Touching Spirit Bear

Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen
Did you ever meet a guy that you really, really didn't like? Didn't like the way he dressed, didn't like the way he talked, didn't like the way he acted--just plain didn't like anything about him?

That's how I felt about Cole Matthews for most of this book.

Cole Matthews is a mean, nasty, bad-tempered, rotten bully. He is used to getting his own way by lying, cheating, and pushing other people around. For years he's been hauled into drug counseling, anger therapy sessions and police stations, and every time he got into trouble he was warned to "shape up because this was his last chance." And he has learned that he can always count on having one more "last" chance.

But when Cole beats up a younger kid and smashed his head against the sidewalk, he is in the biggest trouble of his life. Peter may be permanently brain damaged. When Cole is offered Circle Justice, a system based on Native American traditions that attempt to provide healing for the criminal offender and the victim, he plays along,trying to avoid a prison sentence. The Circle sends Cole for a one-year banishment on a remote Alaskan island, where he is mauled by a mysterious white bear during an attempt to escape. As he waits for death, Cole's thoughts begin to change, and he begins to accept responsibility for his actions.

He is not suddenly cured, however. After six months in the hospital, Cole returns to the island, accompanied by Edwin, a Tlinquet elder who has agreed to teach him. On the first day back on the island, Edwin hands Cole a big rock to carry up a hill....

read exerpt from book (this skips around in a few paragraphs) pp. 155-157, hardback edition:

"How far are we going?" Cole asked.
Edwin continued up the long slope.
Grumbling, Cole followed. As they walked, Edwin spoke. "Your life isn't an accident. Many generations of your ancestors struggled through life, learning lessons, making mistakes, just as you have. Each generation passed on to the next what they learned and all that they became."
After several hundred feet, Cole's right arm ached from carrying the heavy stone. He stopped and looked back. They were barely halfway up the slope.
"Pretend that rock is your ancestors," said Edwin. "Climbing this hill is your life. With each step, you carry your ancestors with you, in your mind, in your heart, and in your soul. If you listen, your ancestors reach out from the rock and teach you the lessons of their struggles. Hear your ancestors. Someday, you'll pass those lessons on to others."
Cole acknowledged Edwin's words with a weary grunt and struggled on without complaining. By the time they reached the top, he breathed heavily. He was about to drop the rock to the ground when Edwin reached out, took the heavy stone, and set it down carefully. "Treat your ancestors gently," he said.
"What are they, wimps?"
Edwin ignored Cole's comment. "I've carried that stone up this hill hundreds of times," he said.
"This very same rock?"
Edwin nodded.
"You mean you carry it back down again, too?"
Edwin smiled. "There's a better way. Once the rock is set down, it changes meaning. Now it becomes your anger. Roll the rock down the hill. Roll away your anger. Each time you do this, you'll find more meaning. And you'll learn respect."
"What do you mean, each time I do this? I'm not going to carry that stupid rock up this hill every day. What makes you think you know everything that's good for me?"
Edwin drew in a deep breath. "I don't. Nobody does. We all search for answers, same as you."
"They why do you keep telling me what to do?"
Edwin smiled. "That's the first intelligent question I've heard you ask all morning."
Will carrying a rock make Cole a better person? No, it won't. But the rock is part of the healing process. And there's still the problem of Peter, the injured boy. What can Cole possibly do for Peter?

Read the book and find out. Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen
by Aarene Storms of the King County Library System

2004 Evergreen Nomination