Ben Mikaelsen Books In Order

Spirit Bear Books In Order

  1. Touching Spirit Bear (2001)
  2. Ghost of Spirit Bear (2008)

Novels

  1. Rescue Josh McGuire (1991)
  2. Sparrow Hawk Red (1993)
  3. Stranded (1995)
  4. Countdown (1996)
  5. Petey (1998)
  6. Red Midnight (2003)
  7. Tree Girl (2004)
  8. Jungle of Bones (2014)

Spirit Bear Book Covers

Novels Book Covers

Ben Mikaelsen Books Overview

Touching Spirit Bear

Within Cole Matthews lie anger, rage and hate. Cole has been stealing and fighting for years. This time he caught Alex Driscal in the, parking lot and smashed his head against the sidewalk. Now, Alex may have permanent brain damage’and Cole is in the Biggest trouble of his life. Cole is offered Circle Justice: a system based on Native American traditions that attempts to provide healing for the criminal offender, the victim and the, community. With prison as his only alternative, Cole plays along. He says he wants to repent, but in his heart Cole blames his alcoholic mom his, abusive dad, wimpy Alex everyone but himself for his situation. Cole receives a one year banishment to a remote Alaskan island. There, he is mauled by Mysterious white bear of Native American legend. Hideously injured, Cole waits for his death His thoughts shift from from Anger to humility. To survive, he must stop blaming others and take responsibility for his life. Rescuers arrive to save Cole’s but it is the attack of the Spirit Bear that may save his soul. Ben Mikaelsen paints a vivid picture of a juvenile offender, examining the roots without absolving solving him of responsibility for his actions, and questioning a society in which angry people make victims of their peers and communities. Touching Spirit Bear is a poignant testimonial to the power of a pain that can destroy, or lead to healing

Ghost of Spirit Bear

Alone in the wilderness, Cole found peace.

But he’s not alone anymore.

Cole Matthews used to be a violent kid, but a year in exile on a remote Alaskan island has a way of changing your perspective. After being mauled by a Spirit Bear, Cole started to heal. He even invited his victim, Peter Driscal, to join him on the island and they became friends.

But now their time in exile is over, and Cole and Peter are heading back to the one place they’re not sure they can handle: high school. Gangs and violence haunt the hallways, and Peter’s limp and speech impediment make him a natural target. In a school where hate and tension are getting close to the boiling point, the monster of rage hibernating inside Cole begins to stir.

Ben Mikaelsen’s riveting saga of survival and self awareness continues in the sequel to his gripping Touching Spirit Bear. This time, he weaves a tale of urban survival where every day is a struggle to stay sane. As the problems in his school grow worse, Cole realizes that it’s not enough just to change himself. He has to change his world.

Rescue Josh McGuire

A Daring Rescue…
or a Deadly Risk? Ever since Josh’s older brother died, his father has been drinking too much and taking his anger out on Josh. But when he orphans a bear cub on a hunting trip, it’s more than Josh can stand. Josh insists on bringing the defenseless cub home only to find out he must surrender it to game officials. Knowing the cub will be given to researchers, Josh makes a defiant choice. Taking only his brother’s motorcycle, the cub, and his dog, Josh runs away to the mountains, vowing to stay until the hunting laws are changed. But the mountains hold unexpected menace, and Josh’s bid for Justice soon becomes a battle to survive.

Sparrow Hawk Red

When thirteen year old Ricky Diaz discovers that his mother was actually murdered by drug dealers, he’s desperate for revenge. But his father, a former drug enforcement agent, refuses the mission the DEA now offers: to steal an airplane with an American made radar detector that the cartel uses to smuggle drugs from Mexico. Angry with his father for throwing away the chance to avenge his mother, Ricky decides to take matters into his own hands he will steal the plane. He runs away to Mexico, disguising himself as one of the many rateros, or homeless children. Life on the streets proves extremely hard and dangerous, and he’s barely surviving when he meets Soledad, a crafty but kindhearted ratera. With her help, he must find a way to get into the drug cartel’s compound and take the plane or end up as yet another casualty in the raging drug war. In this thrilling novel, author Ben Mikaelsen sheds light on America’s war on drugs and the grittiness of street life while exploring an unexpected friendship and the healing power of family.

