be banished for a year to an island off the coast of Alaska. He goes along because the alternative is jail, and because he figures he can get off the island after all, he's a strong swimmer. Cole is an angry teen who blames everyone else for his troubles his alcoholic parents, his wimpy victim, the "system." Alone on the island, he promptly burns his shelter and supplies. He is mauled by a large white "spirit bear," and nearly dies before he is rescued. This experience, and the subsequent six-month hospitalization, cause a turnaround in Cole's life. The only trouble is, can he convince everyone else that he has really changed and isn't still just trying to work the system? Lee Tergesen brings just the right tone to Cole's voice an angry kid who is trying to figure things out, but still sometimes loses control. This is an excellent recording of a novel that will appeal both to fans of adventure tales and to those who like problem novels.
Sarah Flowers, Santa Clara County Library, Morgan Hill, CA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Listening Library; Unabridged edition (June 26, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807204455
• ISBN-13: 978-0807204450
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review:
   

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• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #820,577 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
  
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• Also Available in: Hardcover (1st ed) |  Paperback  |  Audio CD (Audiobook,Unabridged) |  Library Binding  |  Hardcover (Large Print) |  Audio Cassette (Unabridged) |  Turtleback  |  Unknown Binding  |  All Editions