A boy named Mark is the main character who forms an unbreakable bond with a bear held in a shed on his way to school. He feeds it sandwiches and keeps him company. But when he finds out the owner wants to get rid of Ben, the boy makes a daring attempt at breaking the bear free. He sets him free but Ben I afraid to leave. The boy stays with Ben and proves to his family and friends that the love and the bond they share are infectious.

Read for Battle of the Books. I didn't expect much from this book, but I really enjoyed it. ( )

Traced the friendship between a boy and a bear in the rugged Alaskan Territory. The Alaskan wilderness is a lonely place for Mark Anderson, especially after the tragic death of his older brother. In time, Mark finds a friend named Ben, who happens to be an Alaskan brown bear so huge that no one dares to come near him.

The Alaskan wilderness is a lonely place for Mark Andersen, especially after the death of his older brother, Jamie. But in time Mark finds someone else to love--Ben, an Alaskan brown bear so huge that no one else dares come near him. Gentle Ben has been a favorite of readers of all ages for 25 years, and is a timeless story of a rare friendship. An ALA Notable Book.

Mark befriends a brown bear, Ben, locked up in a shed near his house in Alaska. While Ben and Mark share a special relationship, unusual between man and bear, others in the town don't like the idea of having a wild bear around. Throughout the story, Mark and his family work together to keep Ben safe from some of the townspeople. Both heart-wrenching and heart-warming, Gentle Ben brings a tale of perseverance, adventure, and true friendship. ( )