The Quest Begins

Erin Hunter

Book 1 of Seekers

Language: English

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: Oct 6, 2009

Description:

The first book in a thrilling animal fantasy series following the epic journey of three bears, from the #1 nationally bestselling author of Warriors.

When three young bears from different species—black, polar, and grizzly—are separated from their families, fate brings them together on a path that will change their lives forever. Along the way, they will face great danger, terrible tragedies, new landscapes, and situations that require all their ingenuity to survive.

For fans of Warriors, Survivors, and animal fantasy series like Wings of Fire and Foxcraft, Seekers is a sweeping and incredible journey through the beautiful, dangerous world of wild bears.

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From School Library Journal

Grade 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
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From Booklist

The author of the Warriors series turns her attention from cats to bears in this first book in the Seekers series. Despite the change in species, much will be familiar to readers. Alternating narratives tell the tales of three young bear cubs, who will be brought together in future installments: Kallik, a female polar bear cub who witnesses her mother’s death by orca pod; Lusa, a black bear cub in a zoo; and Toklo, a grizzly bear cub abandoned by a mother. As befits the first title in a series, the bears’ tales are given ample time to develop and include details that may be painful to animal lovers and could disturb more sensitive readers. Each tale touches on environmental issues, and Toklo’s story provides the first glimpse of a fantasy element. Told with an interesting balance of cute anthropomorphic characterization and realistic attention to bear behaviors and the brutalities of life in the wild, these stories will be welcomed by the Warriors series’ many fans. Grades 5-8. --Holly Koelling