This year I plan to read all the GA Book Award Nominees and provide a “one stop” resource for teachers who would like to use these books in their classrooms. I will be posting links to author Web sites, teacher’s guides, and related Web links. I hope to make this an unbiased resource, so I will not be providing my own review of the books–other than recommending it as a read aloud (or not).
Bearwalker
Summary: Although he is the littlest student in his class, thirteen-year-old Baron Braun calls upon the strength and wisdom of his Mohawk ancestors to face both man and beast when he tries to get help for his classmates, who are being terrorized during a school field trip in the Adirondacks.
Author Web Site: http://www.josephbruchac.com
Teacher’s Guide: Not Currently Available
Related Links: Adirondack Mountains
Adirondacks.net: Official Guide to the Adirondacks
Encyclopedia Brittanica: Adirondack Mountains
Visit Adirondacks: Official Travel Information for the Adirondack Region of New York State
Related Links: Author Interviews
Scholastic Interview with Video
Related Links: Bears
Animal Bytes: Bear Information by Scientists of SeaWorld and Busch Gardens
Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan Museum of Zoology): Ursidae (Bear Family)
Bears.org (Species, Myths, Essays, and Media)
Vital Ground (Grizzly Facts & Multimedia Gallery of Videos)
Related Links: Camping
Related Links: Native American Resources
American Folklore: Native American Myths and Legends
Facts for Kids: Mohawk Indians
Native American Tribes of New York
Read Aloud Recommendation:
Absolutely. This book is a great thriller, full of suspense and danger!