Touching+Spirit+Bear



__**Touching Spirit Bear**__
 * By Ben Mikaelsen**

__Bibliographic Data__

Publication Date: April 30, 2002 Publisher: HarperCollins, Reprint edition ISBN: 038080560X Hardcover Price: $13.62 Paperback Price: $6.99 Number of Pages: 256 Best for ages: 10 & up Type of book: Fiction

__Summary:__

__Touching Spirit Bear__ is the story of a troubled boy named Cole who does not seem to care about anything at all no matter what or who his carelessness effects. Through the many awful things that he does, one in particular will not be allowed to slide. He beats a classmate, which leaves the boy damaged both physically and mentally. In order to avoid going to jail, he is given one last chance out of the faith of a Native American tribe. The Native Americans decide to take a spiritual standpoint on Cole’s anger and bad attitude. They introduce him to Circle Justice, which is a means of group therapy for all who had been affected by Cole’s actions including himself. Circle Justice decides on his banishment to a remote island where he will be forced to survive on his own. Cole faces the consequences of not being able to control his anger on this island. He gradually learns the ways of the Native Americans as well as how to face and tame his anger. He meets a Spirit Bear that nobody believes in. However, he becomes submissive to this Spirit Bear and accepts responsibility to his actions.

__Review:__

__Touching Spirit Bear__ will truly leave readers on the edge of their seats. At first, readers will have a tough time understanding why Cole is the way he is. However, Cole’s heart-breaking backstory will cause sympathy and remorse for his soul. This story is not just for children, but it is also very suitable for adults due to its cultural and spiritual roots. The emotional tone that is laid out by the narrator is solemn and stressful due to the wrong actions that Cole takes and how difficult his journey is to fix what he has done. Although this book is often like a roller coaster in its events that occur, Cole gives the readers hope on being able to make it through his journey to become a better person. In order to comprehend the lesson that is being taught, children may need some guidance through __Touching Spirit Bear__.

__Author Biography:__

Ben Mikaelsen was born on December 8, 1952 in La Paz, Bolivia. He attended school and faced many obstacles while he was trying to complete his elementary school career. There were many bullies who picked on him for his race. He moved to the United States with his family and went through even more bullying. However, his writing seemed to be an escape for him as he always wrote them. When many people think of authors, they may often think of grammatical wizards. However, Ben Mikaelsen will often admit that he was not very strong in his grammar and also had a difficult time learning English as Spanish had been his native language. He loves to be with animals, which is why he will often write about adventures with them such as __Touching Spirit Bear__. He has a pet black bear as well. He won the International Reading Association Award and Western Writer’s Golden Spur Award. He explains that his experiences and obstacles that he has gone through and faced in life has brought him to be able to write the things that he’s written. He is a truly admirable being as he constantly stresses the possibilities out of the impossible. He now resides in Bozeman, Montana with his pet black bear.

__Literary Element Analysis: Theme__

There is a plethora of themes that are included in the story of __Touching Spirit Bear__. To name a few, sacrifice, struggle, forgiveness and healing. The most prominent theme played on throughout the entirety of the book is forgiveness. Cole is forced to face his anger by forgiving the people around him, but most importantly…himself. He has bottled up a lot of anger and hate inside of him because he never feels good enough for the person he truly cares for most: his parents. His father had his own problems to face; however, tended to take them out with his son in a physical way while Cole’s mother chose to ignore it. Cole grows a deep hatred for his parents and himself for not being good enough. His isolation on the Alaskan island taught him that the only way forward was forgiveness. Although he ended up facing his father with the sudden help from his mother, he still needed to learn how to forgive himself for the damage he did to Peter. He decides that he must learn how to fix Peter’s pain by showing him that he is sorry. Therefore, Peter eventually learns to forgive Cole for what he has done so that they could both move on. The theme of forgiveness is crucial to identify in order to fully comprehend the book because it is the reason for healing at the end. The goal all along was to get Peter and Cole to heal from the pain they were in. However, it took everyone to come together and face their hardships to fully heal.

__Reference Sites:__ [] [] http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51NT9-ZRfaL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

By: Marissa D'Angelo