KLIATT
- Paula Rohrlick
In Touching Spirit Bear, Cole was exiled to a remote Alaskan island for a year after beating up a boy named Peter. In this sequel, Cole must face a different survival challenge: high school back in Minneapolis, with its bullies and gangs. Now 17 and on probation, Cole must learn to control his anger and his tendency to lash out, or he'll go to jail. But when some would-be tough guys pick on Peter, who is now a close friend of Cole's, Cole reacts violently and ends up in the principal's office. He realizes that changing himself is only part of the answer: he must also work to change the culture around him. He and Peter come to the aid of a homeless man, and Cole unexpectedly finds himself in a leadership position at school, lobbying to have the school's mascot changed from a snarling bulldog to a Spirit Bear to help create a new school atmosphere free of fear and intimidation.
