In the novel, touching spirit bear, the main character, cole matthews is sent to live on a remote island off the coast of ketchikan, which is a small town near the southern border of alaska. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of touching spirit bear by ben mikaelsen. Ben mikaelsens touching spirit bear is a wonderful novel about a teen, cole, whose struggles with anger led to him being put in a juvenile detention center. After severely injuring peter driscal in an empty parking lot, mischiefmaker cole matthews is in major trouble. Get an answer for how do coles relationships with his family, community, and country affect his actions and decisions in touching spirit bear by ben mikaelsen. Instead of respecting the creature, though, he tries to kill it and gets mauled pretty badly. Cole monologue from touching spirit bear by ben mikaelsen. Cole matthews is a young boy who feels as though no one cares about him. May 29, 2014 a 12 x 18 print of the wildlife photo of your choice, a perfectbound, paperback version of spirit bear signed by the author and illustrator, plus a special animated version of spirit bear, complete with music and narration, plus educational resources and conservation info on the great bear rainforest. This time he caught peter driscal in the parking lot and smashed his head against the sidewalk. Get an answer for how do cole s relationships with his family, community, and country affect his actions and decisions in touching spirit bear by ben. Inside the book, youll find more than seven hundred pieces of artworkfrom each.
Touching spirit bear book santa clara county library. Ben mikaelsen after his anger erupts into violence, cole, in order to avoid going to prison, agrees to participate in a sentencing alternative based on the native american circle justice, and he is sent to a. While there, cole is mauled by a mysterious white bear and left for dead. Canadian geographic is a magazine of the royal canadian geographical society. This bear book for kids mixes facts, photos and even includes a video clip section. Cole grabbed at the bears neck in desperation and pulled out white hair. The characters in this story seem real because they are normal kids in high school and, this could really happen. Touching spirit bear is a book that will really tug at the heartstrings.
Thoughts of his abusive parents, helpless peter, and his own anger cause him to examine his actions and seek redemptionfrom the spirit bear that attacked him, from his victims, and from himself. Cole meets up with the spirit bear on the islandwhats his plan. Touching spirit bear is a book that is about a boy named cole that was evil and mean child becoming a nice and helpful child by the. What are all the animals in touching spirit bear answers. His shredded shirt exposed gashes with long strips of flesh missing. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The plot was amazing and the events were very interesting. Kevin and anastassia introduction cole has experienced numerous changes throughout the story. After his anger erupts into violence, cole, in order to avoid going to prison, agrees to participate in a sentencing alternative based on the native american circle justice, and he is sent to a remote alaskan island where an encounter with a huge spirit bear changes his life. In his napra nautilus awardwinning novel touching spirit bear, author ben mikaelson delivers a poignant comingofage story of a boy who must overcome the effects that violence has had on his life. Spirit bear is a more recent name for the white bear. Touching spirit bear is the title and it is by ben mikaelsen this is not a copy of the book it is a poem off the title for the contest. After you create your totem pole you will be writing about the meaning behind your creation. Rescuers arrive to save cole s but it is the attack of the spirit bear that may save his soul.
The main character in touching spirit bear, cole matthews, is an. One of the gulls squawked as it stole a stringy piece of meat and skin from another gull. Thats because those people still think you can get rid of. Ben mikaelsen considered buffy a 750pound member of my family. Nov 30, 2011 what are coles fears in touching spirit bear. Follow the white kermode spirit bear through the great bear rainforest, find facts about bcspiritbear, spirit bears,kermode bears,white bears,black bears,live stream hibernating spirit bear,rare videos of spirit bears,rare videos of hibernating spirit bear apollo,only videos of hibernating white kermode spirit bear,from great bear rainforest of bcs northwest coast,kermode bear sighting map,wild. Hes unrepentant and even though he is facing serious jail. This lesson explains the significance of coles totem pole in touching spirit bear. Seldom interacting with humans, these rare white black bears have lived peacefully for centuries in the pristine e. If you look at cole you may see a sweet, innocent, kind, caring boy. In his napra nautilus awardwinning novel touching spirit bear, author ben mikaelson delivers a poignant comingofage story of a boy who must overcome the effects that violence has had on his life after severely injuring peter driscal in an empty parking lot, mischiefmaker cole matthews is in major trouble. What are some of the advice and warnings edwin gives cole for surviving the island. Cole matthews knew what he did was wrong but the anger deep inside him kept him on this path.
What are coles fears in touching spirit bear answers. Because the spirit bear can look straight at cole and is not scared at all. Cole matthews and his friend peter driscal just completed a year of. The bear pawed into his chest and ripped through his flesh each time. Touching spirit bear is a book about a very angry and abused fifteen year old who is facing a prison sentence for attacking and injuring a fellow ninethgrder.
