Dreaming the Bear

by Mimi Thebo

"When I get up, there's nobody home. Even Mum has gone out. The note says, 'I have to check my emails. I'll snowmobile to the meltline and be back soon. XX Mummy'.
And I think, 'Good. I can feed my bear...'"

Darcy's life was never exactly simple, but it was about to become a lot more complicated.
Recovering from a distressing illness in her parents' cabin surrounded by looming pine trees, Darcy spends most of her days alone, warming herself by the log fire. That is, until she ventures into the woods hours before a heavy snowstorm, and finds herself face-to-face with a grizzly bear. Their encounter takes a surprising turn when it flourishes into a warm and caring companionship.

Set against the backdrop of the snowy Yellowstone National Park in Montana.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Animals, Middle Grade, Contemporary, Adventure, Survival

Paperback

Published February 4, 2016

Reviews

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and unique animal story from Mimi Thebo. Darcy is a young girl who has recently suffered pneumonia and is recovering in her parents' cabin in Yellowstone Park when she meets an injured bear.

One thing that particularly stood out for me about this book was the depiction of Darcy's illness - as a chronically ill person I'm always on the lookout for books that do this well. You could really feel Darcy's limitations and I liked how she related to the sick bear.

A great book, and nice to see a shorter read as well. I'd recommend this for fans of Michael Morpurgo.

[Eleanor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the concept of this book, and I did actually find the ending moving. However, I found the writing style annoying and I don't really know what the point of the story was either, as the bear didn't even seem to be the main element.

[Alyss Sainsbury · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the idea of the plot but the title was completely misleading and I hated the writing style it just felt more like a diary entry. I didn't really have any feelings for any of the characters and I thought the love story was just shoved in, it was there to attract more readers or keep the readers entertained while there was nothing happening. it gave me an insight to what life would be like at high altitude but I thought the disease would have been noticed quicker and not after 6 months ( I think). over all the plot was good but it wasn't an amazing book.

[Swetha Amit · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heart warming read about a girl named Darcy who moves away from civilization to the wilderness with her family. Away from her school, friends and technology, Darcy is suffering from pneumonia. Her chance encounter with an injured bear ends up as her new found purpose. She slowly forms an inexplicable bond with it. Was kind of fascinated with the 'out of body experience' instances, narrated in the book. Well expressed from Darcy's perspective as we delve deep into this teens mind ! Animal lovers will find it endearing!

[Mădălina · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️🙂

[Kaylee Sheppard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dreaming the Bear, by Mimi Thebo is a interesting and somewhat thrilling book. Darcy, a young girl and the main character, finds herself living in harsh cold conditions near the Yellowstone National Park after her parents have made her and her older brother, Jem,move. Darcy finds very quickly that the cold weather and high elevation makes her very sick. One day, on her daily exercise route through the heavy snow, she finds herself very tired and wonders into a cave. Upon entering the cave, she gains friendship with a very unexpected friend. Throughout the book we find that it is not only the bear that needs Darcy, but Darcy that needs the companionship of the bear. This book has many emotional aspects in regards to Darcy and her relationship with her father, as well as her homesickness from losing all of her friends and moving to a very unexpected place. I highly recommend this book to not only middle school children but adults as well.

[Chris Vick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pure magic

Transporting, poetic, rooted in the earth yet utterly magical. I loved this book. And it made me long for the wild.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is based on a young girl called Darcy who moves to a snowy National Park with her family due to her father's work. Following their move, Darcy becomes very unwell, initially, the cause is unknown. Darcy’s health means she is required to take part in daily exercise by walking around outside. It is from this that she discovers an injured bear. Darcy regularly returns to the bear, feeding her and planning an escape for the bear into the woods below. Darcy’s family are not aware of her adventure until towards the end of the story. The bear becomes so ill that Darcy is required to shoot her to relieve her of her pain. She does this alongside the support of her father.

The story is told in first person from Darcy’s point of view. There is also abstracts of text, written in italics, which are Darcy’s hallucinations or what she is actually experiencing, during her blackouts. It is unclear which of these the text is referring to, leaving it up to the interpretation of the audience. The characters in the story would be relatable to lots of children, due to the family and school settings referred to in the book.

