Bearstone

Rating:
Summary: well-crafted, a good book for parents and children to share
Review: We listened to a audio reading of Bearstone and Beardance on a recent long car trip with our eight-year old son. The books really captured the imagination of us adults, while our son was more interested in the action/adventure themes and a bit less able to take in the emotional and spiritual content. The stories deal with the maturation of a Native American "bad kid". The introductory hook-in is a bit contrived and never resolved, and the teacher character, the wildlife biologist character, and even the kindly old man character are a little bit predictable and thus unrealistic. However the real strengths of the book are the evocations of the southwestern US mountain landscapes, of wildlife, animal behaviour, hunting, and the complex idea of an animal totem and affinity with the natural world. These complex ideas are felt rather than intellectually understood and the author uses language well to bring them out. The ending of Beardance in particular ties together a lot of themes about animals as guardian spirits and helpers and in doing so encourages a respectful view of the natural world. Great books I think for "wild" teen-age boys with enough action to keep them hooked in....buts lets hear from some kids.