During a TV show about bullying, one boy said that his life had changed–he had stopped being a bully, when he was required to read Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen. I HAD to read it.
Cole is a mean, angry 15-year-old bully. He beats another student so badly the boy is hospitalized withe severe, life-long injuries. No matter who talks to Cole or what they say, he is belligerent and argumentative. Not a shred of shame or remorse for his actions.
He’s given an alternative to jail which is banishment for a year to a remote, deserted Alaskan island. This decision is made when Cole becomes part of Circle Justice, a  program based on Native American principles that encourages change and healing as part of justice. Cole pretends to agree with the plan but in reality, he takes no responsibility for his actions. Instead, he blames his behaviors on his parents and others, never himself.
When Cole is left on the island, he has a small cabin for shelter and a year’s worth of supplies, with plans for regular visits from his temporary guardians. Within hours, he burns down the cabin and all his supplies. Later, he is severely mauled by a mysterious white bear. He is taken to hospital to heal from his extensive injuries, but is then returned to the island.
Slowly, Cole makes small shifts in his thinking. His setting forces him to learn new skills. Eventually, he develops self-awareness, thoughtfulness, sympathy, and remorse.
This is a powerful book. A child or adolescent could read it to themselves or a parent could read it to them.
Writing topics:
- Why do you think I had you read this book?
- Write about three things you learned from this book.
- How is the main character, Cole, similar and different to you?
- How would you describe Cole’s attitude at the end of the book? Of all the things he had to do to survive on the island, which one do you think contributed the most to his change in attitude?
Book info:
Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen. Ages 11-16. Especially appropriate for children struggling with issues of anger, aggression, abuse, and bullying. Also touches on themes of parental abuse and trauma.
Bibliotherapy Plus 
Comments on: "Touching Spirit Bear" (4)
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Hi… I tagged you in a post I wrote yesterday about bullying, and I think the work you are doing is amazing and so innovative. I would like to suggest using this book, and getting the kids to read it, as part of the school’s strategy for dealing with the bullying I describe in the post. The whole situation has been escalated, with police involved and suspensions, and this seems like a strong way to get through to the kids involved in an unexpected way that may have more impact in terms of connecting with their pain story as opposed to all the negative attention they are receiving (which becomes a kind of power trip as they continue to not have to deal with consequences that have any meaning to them). If you have any advice about how to approach a school with this kind of suggestion I would really appreciate it.
Thanks for including my blog in your blog entry. I read what you wrote and felt so sad. I’ll share what little I know about bullying and schools. Getting schools involved in dealing with bullying is hard because there’s a tendency to think, “If we ignore it, it will go away,” but as you’re experiencing, it just escalates. While it’s important to reach the kids, the more important issue is training teachers in what to do if bullying is occurring. Awareness by itself doesn’t do very much. Teachers need to be given strategies i.e. if you hear these things being said, you say this. If this is happening, you do this. They need to have the support of the administrators to enforce consequences. There’s a fair amount of info online about bullying prevention in schools. Anderson Cooper, a TV person in the U.S. has done a lot of coverage about bullying. In fact it was on his show that I learned about the book, “Touching Spirit Bear.” He’s on a TV station called MSNBC. I bet you can find that episode. It included students, teachers, psychologists, and others. Hopefully this can get you started. Good luck!
Thanks so much. I’ll follow that up. Am reading ‘Touching Spirit bear’ now… powerful book. Potentially such a great tool. Again, thank you!