Dreaming The Bear is an adventure story, whereby Darcy and the bear help each other to deal with their own problems they are facing due to their poor health. The bear motivates Darcy to go out every day while Darcy provides for the bear and eventually saves it from its pain. You can, therefore, see the reflection of characterisation between Darcy and the Bear throughout the book.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The book did not have obvious events or a clear ending which would have been easily guessed. This made it more engaging and enjoyable to read. The characters were also very well described, making you feel as though you knew them well. I also liked the inclusion of an animal as a key character in the book, which helped Darcy but not in a totally unbelievable way. This helps to make the book feel more real and relatable.

I would use this book as a read-aloud story with children in lower KS2 or recommend it to children in other year groups based on their reading ability and interest. Before reading this book, I would transform the reading area into the bear’s cave from the story. This should lead to excitement and motivation to read the text. There would also be lots of opportunities for high-quality descriptive writing due to the environment in which the story is set.

[SundayAtDusk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Darcy is a British teenager who unhappily finds herself living in Yellowstone National Park. Her father is temporarily working there, and has brought Darcy, her mother and brother with him. Darcy not only desperately misses England and her friends, but is slowly recovering from pneumonia. Too slowly. There’s something wrong with her health. The fresh air walks recommended by the American doctor are not working, and her parents don’t seem to question the doctor’s diagnosis, or notice how weak their daughter often gets. She does not tell them either. Stoicism is obviously valued in her family.

Then there are Darcy’s dreams of a mother bear. Or are they dreams? At times she describes them as out-of-body experiences. At times she knows things she could not possibly have learned in a normal way, such as how the bear got injured and what happened to her cubs. Or are her encounters with the bear real, since others in her family eventually see the bear, too? That’s my problem with this YA story–it’s too realistic to be a fantasy and too fantastical to be reality. What exactly is the author trying to say and do? As a spiritual symbol, a bear represents strength and support and healing abilities. Yet the mother bear has an injury that is not healing and Darcy has an illness that is not being diagnosed or treated correctly.

By the end of the story, Darcy’s illness is finally correctly diagnosed and actions are immediately taken to cure her. But Darcy had nothing to do with that and neither did the bear. The poor bear becomes known as a dangerous injured creature that has been fed, and thus must be destroyed. What ultimately happens to the bear is something I had great difficulty with, too. That’s not how a dream or fantasy should have ended, and not how a teen-aged girl like Darcy would have acted in even a real situation, in my opinion. In other words, the mixture of reality and fantasy did not come out well. This book was written for 12-17-year-olds, however, and I am far removed from that age group. Maybe teenagers will like and understand the story far better than I do. Any who are sensitive animal lovers, though, may be very disturbed by the ending.

P.S. Author Mimi Thebo has a fun bio on her web page.

(Note: I received a free ARC of this book from Amazon Vine.)

[Maddison · Rating 2 out of 5]

• Torn over this one - where there was bad, there was good, and vice versa
• The only book I don’t know my feelings for - I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing
• Good writing style in parts which was beautiful, lyrical and slightly magical. However, the writing style was very inconsistent
• Many ways the book could have gone - it did not necessarily go the most interesting and imaginative way. Again, this doesn’t mean I didn’t like the ending, explanation and resolution it did choose.

[Morgan · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF.

I think I expected more nature and stuff instead of this girl wandering off into the snow when even just being outside a little bit would make her sick and potentially dead. Doing it over and over again. Did she curl up with a bear in its den? Who knows. Let's wander out in the snow again. It'll probably be fine.

....no.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

In two minds. Interesting, but something is lacking.

[Alexandra Dumitru · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book bc there was so much adventure, happy and funny! But i didn’t like the finish of the book bc was sad and I cryed! But i can’t stop reading it

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up Dreaming the Bear at the library because it has a beautiful cover (just look at that majestic bear in that majestic blizzard), and the description made it sound pretty interesting. I wasn't sure I'd be super into it, and I was a bit wary after the first page or two because first person present tense is something I am pretty iffy on. Ultimately, I fell in love.

While the book has its flaws, I honestly feel willing and able to disregard them all. First off, the main character is a teenage girl with serious health problems. We watch Darcy struggle with her health throughout the story. We watch her struggle to do things that are simple, or at least should be for someone her age. This shook me. I feel like it's important to note here that I am a young woman with health problems that impede my ability to do things I should be able to do at my age. This isn't something I see often, and it's one of those things that just had me connecting with the character on a deeper level. I also moved around a lot as a teenager, including to a totally new environment from where I grew up, so I related to a lot of her struggles with being in a new place and leaving all her friends behind.

As for the main plot, I fell in love with Bear. It's hard not to sympathise with a wounded and suffering animal. It's hard not to sympathise with everything Darcy did for Bear. Even looking at the things that she did wrong, it's hard to imagine myself reacting all that differently from Darcy. The cast of side characters were interesting and believable. I was in tears by the end.

