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Summary
Summary
An incredible new adventure story for fans of Narnia and Wolves of the Beyond!It starts with a chase. When Spencer Plain is pulled out of school in the middle of the day, he never expects to be speeding down the highway with his uncle, trying to outpace the car that's tailing them. And he certainly never thought he'd find himself fleeing from a bear through the woods. And when he hears the bear say "We've been expecting you," Spencer knows he's just uncovered a whole world he'd never imagined. He's brought to Bearhaven, a secret oasis his parents created for bears. But there are depths to Bearhaven that Spencer and his new bear cub friend, Kate, start to uncover. Spencer finds out he's been there before, even if he can't remember. He also stumbles into a rescue mission being planned, to save a bear in danger. He knows he can help, and he's desperate to find clues to his parents' whereabouts, so he and Kate decide to take matters into their own hands - even if they discover a secret that could threaten Bearhaven's future!
Author Notes
K. E. Rocha is the author of Secrets of Bearhaven, developed in collaboration with Egg in the Hole Productions. She received a BA in English from Trinity College, an MFA from New York University, and was named a Connecticut Circuit Student Poet by the Connecticut Poetry Society. She has never visited with talking bears, although she often talks to her goofy little hound dog, Reggie, while writing from her studio in Queens, New York.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-Fans of Erin Hunter's "Seekers" series (HarperCollins) and Hoot by Carl Hiaasen (Knopf, 2002) looking for a new series will enjoy this animal adventure novel. Spencer's parents are bear activists; they are constantly working to save the creatures from human-made and environmental danger. Spencer doesn't know how important the bears are until his father is kidnapped. To keep Spencer safe, his uncle takes him out of school and rushes him to a secret sanctuary in the woods called Bearhaven, a place complete with its own set of politics. The bears even have a special device that translates "bear speech" into English. Once Spencer arrives, a plan to rescue his father is formed. The action reaches an exciting climax with this daring rescue attempt, which, in conjunction with short chapters and the fast-paced plot, will have readers breathlessly turning pages. Although talking animal books are far from unusual, Rocha adds a unique spin to the genre in the creation of the fantastical Bearhaven. The ending sets up for a sequel. VERDICT A solid purchase for fans of animal adventure stories and eco-mysteries, this work will also appeal to reluctant readers.-Patrick Tierney, Dr. Martin Luther King Elementary School, Providence, RI © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Spencer discovers a secret city created by his "bear activist" parents, where bears invent and use technology, communicate with humans, and govern themselves (Secrets). In book two (Mission), Spencer is settling into life in Bearhaven when his cub friend Kate goes missing. Many plot elements are preposterous, but the fast pace and sympathetic cause are compelling; occasional illustrations bring the bears to life. [review covers these titles: Mission to Moon Farm and Secrets of Bearhaven.] (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
When Spencer's parents go missing, he's tossed into a conspiracy of bear-abuse networks and talking bears. Spencer's mom and dad run a foundation that sends them on missions to rescue abused bears. Suddenly, his uncle Mark pulls him out of school (and into a car chase) because they've gone missing. Mark sends Spencer alone into the forest, where a good friend will be waiting to help himbut it's a bear with a translator that allows him to communicate with Mark. The translators were developed by Professor Weaver, whom Mark's parents met while in college, and a bear (hilariously) also named Professor Weaver. At secret, high-tech Bearhaven, all bears wear translators and live normal, humanlike lives with school, video games, a restaurant, and even water aerobics. Spencer stays with (bear) Professor Weaver's family, befriends Kate the cub, and learns about the bear-abuse networks. These revolve around bear baying, brutally described, in which dogs attack chained and often declawed and defanged bears. He also learns about his parents' nemeses: their college's former live-mascot handler and her brother. The football helmet-wearing muscle of their team, the brother is also possibly developmentally delayed, a condition that's distressingly played for laughs. When preparation fails to win Spencer a spot on a rescue mission, he turns to stealth. The ending sets up the next in the series. While the story is not remotely realistic, it finds strength in silliness and periodic action sequences. (Fantasy. 8-11) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
In this fast-paced sci-fi mystery, two bear-rights activists disappear, and their 11-year-old son, Spencer, sets out to find them. The action never flags: a high-speed chase ends with Spencer jumping out of a moving vehicle and taking refuge in the woods to avoid capture. There he's met by a talking bear who escorts him to Bearhaven, a sanctuary populated by a friendly bear family who say they were rescued by his parents. After the initial shock of being able to communicate with bears via implanted translators wears off, Spencer befriends Kate, a young bear cub. These bears are determined to help rescue others who are being used in brutal bear-baying competitions, where a bear is pitted against a team of dogs. Despite the implausibility of bears that talk, play video games, train as guards, and go to school, this is a fun, exciting series start with creepy villains and a boy hero who outthinks and outwits the adults, conquering his fears in the process.--Rawlins, Sharon Copyright 2015 Booklist
