A Bear Named Trouble
Grade 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, COCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.