I honestly adored this far more than I expected to. It gave me just what I needed, just when I needed it. I can understand why it might not be someone else's thing. But this is just what I needed. I am going to have to get my own copy once I can spare the money.

[April Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dreaming the Bear tells the life of a young girl and her family who have moved to Yellowstone National Park. Darcy, the main character, she is ill with pneumonia. Darcy explores the area surrounding her house on her 1 hour of exercise each day and finds herself in the warm arms of a hibernating bear which later wakes up and becomes reliant on Darcy due to a shoulder injury.
there is a sad ending that I could use in the classroom, but I dont want to give the ending away.

This book explores relationships between friends and family as well as imagination which I can use to teach my students about how relationships are important especially in group work or even just going through school. Children, especially a child who recently moved to a new school, would love this book just because it shows how an unlikely friendship and family differences at put aside can help reach a goal. this book can also shows how much strength and courage The book demonstrates strength, determination and courage; all of which are values children need to understand and learn.
Definitely would recommend for KS2 children

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a lot of YA novels as a teacher and many leave me wanting. Most themes are even the same nowadays, but this novel is fantastic and I want to look up more of the author, Mimi Thebo's books. Darcy is a British girl living neat Boseman, Montana, right near Yellowstone National Park's Mammoth Springs entrance. Her father is working as a naturalist there while the mothers goes back to Britain for a visit. Hiking in the woods one day, Darcy becomes tired and can't go on. She happens upon a cave with an injured bear is hibernating. The bear's cubs have been killed or taken by hunters and she was shot in the shoulder. Because the bear is still in a motherly mode, she accepts Darcy as she would a cub and allows her to lie with her. Later, after Darcy returns home, Darcy decides to feed the bear and care for her. This sets up a chain of events in which a relationship develops between the two, much to the surprise of her brother and father. A Very moving story. I liked it even better because I spent a summer living at Old Faithful.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

For readers, especially teens, the reality-based portions of this story will resonate entirely- which accounts for why the parents struggle to interpret whether the malaise and distress of the teen girl removed from her lifelong home, best friend, and every perceived anchor in her short life, is a result of a teen hissy-fit or has a genuine physical source.
That aspect of the story threads its way throughout an ethereal, intriguing, and uniquely voiced story.
The family relationships (and the romantic one) have strong appeal on their own, well-constructed and written with nuance and credibility. That, though, is only the framework on which a deeply intense and heartwrenching, next-level experience unfolds. Anyone interested in writing voice, for yourself or for students, would consider using passages from many moments throughout this story.
I did appreciate the reference included regarding bear safety (as in preventing being eaten) as well as the authentic-sounding aspects of bio-studies within wild spaces.
Well done, all the way around.

[Emma Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explores the life of a young girl and her family who have moved to Yellowstone National Park. Darcy is the main character and she begins the book ill with pneumonia which they later find is altitude sickness. Darcy explores the area surrounding her house on her 1 hour of exercise each day and finds herself in the warm arms of a hibernating bear which later wakes up and becomes reliant on Darcy due to a shoulder injury.
Sad ending. - Would have to consider this when using it in the classroom but would be a good point for discussion.

The book explores family relationships and friendships as well as imagination and unlikely meetings. Children would love this book because it shows them an unlikely friendship and how to set family differences aside to reach an end goal. The book demonstrates strength, determination and courage; all of which are values children need to understand and learn.
Definitely would recommend for KS2 children.

[Courtney K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, fast-paced book with themes of loss and displacement. The relationships between the MC and her father and brother are also explored.

So when I say, "I'll be all right," it's not because it's true, it's because I don't know what else there is to say. I haven't been taught any other words. Communication plays a big role in this book. First between Darcy and her family, then between her and the bear.

There is such a refreshing, loving relationship between Darcy and her brother, Jem. Jem, who sits by the woodburning stove. There is a ridiculously high pile of logs... Jem's shoulders are tense. He looks at the stove and at the logs and at me. Over and over he looks at the stove and then the logs and then me. This is a powerful scene that stays with me. There is such devotion evident.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Review: This was definitely a great book to pick up in winter/early spring. I enjoyed the struggle of settling in to a new environment that is so drastically how Darcy grew up. It was an interesting year for her and at times you couldn't tell if she was dreaming, if something was real or if she was hallucinating. As someone who grew up in bear country, I found that this book almost promotes an unsafe interaction with wildlife but as the book continued, I see the message that was conveyed in the end. I also appreciate the way her illness was conveyed, it is little known and even my own doctor was a little puzzled by my own symptoms, and I so appreciated this tiny bit of representation in a book. It was a bit of a slow moving story but it is short and easy to read if you can remain focused. It would be a great book to read in a single sitting during a snow day.

