2 of 2 copies available
Meanwhile, a young brown bear is wandering through the woods near Anchorage, alone and hungry. One night, while searching for food, the bear crosses paths with Jonathan, who eagerly follows him onto the zoo grounds.
But when the bear accidentally kills Mama Goose, Jonathan's favorite zoo creature, the boy loses the empathy he had felt earlier. He wishes that the bear—now nicknamed Trouble—would meet the same fate as his beloved goose, and he impulsively takes steps to make sure that happens.
Based on an actual incident, and told in alternating chapters from the bear's and Jonathan's points of view, this is both an involving animal story and a thought-provoking investigation into the consequences of one's actions.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
June 27, 2005 -
Formats
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780547350011
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9780547350011
- File size: 531 KB
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Languages
- English
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Levels
- ATOS Level: 5
- Lexile® Measure: 820
- Interest Level: 4-8(MG)
- Text Difficulty: 3-4
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Reviews
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May 1, 2005
Gr 3-6 -Bauer creates a fictionalized account of a real Alaska brown bear's early life, told from his perspective (in italics) and that of a 10-year-old boy. A young, injured bear breaks into Anchorage's Alaska Zoo one night. He has become acclimated somewhat to humans and is therefore considered a nuisance and is a candidate for termination. The zookeeper's son, Jonathan, witnesses Trouble killing a beautiful goose, one of the zoo's main attractions for children. Now, he must grapple with his sadness at the loss of his favorite animal, his anger at Trouble, and his understandings of wild animals and their instinctive behaviors. Jonathan comes to realize that the bear is only guilty of being a bear, and he stages a heroic effort to spare his life. In the epilogue, readers learn that Trouble is currently living at the zoo in Duluth, MN. With a strong plot, well-developed characters, and an engaging writing format, this book is a great choice for young readers." -Laurel L. Iakovakis, Douglas County Libraries, Castle Rock, CO"Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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April 15, 2005
Gr. 3-6. The author of " Runt" (2002) offers another story of animals in the wild, this one based on true events. Ten-year-old Jonathan and his father have relocated to Anchorage, where Dad is the new zookeeper. Jonathan, who has a great affinity for animals, has developed the ability to imagine himself inside their bodies, seeing and feeling as they do. He is drawn to a wild brown bear cub, luring it with food and then following as it digs its way into the zoo and, inadvertently, kills Mother Goose, a popular zoo animal. Told from the alternating perspectives of Jonathan and the cub, the tale explores the need for companionship and the importance of accepting the consequences of one's actions. Although it seems odd that Jonathan is not more afraid of the bear, Bauer's characters are well drawn, and the story will have great appeal for young animal lovers. Pair it with Daniel Pennac's " Eye of the Wolf "(2003), another novel about close child-animal connections.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.) -
July 1, 2005
Two youngsters, a ten-year-old boy and a three-year-old bear, cross paths and establish a bond that has far-reaching results for them both. Alternating passages from the bear's and the boy's perspectives provide a satisfying tale that explores the positive and negative consequences of animal and human interactions. The story, set in Anchorage, is based on a true incident.(Copyright 2005 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
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