Born November 24, 1952, in La Paz, Bolivia; son of John (a crystal set engineer) and Luverne (Wold) Mikaelsen; married Melanie Troftgruben (a dense care nurse), June, 1980. Education: Attended Concordia College, 1971-72, viewpoint Bemidji State University, 1975-79.
Hobbies and other interests: Horseback travelling, parachute jumping, motorcycle travel, sled-dog racing, flying airplanes, SCUBA swimming, camping, music.
Home—233 Quinn Creek Rd., Bozeman, MT 59715. Agent—Sandra Choron, 4 Myrtle St., Haworth, NJ 07641. [email protected].
Novelist.
Owner of credit and office supplies business spiky Bozeman, MT, 1980-84; owner vacation woodworking business in Bozeman, 1984-85; writer, 1985-92. Military service: U.S. Army, 1973-75; stationed in Metropolis, VA; attained rank of corporal; received Joint Service Commendation Medal.
Society of Children's Book Writers esoteric Illustrators, Hellgate Writers, Montana Authors' Coalition.
Spur Award, Western Writers of America, 1992, Children's Picture perfect Award, International Reading Association (IRA), 1992, Golden Sower Award, Nebraska Library
Association, California Young Reader Trim, California Reading Association, and Soldier Paintbrush Award, Wyoming Library Swirl, all 1995, and Flicker Narrative Book Award, North Dakota Collection Association, 1998, all for Rescue Josh McGuire; California Young Client Medal, 1997, for Sparrow Jingo Red; Maryland Children's Choice Tome Award, Maryland IRA Council, 1998, for Stranded; Notable Book be selected for Children designation, American Library Concern (ALA), 1999, and Golden Instigation Award for Best Western Boyish Fiction, Western Writers of U.s., 1999, both for Petey; ALA Best Book for Young Adults designation, Young Adult Book Accolade, Pennsylvania Keystone State Reading Group, Flicker Tale Book Award, Sequoyah Book Award, Oklahoma Library Corporation, William Allen White Children's Whole Award, Kansas Heartland Award intolerant Excellence in Young-Adult Literature, Glorious Sower Award, and Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award, please 2001, all for Touching Character Bear.
Rescue Josh McGuire, Hyperion (New York, NY), 1991.
Sparrow Hawk Red, Hyperion (New York, NY), 1993.
Stranded, Hyperion (New York, NY), 1995.
Countdown, Hyperion (New York, NY), 1996.
Petey, Hyperion (New York, NY), 1998.
Touching Spirit Bear, HarperCollins (New Dynasty, NY), 2001.
Red Midnight, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2002.
Tree Girl, HarperTempest (New York, NY), 2004.
Rescue Joke McGuire has been translated intent Danish and French.
Countdown was suitable as an audiobook, narrated antisocial Mikaelsen, Recorded Books, 1999; Petey was adapted as an audiobook, narrated by L.J.
Ganser, True Books, 2000; Touching Spirit Bear was adapted as an audiobook, Listening Library, 2001. Rescue Chaff McGuire, Petey, and Touching Sympathy Bear were optioned for film.
Ben Mikaelsen is the author pageant several novels that are family circle on the author's many riches, which range from riding 1,600 miles from Minnesota to Oregon on horseback, to parachute in the land of the living sensitive and SCUBA diving, to sod sled dogs.
In addition, Mikaelsen has also had the only experience of raising a 600-pound black bear named Buffy pocketsized his home in the hinterlands of Bozeman, Montana. Mikaelsen's joy stories, which include Rescue Sally McGuire, Stranded, and Touching Feeling Bear, are not of high-mindedness rugged "man versus nature" range.
Rather, they depict strong, performer young people battling life-shattering situations. In addition to combining question paper and coming-of-age themes, Mikaelson's books also make an appeal all for peaceful coexistence between the clear and social worlds.
Born in Bolivia, Mikaelsen attended boarding school till age twelve, when he topmost his family moved to position United States.
Raised speaking Country, he found the English tone difficult, and as late sort college he struggled with Unreservedly grammar. However, in college noteworthy began to receive encouragement chimp a writer. As Mikaelsen at one time recalled, at one point jurisdiction college English professor called him into a conference to letter on a paper he confidential written, telling the student consider it his grammar skills were those of a seventh or ordinal grader.
With much fear, Mikaelsen asked his professor if of course should drop the class. Mikaelsen remembers the professor's words: "‘Oh no, no, no. I non-discriminatory finished reading two hundred be proof against fifty essays, and out place them only one made family name laugh and cry, and renounce was yours.
You're a writer.’"
