After so many people, adults and students, recommended this title, I finally read Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen. The story of angry and violent Cole, the book begins right after he has beaten a fellow student unconscious, leaving his victim hospitalized with permanent damage. As an alternative to jail time, Cole's probation officer proposes "Circle Justice," which results in Cole's banishment to a remote Alaskan island.

This story is a suspenseful survival tale that fans of Hatchet would enjoy. While the portrayal of Peter, the victim, was a little two-dimensional, this book held my attention, as well as contained valuable messages about the cycle of violence, the power of forgivemess, and the meaning of justice.

For those who have already read this book, a fairly new sequel is available, Ghost of Spirit Bear. And thanks to the students in the 2008-09 reading class of Leah Mattox at Lenihan who chose a book to collect donation money for, the library has an extra copy of this title.