Frank Carlson Library

Traces the friendship between a boy and a bear in the rugged Alaskan Territory. 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.

A portrait of the land and people of wilderness Alaska presented through the experiences of an orphan whose year of decisions, responsibilities, and growth help him to accept the future.

A young Alaskan has a difficult time persuading the local cannery to hire him as a diver.