The Year of the Bear

By Douglas J. Lanzo

Description:

Endorsed by New York Times Bestselling Author, Josh Lieb, as an “enthralling adventure” and “a rare treat” and as “compelling and uplifting" by internationally acclaimed poet and author, Scott Mason, The Year of the Bear is a powerful coming of age adventure novel releasing in the US and internationally this November 1st. The novel’s publisher, Ambassador International, is nominating it for the John Newbery Medal, with author Katie Cruice Smith praising it as: “A Newbery Award contender, for sure!”

Set in the scenic mountain environs of Moosehead Lake, the novel ushers the reader into a spectacular world of adventure, where a seemingly ordinary boy must take extraordinary measures in order to surmount formidable obstacles and battle unforeseen dangers in his struggle to become a man. Evoking coming of age classics such as Where the Red Fern Grows, and The Yearling, it immerses the reader in heroic struggle and triumph, as the lives of a boy and a bear cub transform and transcend, both warming and rending the reader’s hearts along the way.

Book Takeaway:

The greater the challenges that present themselves, the greater the opportunity to transcend them and forge the core of who and what you are.

Awards:

Why the author wrote this book:

I wanted to inspire readers to experience the magic of nature and adventure that I experienced firsthand as a boy and fall in love with its beauty, wonder and suspense. I wanted to use my combine my skills as a storyteller and as a poet to immerse the reader in an utterly enthralling world that will touch each reader's mind, heart and soul, immersing them in scenes of joy, sorrow and thrilling discovery.