has the alpine stamp of approval, literally the book ever, especially the part with the spirit bear!!!!!!!!!!

Cole is a troubled and angry teen serving time in juvenile detention when Tlingit elder, Garvey, steps into his life, introducing a potential path to redemption through a Circle Justice sentence in Southeast Alaska. Cole will do anything to avoid further punishment and arrogantly agrees to banishment on a remote island with the plan to escape, but upon arrival the harsh Alaskan wilderness proves too great a match for the convoluted young man. This descriptive narrative is told from Cole’s perspective. ( )

3.5

This book dealt with some very interesting concepts in a unique way around the idea of spiritual healing instead of punishment. It was a very engaging read, reminiscent of survival stories like [b:Hatchet|50|Hatchet (Brian's Saga, #1)|Gary Paulsen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1385297074l/50._SX50_.jpg|1158125] which I enjoyed and made this a very quick read. Some of the dialogue was a bit cheesy and was not this books strong suit. However, all the characters were very well developed, especially the MC and in the chapters where he is left alone on the island everything was well written from the descriptions to his internal reflections. I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. ( )

As "Touching Spirit Bear" opens, we are introduced to Cole, a truly reprehensible protagonist. But the book is about Cole's recovery as he learns and grows from being an angry and violent juvenile delinquent, to becoming calm, self-controlled, and caring for other people.
After he beats a fellow classmate so badly the boy is hospitalized, Cole is handed over to "Circle Justice," a program of Native American justice that is being introduced in a limited way in his city. The penalty chosen for Cole, is that he is to be put alone on an island in the wilds of Alaska for one year. When he arrives, his only thoughts are anger, blaming everyone but himself for his situation, and figuring out how to escape. But with the help of his caring but firm parole officer and an elder of an Alaskan tribe, who visit him occasionally to bring him supplies and check on him, Cole eventually does begin to heal, and to want to make restitution to the boy he so badly injured. ( )

For a person who is not a fan of reading, this book always had me eagar to read. Touching spirit bear is an exciting story that allows students to follow were the main character Cole Matthews will go next in each part of the story. I rated this book five out of five stars because it discuss topics that student go through to especially in middle school classrooms. ( )