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The Lighthouse Family #8
The Bear
Newbery Medalist Cynthia Rylant brings the peaceful sounds, sights, and characters of the coast vividly to life in the eighth book of the Lighthouse Family series, in which the family meets a bear who has just woken up from hibernation!
After a long winter cooped up in the lighthouse, Whistler and Lila are excited to go outside and explore. In the forest, they see some frosty vapor rising from a hole in the roots of a tree. They investigate and discover that it is a hibernating bear. The mouse children wait patiently for the bear to wake up and when he does, they invite him for breakfast at the lighthouse. But their new friend might not be quite done hibernating…
After a long winter cooped up in the lighthouse, Whistler and Lila are excited to go outside and explore. In the forest, they see some frosty vapor rising from a hole in the roots of a tree. They investigate and discover that it is a hibernating bear. The mouse children wait patiently for the bear to wake up and when he does, they invite him for breakfast at the lighthouse. But their new friend might not be quite done hibernating…
42 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 6, 2018
3 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia Rylant
383 books873 followersCynthia Rylant is an American author, poet, and librarian whose deeply felt books for children and young adults have made her one of the most beloved voices in contemporary literature. Writing across picture books, novels, short stories, nonfiction, and poetry, she has published more than one hundred works, many of them rooted in memory, family, solitude, and the emotional landscapes of ordinary life. Her fiction often draws from her upbringing in West Virginia and reflects the textures of Appalachian life with unusual tenderness and clarity.
Raised in modest circumstances, Rylant spent much of her childhood with her grandparents in a rural setting that later became central to her imagination as a writer. Those early years, marked by hardship as well as warmth, shaped the emotional honesty and quiet resilience that define her work. She later studied English and library science, and after working as a waitress, librarian, and teacher, she began publishing books inspired by the world she had known so intimately.
Among her most acclaimed works are Missing May, which received the Newbery Medal, and A Fine White Dust, a Newbery Honor Book. She also earned Caldecott Honors for When I Was Young in the Mountains and The Relatives Came. For younger readers, she became especially well known through the enduring Henry and Mudge series, as well as other popular books and series that combine gentleness, humor, and emotional depth.
Rylant's writing is distinguished by its compassion for lonely, searching, or overlooked characters, and by its reverence for animals, nature, and small human connections. Whether writing about grief, wonder, childhood, or belonging, she brings a lyrical simplicity that resonates across generations. Her books continue to offer comfort, recognition, and beauty to readers of all ages. She remains a singular literary presence in children's literature and beyond today.
Raised in modest circumstances, Rylant spent much of her childhood with her grandparents in a rural setting that later became central to her imagination as a writer. Those early years, marked by hardship as well as warmth, shaped the emotional honesty and quiet resilience that define her work. She later studied English and library science, and after working as a waitress, librarian, and teacher, she began publishing books inspired by the world she had known so intimately.
Among her most acclaimed works are Missing May, which received the Newbery Medal, and A Fine White Dust, a Newbery Honor Book. She also earned Caldecott Honors for When I Was Young in the Mountains and The Relatives Came. For younger readers, she became especially well known through the enduring Henry and Mudge series, as well as other popular books and series that combine gentleness, humor, and emotional depth.
Rylant's writing is distinguished by its compassion for lonely, searching, or overlooked characters, and by its reverence for animals, nature, and small human connections. Whether writing about grief, wonder, childhood, or belonging, she brings a lyrical simplicity that resonates across generations. Her books continue to offer comfort, recognition, and beauty to readers of all ages. She remains a singular literary presence in children's literature and beyond today.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 4, 2018
This book is a cross between a beginning reader and a chapter book. The length and layout are more in line with a beginning reader. However, the vocabulary, sentence structure, and chapters that are continuation of each other rather than individual short stories - make this a book for a kid on the verge of reading true chapter books independently.
I is also a good read aloud and the pictures enhance the text. I liked that they are made with graphite. Part of the Lighthouse Family series.
I is also a good read aloud and the pictures enhance the text. I liked that they are made with graphite. Part of the Lighthouse Family series.
February 17, 2024
The lighthouse family finds a bear, feeds it and it goes back to sleep.
April 14, 2018
After a long winter it is time for the mice to stretch their legs and do some exploring. What they find is a hibernating bear. Anxious to meet him they leave a note inviting him to breakfast. When he awakes he is so hungry he takes them up on their offer. With a full belly he drifts off back into a long deep sleep. A cute beginners chapter book with charming illustrations and a glimpse at Spring.
July 31, 2019
Still one of my favorite series, and it always will be. In a world of anxiety and conflict, the gentleness, caring, and delight of these stories is so comforting. My son is technically too old for them now but we still love to read them out loud together. Lighthouse Family 4-ever.
February 4, 2025
My 7 year old daughter just finished this. It is the last book in The Lighthouse Familt series. She’s ready for longer books (she’s in second grade) but I highly recommend if you want a wholesome book series for your child that gets them excited about independent reading and isn’t too lengthy.
June 18, 2018
Not the strongest in the series but solidifies my determination to become a member of the Lighthouse Family.
June 25, 2018
Great illustrations!
August 11, 2018
I love this series for younger kids. Adorable stories about friendship and family, with amazing illustrations.
July 18, 2019
Enjoyed the light humor in this last book of the series.
July 9, 2021
So precious. I do hope this isn't the last of the LFS!
July 27, 2022
Sweet for budding readers. My girls are loving them, so I had to read one for myself.
April 19, 2023
Seems like Cynthia Ryland has run out of ideas in her series. The book doesn't even have a plot.
July 11, 2024
Such a sweet cottage core series for young readers of any age.
October 5, 2024
The illustrations and these stories are just the best 😊
December 11, 2024
Cute but a little bland; slower paced than most modern stories.
November 26, 2025
<3 <3 <3
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews