Description Abruptly placed in a boy's boarding school in Maine after his mother's death at the end of World War II, Kansas youth Jack Baker befriends Early Auden, an unusual boy with whom Jack embarks on a quest along the Appalachian Trail in search of a legendary great black bear. By the Newbery Medal-winning author of Moon Over Manifest.
Reviews Customer Booksource Emma Williams, Collection Development Specialist at Booksource Star Star Star Star Star 4/4/2014 9:35:14 AMThe year is 1945 and following the death of his mother, Jack Baker's naval officer father has moved him to an all-boys boarding school in Maine. Born and raised in Kansas, Jack is a fish out of water in this new seafaring setting. As he struggles to fit in with his classmates, he meets Early Auden, a boy who seems to be an even bigger outcast than him. Early is a mystery. He shows up only sporadically to class (with no seeming consequences); he lives in the janitor’s closet; he only listens to Billie Holiday (but only when it rains). All things considered, Early seems to be a remarkable boy, not to mention a genius. When Jack and Early find themselves alone at school over holiday break, the friends embark on a journey to the nearby Appalachian mountains. There they search for a great black bear that has been in the news—and is a mysterious obsession for Early. On this journey, Jack uncovers some of the mystery behind Early Auden. He faces his own past, as well. This amazing story of friendship and self-discovery has made it onto my Newbery picks list! Classroom Connection: Navigating Early’s strong parallels to Homer’s Odyssey are hard to miss. Use this title with the graphic adaptation by Gareth Hinds to introduce this archetypal story. The powerful adaptation is appropriate for younger readers and offers opportunities for students to make strong text-to-text connections.