The King Bear

by Michael Turner

In this Weekly Reader Children's Book Club selection, young Blue-John--who lives on a homestead in Alaska with his mother, step-father, and a little sister--sees a massive old grizzly bear while out tending the family potato crop. The bear quickly distinguishes himself as fearless and regal. While the adults are quick to want to condemn the bear to death, Blue-John struggles between rooting for the bear's survival and the necessity of protecting his family.

176 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1968

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

See notably:
Michael 2^ Turner: fiction and poetry writer
Michael Layne Turner: comics artist
Michael 3^ Turner: planes and cars artist
Michael 4^ Turner: computers
Michael 5^ Turner: seed technology
Michael 6^ Turner: comic book translator (mostly by Hergé)

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Weekly Reader Book Club selection, published in 1968, is set on the Alaskan frontier and tells a classic "man against animal" story, though it situates the reader in a peculiar place of wanting to root for both the homesteading family who are being terrorized by a grizzly bear and the bear itself. This is accomplished through the story's young protagonist, Blue-John, a dutiful, hardworking farm boy who understands the necessities of keeping his family safe but also feels kinship and empathy for the bear who is being displaced as humans settle in its habitat.

Full disclosure: this book was written by the husband of a beloved teacher of mine, and forty years ago when she loaned me her copy to read, I was transfixed as much by the notion that a normal human person could write an actual book that I could hold in my hands as I was by the story itself. Recently, I came upon a copy and re-read it, and I was pleased to see that the story itself had largely held up. Blue-John is a sympathetic character that young readers can identify with despite the fact that the world he is growing up in is likely very different from those young readers find themselves in now. There is a dramatic tension, the setting is unique and offers insight into a way of life that is largely gone, and the conclusion is satisfying. Blue-John grapples with issues about the effect of humanity on the natural world and conservation in age-appropriate but thought-provoking ways. This book will appeal to young readers who are interested in animal stories, frontier or farm stories, or those who are interested in Alaska.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book at a used bookstore and was attracted to the colorful cover. I enjoyed the drawn illustration in chapter 1 but was disappointed that it was the only one in the whole book. The story was funny and exciting at times. It reminded me a little of Old Yeller, though the language was much more choppy. I liked how detailed the author wrote though, it helped paint the scenes in your mind.

[Roger Mayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story written by my 6th Grade teacher