Ashley Brown
Matt Thomas
Language Art 9
Due: 4/15/07
Touching Spirit Bear
Touching Spirit Bear is an almost heartbreaking tale about Cole Matthews, a trouble teenager, who is full of anger. After he beats Peter Driscal, a classmate, he is awaiting trial when his Parole officer, Garvey, talks to him about Circle Justice. Circle Justice is a program for teenagers who are fighting with the law. If the members of Circle Justice agree that the offender is willing to change they will let them go and help out the community. They aren’t so sure about Cole because he has offended the law so many times that they think he can’t change. He lies his way through everything because even being stuck on an island in the middle of nowhere is better then jail time. And that’s exactly what he ends up getting an island in the middle of Alaska.
Once Cole meets up with Edwin, a Native American tribe leader, and Garvey on the island he is left alone for the day. Cole burns down the cabin built for him and he tries to escape but tide won’t let him, so he waits and then sees a Spirit Bear, a great white bear hardly ever seen, and is attack, because he attacks it. After being left for dead and going through his own mind, he sees the Spirit Bear again. He is not afraid of it just lonely and dying, he doesn’t try to harm it. As it stands over him he reaches up and touches its matted coat. Cole loses the use of his left arm and it is hard for him to walk. He talks to Circle Justice again and only Edwin saves him. Once he returns to the island he is different, but his anger remains. He learns to deal with anger, but also the consequences of life. Like in the beginning of the book when Edwin said “Nobody’s going to baby-sit you out here. If you eat you’ll live. If not, you’ll die. This land can provide for you for you or kill you.” But everything that happens makes him really think about his life. Even though he had and abusive father, and a mother that ignores him he is able to move on, forgive and forget.
I think this book is an amazing read. Ben Mikaelsen really knows how to write, and how to put together a story. In this book it seems like time can stop or drag on just they way Cole is feeling it. It is a book I recommend you read.