Stranded

Koby’s whole life changed after the accident four years ago. Between the smothering concern of her separated parents and the awkward glances from the kids at school, Koby only feels at home when she is on the ocean in her dinghy. That all changes when she rescues two dying pilot whales. Day after day, she visits the whales as they begin their long road to recovery. She finds a new friend in Dr. Tracy Michaels, a veterinarian, and gains the admiration of her classmates. But most importantly, Koby starts to recognize her own strength and courage.

Countdown

When 14 year old Elliot Schroeder is selected by NASA to be the first Junior Astronaut, he has no way of knowing the profound effect it will have on Vincent Ole Tome, a Maasai herder who is also 14 years old. An unexpected event puts the boys in contact via short wave radio, and an African drought and an in space emergency bring about a climactic fact to face meeting.

Petey

In 1922, at the age of two, Petey‘s distraught parents commit him to the state’s insane asylum, unaware that their son is actually suffering from severe cerebral palsy. Bound by his wheelchair and struggling to communicate with the people around him, Petey finds a way to remain kind and generous despite the horrific conditions in his new ‘home.’ Through the decades, he befriends several caretakers but is heartbroken when each eventually leaves him. Determined not to be hurt again, he vows to no longer let hope of lifelong friends and family torment him. That changes after he is moved into a nursing home and meets a young teen named Trevor Ladd; he sees something in the boy and decides to risk friendship one last time. Trevor, new to town and a bit of a loner, is at first weary of the old man in the wheelchair. But after hearing more of his story, Trevor learns that there is much more to Petey than meets the eye. Petey is a touching story of friendship, discovery, and the uplifting power of the human spirit.

Red Midnight

When guerrilla soldiers strike Santiago’s village, they shoot at everyone in their path. Dos V as is on fire, and the night glows red. ‘Take the cayuco and sail to the United States of America. Now go!’ Santiago’s uncle Ramos tells him, and Santiago, twelve, and his four year old sister, Angelina, flee. With a map, a machete, and very little food, Santiago and Angelina set sail in their uncle Ramos’s sea kayak, built for just such an escape, but not for a sailor who is only a boy. Santiago heads for the United States on a voyage that will take them through narrow channels guarded by soldiers, shark, infested waters, and days of painful heat and raging storms. Santiago knows that he and Angelina probably will die trying to make the voyage, but they certainly will die at the hands of rebels or government soldiers if they do not try. In this tale of courage, survival, and triumph, Ben Mikaelsen introduces readers to a danger and fear that is far too real for many children, and he reminds us of the responsibility and power that the world’s richest nation bears to help end it.

Tree Girl

They call Gabriela Tree Girl.

Laj Ali Re Jayub in her native language of Quich 233;. Gabi climbs trees to be within reach of the eagles and watch the sun rise into an empty sky. She is at home among the outstretched branches of the Guatemalan forests.

Then one day from the safety of a tree, Gabi witnesses the sights and sounds of an unspeakable massacre. She sees rape and murder the ravages of guerrilla warfare. She vows to be Tree Girl no more.

Earthbound, she joins the hordes of refugees struggling to reach the Mexican border. She has lost her whole family; her entire village has been wiped out. Yet she clings to the hope that she will be reunited with her youngest sister, Alicia. Over dangerous miles and months of hunger, thirst, and the threat of more violence from soldiers, Gabriela 146;s search for Alicia and for a safe haven becomes a search for self. Having turned her back on her own identity, can she hope to claim a new life?

This novel is based on a true story told to the author one night by the real Tree Girl in a secure safe house in Guatemala.

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