Book Reviews
Featured Review:
Dreaming the Bear
Reading Level: Gr. 5-8
Pages: [176p]
Publisher and Year: Lamb, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-399-55750-7
Price: $17.99
Darcy enjoys many of life’s everyday pleasures: cooking, shopping, reading, and daydreaming about her ultimate heartthrob (her older brother’s best friend Tony). Until her parents drug her away from her life in England to the desolate, wild landscape of Yellowstone National Park, Darcy never thought that she would spend her days befriending a bear. Away from the familiarities of her school, friends, and civilization altogether, Darcy battles a nasty case of pneumonia by exercising her lungs in the harsh and icy forest air. When she finds herself struggling to catch her breath, she starts to lose consciousness and wakes up wrapped in the arms of a grizzly. Through the haze of her sickness, the isolation of their cabin, and heavy family tension, Darcy’s voice shifts in and out of her body. On her daily ventures to get some space and stretch her lungs, Darcy finds solace in the company of her bear. Bringing the animal food brings purpose to the monotony of her sick days at home, and they each gain an unexpected friend in the midst of poor health. Darcy’s first-person narration is sprinkled with ethereal moments with the bear, trips into town, phone calls home to friends, and an unfolding love story. Once her dad and older brother learn about Darcy’s secret animal companion, her relationships mature in unexpected ways. In a heart-wrenching finale, Darcy must face reality for the sake of her own and the bear’s health. Readers looking for a grim story about the rawness of nature will find Darcy’s story intriguing.
Reading Level: Gr. 5-8
Pages: [176p]
Publisher and Year: Lamb, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-399-55750-7
Price: $17.99
Darcy enjoys many of life’s everyday pleasures: cooking, shopping, reading, and daydreaming about her ultimate heartthrob (her older brother’s best friend Tony). Until her parents drug her away from her life in England to the desolate, wild landscape of Yellowstone National Park, Darcy never thought that she would spend her days befriending a bear. Away from the familiarities of her school, friends, and civilization altogether, Darcy battles a nasty case of pneumonia by exercising her lungs in the harsh and icy forest air. When she finds herself struggling to catch her breath, she starts to lose consciousness and wakes up wrapped in the arms of a grizzly. Through the haze of her sickness, the isolation of their cabin, and heavy family tension, Darcy’s voice shifts in and out of her body. On her daily ventures to get some space and stretch her lungs, Darcy finds solace in the company of her bear. Bringing the animal food brings purpose to the monotony of her sick days at home, and they each gain an unexpected friend in the midst of poor health. Darcy’s first-person narration is sprinkled with ethereal moments with the bear, trips into town, phone calls home to friends, and an unfolding love story. Once her dad and older brother learn about Darcy’s secret animal companion, her relationships mature in unexpected ways. In a heart-wrenching finale, Darcy must face reality for the sake of her own and the bear’s health. Readers looking for a grim story about the rawness of nature will find Darcy’s story intriguing.