Touching spirit bear by ben mikaelsen librarything. Cole raised his right arm to ward the bear off but the bear sank its teeth into his arm. White bear or ghost bear is often used by local folks. In this lesson, well explore how cole changes throughout the novel, growing from an angry, disaffected youth to a more. This book is dedicated to buffy, a sevenhundredpound black bear who has become my own spirit bear. People feel trust when they touch the bear s head, but so far only cole get to do that. Cole matthews is the main character of the novel touching spirit bear.
It is hard to meet and it doesnt try to hurt human unless human attack first. Touching spirit bear is a poignant testimonial to the power of a pain that can destroy, or lead to healing. Touching spirit bear is a novel by ben mikaelsen in which cole matthews must fend for himself on an island for one year as penance for assaulting a boy named peter. Harry is convinced that malfoy bears the dark mark. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 289 pages and is available in paperback format.
Ben mikaelsens novel touching spirit bear is about a 15 year old boy named cole. You know, the stuff you just told me makes more sense than all the weird things the counselors and psychologist have told me in school and at the detention center. Apr 30, 2002 it helped me understand some of my standard parenting actions which i did not like. Children who read this book will recognize the personalities and behaviors of. Theres a book in with the supplies to study if you want to. While hes trying to figure out what to do next, cole runs into spirit bear. He has been writing fulltime since 1984 and lives in anacortes, washington with his wife, connie. Cole is an innocent looking babyfaced fifteen year old from minneapolis who has been in trouble with the law half of his life. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read touching spirit bear. How do coles relationships with his family, community, and. In touching spirit bear what does cole carve into his totem. How do coles relationships with his family, community, and country. The spirit bear is the native american term for the kermode bear, a subspecies of the american black bear found on the coast and islands of british columbia.
The spirit bear a mystic bear living on the alaskan island. The rare spirit bear is known locally by several names. His incident regarding the spirit bear has provoked a sudden development in his propriety. In touching spirit bear what does cole carve into his. In the book touching spirit bear why does cole vow to kill the spirit bear. It is believed that it is a ghost bear or a god like bear, hence the name, because this bear is spiritual. In touching spirit bear, garvey tells cole that he should create his own totem pole that tells his own story.
The first edition of the novel was published in june 25th 1997, and was written by ben mikaelsen. Cole is profoundly moved by the bear s peacefulness. However, cole repeatedly sees the bear in his first few days on the island. Hes unrepentant and even though he is facing serious jail time, his kindly parole officer, a man named garvey, gets him into this native american justice program called circle justice. Cole realized that the gulls were fight over bits of his own flesh. It is the official provincial mammal of british columbia. Touching spirit bear questions author ben mikaelsen. Then it returns to minneapolis, their busy, noisy and polluted city. The author of toucing spirit bear is ben mikaelsen.
Despite many around me saying i was a great parent. Pg5 cole was born and raised in minneapolis minnesota. Ben mikaelsons young adult novel touching spirit bear tells the story of an angry. We will learn why cole chooses each animal to carve into the pole, and then explore the meaning of the totem. Monologue from touching spirit bear by ben mikaelsen. This book tells the story of the unusual and beautiful creatures that inhabit ancient rainforests on the northwest coast of british columbia. It focuses on a teenager named cole matthews, who severely injures another boy, peter driscal, in a parkinglot altercation. What are facts about cole matthews in touching spririt bear. While waiting for the courts decision cole, the boy, was kept in a detention center.
It was part of a summer reading assignment, and instead of a book report, our. In fact, as his interactions with the spirit bear show, he comes slowly to accept death. Cole reaches out to touch the bear and grabs a tuft of white hair from its back. Throughout the book, cole deals with a lot of pentup rage that comes bursting out in the form of violence and crime. Before hes left there alone, edwin, a native american elder, warns him that he has to respect the natural world and that theres a mystical bear called spirit bear that might show up. Setting ghost of spirit bear by sierra and chelsea the book begins on a remote island in alaska where its calm and peaceful, no one to challenge or fear.
He taught me to be gentle and that i, too, am part of the circle. What happened to coles dad when he was a child in the book touching spirit bear. How do coles relationships with his family, community. Cole can feel life drifting away from him as he lies out in the open getting rained on. Click on the link below to create your own totem pole. Garvey, the youth probation officer, introducers cole to the concept of circle justice. His presence on the island is almost mythical since spirit bears are supposed to live somewhere southeast of the island. All in all, this was an amazing read and i recommend it to all. Cole talks to others about his experience of child abuse and domestic violence to. In touching spirit bear, ben mikaelsen describes facts about coles mother and father in two ways. Plus, free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders.