[Sarah Lean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this story. Told by a breathless girl called Darcy who is struggling with her health and wild surroundings, this story slowly but surely pulls you into the warm but terrifying hold of an injured bear. It was intriguing to hear of the perils of being housebound in deep snow in grizzly country without contact with the outside world, electricity or running water. The survival techniques were genius, and I'm assuming drawn from real life, and the characters were very real and interesting. But it is the beautiful growing relationship with the bear that brings the reader to a profound and heart rending conclusion. This kind of story sits right in the middle of your heart, pounding with life.

[Justine Laismith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This middle grade book is about a girl adjusting to a new life in Yellowstone Park. She misses her old life in England, her friends and all the conveniences of modern life. To make things worse, she has been ill and stuck at home ever since arriving. So she hasn't had any chances making new friends.

What I like best about this book is the insight into life at high altitude, and what it means when the snow-storm arrives. They say books take you to new places, and this book certainly took me to somewhere I've never been before. I got a little confused at the start about the POVs, but once I sussed it out I began to enjoy the story.

This book will appeal to the younger middle grade readers.

[Jennybeast · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unusual heroine (Darcy, late of London, now in Yellowstone) in an odd, dreamy-breathless situation (pneumonia and winter) has an encounter with a bear. I found the book an easy read, that draws you along through the strangeness of debilitating illness and survival conditions in a national park and connection to the wild. There's a mystery here, too.

I'm afraid it does not end well for the bear. Some people like to know that about animal focused books. There's compassion and a deep ecological message, however.

[Charlie Easterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Has sort of the whimsical melancholy of books like touching spirit bear. A young girl finds herself in over her head as she struggles to fit into a world not of her choosing, and finds her own place in her own very unique way. I loved the poetic prose and the beautiful juxtaposition of the mind of the bear and the mind of the girl. It wasn't the most earth shattering plot but the characters were interesting and relatable without being over the top and the story was comfortingly simple and interesting.

[Lisa Hobson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Another YTF book. I did enjoy this story of Darcy whose family has moved to Yellowstone and she has found it difficult to cope, contracting pneumonia shortly after she arrives. On one of her restorative walks she crawls exhausted into a cave and falls asleep next to an injured, hibernating bear. A bond is formed, one which is both positive and disastrous. A beautifully written story which did have me shedding a tear at the end.

[Matthew Tett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it. Mimi Thebo's story of a girl recovering from illness in Yellowstone NP is extremely current and thought-provoking. At times, some parts seem to 'skip' important details - such as the links with the UK - but I really like the whole focus here on he bear's role in helping the book's protagonist get well - whether it's part of the dream sequence or not. Definitely a book that would appeal to a lot of YA readers, or even younger (and in my case, adults).

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Partly mystical, in the way that Skellig is, this book tells the story of Darcy who has moved to the wilderness with her family because her father is doing research for a year. Darcy is a city girl who absolutely hates the countryside, until she has a close encounter with a hibernating bear. When the bear comes out of hibernation, Darcy faces a tough choice. This is a great book with a very interesting mystical element. Love it!

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved how poetic the descriptions were in this book; the snow-capped mountains and lush green forests were easy to picture.

However I spent the majority of my time being bored or confused by what was going on. The multiple perspectives were hard to keep up with and I was constantly flipping back through the book to find out what was going on.

5 stars for writing style, 2 stars for plot and execution.

[Dixie Keyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple, elegant, and delicate story of the connection between nature and humans....depicts the rare openness that connects us all. Every sentence, sometimes every word has meaning in this book--it's a beautifully written novel I won't soon forget. Ideal for classrooms 5th-?, especially for those young people interested in the wilderness, in connecting with animals, and in families who live daringly in the icy mountains over winter.

[Ola · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m surprised this book isn’t more widely known. Animal lovers will be captivated by its powerful exploration of how human actions often harm animal habitats and disrupt their lives—only for us to attempt ‘fixing’ it by removing or killing the very creatures affected. It’s an eye-opening reflection on our impact on nature, told through a compelling narrative that will resonate with anyone who cares about wildlife and environmental issues.
Plus it’s a very short read ..