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Touching Spirit Bear (rack) | 
 enlarge | Author: Ben Mikaelsen
Publisher: HarperTeen
Category: Book
List Price: $6.99
Buy New: $3.37
You Save: $3.62 (52%)
New (37) Used (14) from $3.36
Avg. Customer Rating:  265 reviews
Sales Rank: 10661
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 6.6 x 3.9 x 1.1
ISBN: 0060734000
EAN: 9780060734008
ASIN: 0060734000
Publication Date: January 1, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: Brand New! Immediate Shipment!
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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
Product Description
Will the attack of the Spirit Bear destroy Cole's life or save his soul? Cole Matthews has been fighting, stealing, and raising hell for years. So his punishment for beating Peter Driscal senseless is harsh. Given a choice between prison and Native American Circle Justice, Cole chooses Circle Justice: He'll spend one year in complete isolation on a remote Alaskan island. In the first days of his banishment, Cole is mauled by a mysterious white bear and nearly dies. Now there's no one left to save Cole, but Cole himself.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 260 more reviews...
 Excellent book and lessons for all ages July 20, 2008
My little one had to do a book report on Touching Spirit Bear so we read it together and shared the ideas. What an excellent story, written in language that a 12 year old can understand and with an deep message of self responsibility and healing of the spirit.
I highly recommend this book!
troubled teenager June 25, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
What a moving incredible story. I went out and 4 more copies immediately to give to friends either working in child detention or who have problem teenagers. A must listen for anyone who cares about the troubled teens of today.
 Touching Transformation May 14, 2008
After violently attacking a classmate, fifteen-year-old Cole Matthews must choose between going to jail and participating in an alternative punishment based on the Native American Circle Justice. Cole chooses Circle Justice and is banished for a year on an Alaskan island. Alone on the island, Cole is mauled by a mysterious Spirit Bear who changes his life. With the guidance of his parole officer and a Native American man, Cole learns to control his anger, forgive others, and take responsibility for his actions.
Touching Spirit Bear is an excellent book for young adults. It may be especially relevant for children who may be able to relate to the violence in the main character's life. Throughout the novel, the main character undergoes a remarkable transformation and creates a new identity throughout the healing process of Circle Justice.
touching spirit bear April 28, 2008
Cole has been a screw up ever since birth. He beats people up, he steals, and he does the worst in school he can do basically he does the one thing he knows how to do screw up. So there's no surprise when one day at school when he goes over the edge and beats up a geek called peter till there's blood everywhere. Cole has to pay for his crime and it's his choice of either jail or a Native American Justice Circle.
I went through Cole's journey of life right by his side. I learned that no one is alone on this earth and that sometimes people do bad things so they can get noticed some how. Touching Spirit Bear pulled me into the book and kept me waiting for the next word each time. I loved that Touching Spirit Bear showed so many emotions and life. I was almost in tears at the end not only because I didn't want it to stop but also because I was so involved in the grabbing plot. I learned one of the most important life lessons and that's that life is something we all need to treasure. This book is for anyone who loves a life touching story.
~Emma
Touching Spirit Bear January 12, 2008
The first time I read this novel was with my oldest son when he was in 5th grade. It appeared in the curriculum for a sophomore special education literacy workshop class that I was teaching years later. I knew the students would enjoy the premise of the book but ran into a problem when the school did not have enough copies for all the students. I checked with Amazon and found they had paperback copies available at a discounted price for multiple copies ordered. I was able to purchase enough copies to cover my classes at a reasonable price and get free delivery. The novel was well received by the students and generated much discussion about survival, justice, anger and society.
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