Touching spirit bear a poem by punkgirl12893 all poetry. Is there any significance in the fact that spirit bear is a pure white black bear. When i received my package in the mail i was exited to start reading. He soon learned that there was no need to prove himself other than with his words, which is why he threw the hair out.
After being mauled by a spirit bear, cole started to heal. In the book touching spirit bear what is coles dads name. Amazing facts, photos and video links to some of the worlds most lovable animals. Cole matthews is a teenage delinquent whos in big trouble for beating up a kid named peter driscal. He beats up one of his classmates, a boy named peter, and as a result of this beating, peter has permanent damage. He has written a few books inspired by his bear, such as touching spirit bear and the sequel ghost of spirit bear. Dec 09, 2009 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. The hard lessons learned over the years were ones i wanted to share with todays teenagers.
The main characters of this young adult, realistic fiction story are edwin, cole matthews. Japanese proverb contents epigraph part one touching spirit bear chapter 1 cole matthews knelt. Our book report was on touching spirit bear and we had to write a chapter about what we think would happen in the next book. This is a long way of explaining that touching spirit bear is the book i wished i could have read when i was adolescent. After being mauled by a spirit bear and eating mice, worms, and even his own vomit to survive, cole started to heal. The royal canadian geographical society is dedicated to making canada better known to canadians, and the world. Ben mikaelsons book touching spirit bear was truly magnificent. In an effort to correct his wrongs, cole goes to stay in alaska on a barren island for a few months. Theres a book in with the supplies to study if you want to learn what is safe to eat. Ben mikaelsen this story took place in a boy named cole mathews high school. Spirit bear and great bear rainforest books white spirit bear by gramma tess. Any idea touching spirit bear by ben mikaelsen is appropriate for. Touching spirit bear is a book that is about a boy named cole that was evil and mean child becoming a nice and helpful child by the spirit bear.
Touching spirit bear ben mikaelsen dedication this book is dedicated to buffy, a sevenhundredpound black bear who has become my own spirit bear. Pdf touching spirit bear book by ben mikaelsen free. 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. I liked that broke things down and explained each topic clearly and in an. What is the conflict of the book touching spirit bear by ben mikaelsen. After i read this book i really just wanted to read more. Touching spirit bear ebook written by ben mikaelsen. What are 3 character traits for cole in touching spirit bear. This gripping, graphic survival story from an awardwinning writer paints an unsparing picture of one violent teen and.
Touching spirit bear winstonsalemforsyth county schools. From the novel touching spirit bear cole matthews is not your average teenage boy, he is a juvenile delinquent. The kermode bear ursus americanus kermodei, also known as the spirit bear particularly in british columbia, is a rare subspecies of the american black bear living in the central and north coast regions of british columbia, canada. Ketchikan is wellknown for its salmon and was originally a fishing village. The characters in this story seem real because they are normal. When he assaults the spirit bear, it violently retaliates against cole. The ghost of spirit bear by sierra schultz on prezi. Bear books for children a fun and fascinating way for young readers to find out more about these highly intelligent creatures.
It is built along a steep hillside and has a population of 14 500 people. Kermode bear, named after francis kermodei, former director of the royal b. The spirit bear approached cole with a slow lazy stride. Yes it belonged to the spirit bear, but it was also not his to be showing around just to prove himself. After beating up peter which puts him in some legal. As you get oder and begin to more easily recognize that life is truly a circle, touching spirit bear has some ideas on how to be a happier and more effective part of your own circle. He gave cole the chance to apply for healing through the healing circle of the circle justice and this ultimately leads to coles trial to stay on a alaskan island on his own for a year. Apr 20, 2010 in his napra nautilus awardwinning novel touching spirit bear, author ben mikaelson delivers a poignant comingofage story of a boy who must overcome the effects that violence has had on his life.
Character sketch cole mathews is the main character in the book touching spirit bear. A while after the attack, the spirit bear tamely approaches and comes within inches of cole s face. Contents epigraph part one touching spirit bear chapter 1 cole matthews knelt defiantly in the bow of. The characters in this story are cole mathews, peter,garvey,kieth and the spirit bear. The changes of cole matthews a novel by ben mikaelsen by.
How does the spirit bear help cole find peace in touching spirit. He burns down his shelter and gets into a fight with spirit bear when he first comes to the islandjust because he can. His incident regarding the spirit bear has provoked a sudden. Cole mathews used to be a violent kid, but a year in exile on a remote alaskan island has a way of changing your perspective. Cole is always angry, at his parents, at other people, and about how much he hates his life. Cole throws out the hair from the spirit bear because he realized it was valuable.