Böcker av Ben Mikaelsen

DANGER IN SPACE!Separated by country and culture, will danger unite Elliot, a young astronaut, and Vincent, a Maasai herder?When NASA selected Elliot to be the first teen in space, he eagerly anticipated the day he would board the space shuttle Endeavour. After intense preparations, Elliot never expected anything to go wrong on his voyage, but when danger threatens, the only contact he has, via shortwave radio, is with Vincent, a Maasai boy in Kenya. The two can't agree on anything. When the Endeavour makes an emergency landing on the coast of West Africa and Elliot's life is hanging in the balance, can he and Vincent reconcile their cultural differences and become friends?"Mikaelsen weaves a provocative message through his novel and blends two fast-paced stories into a single, powerful whole." -Booklist (starred review)

When thirteen-year-old Ricky Diaz discovers that his mother was murdered by drug dealers, he's desperate for revenge. But his father, a former drug enforcement agent, refuses the mission the DEA now offers: to steal an airplane with an American-made radar detector that the cartel uses to smuggle drugs from Mexico.Angry with his father for throwing away to avenge his mother's death, Ricky decides to take matters into his own hands-he will steal the plane. He runs away to Mexico, disguising himself as one of the many rateros, or homeless children. Life on the streets proves extremely hard and dangerous, and he's barely surviving when he meets Soledad, a crafty but kindhearted ratera. With her help, he must find a way to get into the drug cartel's compound and take the plane-or end up as yet another casualty in the raging drug war.In this thrilling novel, author Ben Mikaelsen sheds light on America's war on drugs and the grittiness of street life while exploring an unexpected friendship and the healing power of family."Readers who require a fast-paced plot with lots of action, tension, and danger will find everything they want in Mikaelsen's latest novel....A dynamite story." -Booklist (starred review)A California Young Readers' Medal WinnerA Pacific Northwest Library Association Readers' Choice

CALIFORNIA YOUNG READERS' MEDAL WINNER A DARING RESCUE-or a deadly risk?Ever since Josh's older brother died, his father has been drinking too much and taking his anger out on Josh. But when he orphans a bear cub, it's more than Josh can stand. Josh insists on rescuing the bear cub-only to find that he must surrender it to game officials.Knowing the cub will be sent to a research labo­ratory, Josh makes a defiant choice. Taking only his brother's motorcycle, the cub, and his dog, Josh runs away to the mountains, vowing to stay until the hunting laws are changed. But the mountains hold unexpected menace, and Josh's bid for justice soon becomes a battle to survive."A fast and suspenseful survival story."-Bulletin, Center for Children's Books¿ International Reading Association Award Winner¿ Western Writers of America Spur Award Winner¿ California Young Readers' Medal Winner¿ Wyoming Indian Paintbrush Book Award Winner¿ CBC/IRA Favorite Paperback for 1994

Within Cole Matthews lies anger, rage, and hate. Cole has been stealing and fighting for years. This time he caught Peter Driscal in the parking lot and smashed his head against the sidewalk. Now, Peter may have permanent brain damage-and Cole is in the biggest trouble of his life. Cole receives a one-year banishment to a remote Alaskan island. There, he is mauled by a mysterious white bear of Native American legend. Hideously injured, Cole waits for death. His thoughts shift from anger to humility. To survive, he must stop blaming others and take responsibility for his life. Rescuers arrive to save Cole's body, but it is the attack of the Spirit Bear that may save his soul.

They call Gabriela Tree Girl. Gabi climbs trees to be within reach of the eagles and watch the sun rise into an empty sky. She is at home among the outstretched branches of the Guatemalan forests. Then one day from the safety of a tree, Gabi witnesses the sights and sounds of an unspeakable massacre. She vows to be Tree Girl no more and joins the hordes of refugees struggling to reach the Mexican border. She has lost her whole family; her entire village has been wiped out. Yet she clings to the hope that she will be reunited with her youngest sister, Alicia. Over dangerous miles and months of hunger and thirst, Gabriela's search for Alicia and for a safe haven becomes a search for self. Having turned her back on her own identity, can she hope to claim a new life? Ages 12+

After his anger erupts into violence, Cole, in order to avoid going to prison, agrees to participate in a sentencing alternative based on the Native American Circle Justice, and he is sent to a remote Alaskan Island where an encounter with a huge Spirit Bear changes his life.