The Quest Begins

May 12, 2008
Hunter (the Warriors series) kicks off a new series as three young bears, unknown to one another, each embark on a perilous journey. Two of the characters, Kallik, a polar bear, and Toklo, a grizzly, were born in the wild and lose their mothers to tragic events. To survive, they must draw on their underdeveloped instincts. Lusa, a black bear, has grown up in “the Bear Bowl,” a protected environment at a zoo, but to fulfill a promise (to Toklo's rescued mother, as it turns out) she leaves it and ventures into wilderness. The bears find help from other, more seasoned bears and are comforted by their belief in mythical bear spirits as they navigate the harsh realities of life in the wild. By the end, only Toklo and Lusa have met, and the purpose of the quest has not been fully revealed. Although this book does not seem as tightly written as the Warriors titles, readers will appreciate the bears' struggle to survive, along with Hunter's environmental theme. The suspenseful conclusion will build in an eager audience for the next installment. Ages 10–up.

December 1, 2008
Gr 5-9-In this new series, readers meet three bear cubs: Kallik, a polar bear; Lusa, a black bear; and Toklo, a brown bear. The story follows their adventures, narrated in alternating chapters. Kallik loses her mother in a killer-whale attack and is separated from her brother. She has never lived on her own before, and never been anywhere but on the ice. Lusa hears stories about life in the wild that eventually cause her to leave the safety of the zoo. Toklo is abandoned by his mother, who flees into the woods in grief when his brother dies. All three cubs are now learning to survive in the woods with minimal knowledge and ability and with no adult allies. From the first page, this story is exciting and refreshing. The bears' declining habitat is evident, and often throughout their journey the animals have to dodge cars and humans with guns. The plot is fast paced, and the author is apt at creating and sustaining the adrenaline-charged mood of these youngsters on their own."Jennifer-Lynn Draper, Children's Literature Consultant, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2009
Switching from feline to ursine characters is a fairly smooth transition for Hunter (the Warriors books). This first volume in the new fantasy series is slow to get going, but still provides insight into bear behavior along with gripping scenes of life-and-death struggles as it follows three bear cubs on separate journeys destined to become intertwined.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)