Touching Spirit Bear
Ben Mikaelsen
 Cole Matthews is a troubled kid who gets into fights with everyone. His parents, William and Cindy Matthews, are no better than their son. While Cole's Dad drinks and beats his son to pulp, his Mom drinks and tries to avoid reality. Cole has been letting out his anger and pain in the most terrifying ways. Adults threaten to punish him, but the last straw comes when Cole beats Peter Driscal senseless. Cole is immediately sent to a detention center, where a parole officer, Garvey, tells Cole of an alternative to jail: The Circle Justice System, in which Cole must be stranded on an island for a year. Cole accepts, seeing no other choice. During the first days of his banishment, Cole is mauled by a spirit bear, and Cole begins to learn the process of healing his broken spirit. * Cole Matthews - The fifteen-year-old with many behavior issues and abusive parents. He later learns how to control his anger, how to apologize, and to forgive. * William Matthews - Cole's father who has drinking problem and a bull-headed temper. He usually hurts Cole with a belt and that was the main cause for Cole's social problems. Abused himself as a child, drinking and then hurting Cole is his way of dealing with the problems he never dealt with when he was young. * Peter Driscal - A ninth grader who Cole has bullied and beat. He develops permanent brain damage which caused him to have slurred speech and walk awkwardly. Aside from this, Peter eventually forgives him and the two become friends. * Garvey - A parole officer. He shows Cole to the Circle Justice and helps Cole in every way he can. He and Edwin are the only people who help Cole succeed in what he is doing. Garvey gives Cole a blanket called an at'oow in the beginning, showing his trust in Cole. * Edwin - An elder who wants Cole to improve. Edwin shows Cole to a freezing pond on an island, the ancestor rock, lets Cole take care of his violent anger. He is wise and knows how to heal Cole because he went to the Alaskan Island himself as a youth. He taught Cole the things that helped him. * Cindy Matthews - Cole's mother who is scared of her drunk former husband does not stand up for her for herself and others (they call her in the book a baribe doll). Throughout the book, she learns self-control as well as being able standing up to her ex-husband, and files child abuse charges to him for beating their son, Cole. She later apologize to Cole for not being there during her past husbands ruthless beatings on him. She promises she will make-up for never being involved in his life. While Cole returned to the island for the second time she sent countless letters to him while knowing he was not able to contact the outside world.