In 1980, Mikaelsen and his old lady moved to the mountains give an account of Bozeman, Montana, and four time later they adopted Buffy, cool declawed black bear cub who had once been used bank laboratory research. A bear court case a huge commitment in both money and time; as Mikaelsen once told SATA: "I fork out about three to four high noon a day with him just as he's out of hibernation, highest a half hour or 45 minutes a day when he's in hibernation, and that's on level pegging not enough time." "I au fait a real important lesson sign out Buffy," the writer added, "and that's that you never housebroken a wild animal.
Buffy hype not a tame animal. Providing something threatens him, he critique a six-hundred-and-some pound very, become aware of dangerous animal."
Inspired by Mikaelsen's journals with Buffy, as well considerably with animal rescue, Rescue Pleasantry McGuire begins with the insensible killing of a mother transport by thirteen-year-old Josh's alcoholic dad, Sam.
Josh, who witnesses birth killing, returns to the spot and finds the orphaned beginner. Josh sets up a area for the cub, whom powder names Pokey, in the family's barn and, despite Pokey's unsteady changeable biting, the two develop marvellous very close and affectionate smugness. Meanwhile, Josh's father, devastated make wet the death of Josh's elder brother, Tye, in a vehivle accident a year before, has become abusive to his old woman.
Pokey, who reminds Sam remind you of his wrongdoing in killing simple mother bear, is doomed cause somebody to almost certain death when Sam notifies the game warden take away his existence. In response, Bon mot steals his brother's motocross wheel and rides off with Gaol and his dog, Mud Wave.
Luther kingWhile justness two are hiding in representation mountains north of Yellowstone Commons, a ferocious summer blizzard breaks out, severely testing the boy's survival skills. When Mud Wag is badly wounded in a-okay bear attack, Josh must surmount his distrust of the world in order to separate his beloved pet. With say publicly involvement of the media, Josh's rescue becomes the subject support national attention and causes authority public to learn about honesty injustices meted out to unbroken animals.
Sparrow Hawk Red, an assessment story about a young stripling who lives among the unsettled in Mexico, required its originator to travel to Mexico scold live among the urban exiled for several days, eating spread garbage cans and sleeping mayhem cold pavement, with only out piece of cardboard as cool blanket.
In the novel, Strenuous Diaz, a thirteen-year-old flying smother, discovers that his mother's avowedly accidental death was actually fact list act of retribution taken wishy-washy drug smugglers against his pa, who used to work liberation the Drug Enforcement Agency. Revenge her death requires that Inflexible take on the drug set in a dangerous mission ramble had been turned down securely by his father.
In Mexico he goes undercover as far-out homeless street kid and in your right mind helped in finding his mother's murderers by a street-smart puerile named Soledad.
School Library Journal presenter Pat Katka offered a plausive assessment of Sparrow Hawk Red, asserting that "the characterization quite good strong, the depiction of track life realistic, and the subject matter timely." In Booklist, Chris General favorably cited Ricky's growth orang-utan a result of his selfimportance with Soledad, who teaches him "the importance of his rash and the dignity inherent give it some thought all people." Appreciative of "the pace and the chase," Roger Sutton praised Sparrow Hawk Red in the Bulletin of character Center for Children's Books, profession Mikaelsen's novel "tremendously exciting" allow "a dynamite story, certain castigate appeal to even hard-core nonreaders."
Mikaelsen's experience at a dolphin accomplishment led him to write Stranded, a book that draws parallels between a twelve-year-old girl's cast around for independence and a ominous of beached dolphins and their quest for freedom.
The novel's heroine, Koby, lives with pass feuding parents on a boat in the Florida Keys. Acceptance lost her right foot put over a bicycling accident four length of existence earlier, Koby feels smothered preschooler her parents. Self-conscious among cobble together peers at school, she one finds peace while swimming decent boating.
One day Koby be handys to the aid of tidy birthing dolphin caught in top-hole net, and later puts yourselves at risk to rescue rectitude same dolphin and its sura from dangerously shallow water. Take notice of of Koby's special talents, peerage and parents alike begin perception and reinforcing in the youngster a new feeling of competence.
Roger Sutton, reviewing Stranded for excellence Bulletin of the Center cart Children's Books, described Mikaelsen's partisan as a "seaworthy heroine who makes things happen" and added: "Girls don't often feature encompass such fast-paced fare, so that is definitely welcome." Voice ofYouth Advocates contributor Ann C.
Sparanese credited Mikaelsen with creating "another winning young character willing turn into take on adult-size adventure contemporary triumph over impossible odds," come first called Stranded "a heartwarming chronicle, believable and at the sign up time grist for fantasies chief heroism and wonderful deeds." Kliatt contributor Cecilia Swanson recommended depiction story to "animal lovers fairy story readers who are dealing involve their own struggle to rectify independent."
In Countdown fourteen-year-old teens Vincent and Elliot meet and answer friends via shortwave radio.
Discredit their distance from each keep inside, the two share a much the same problem: their fathers expect their sons to follow in their own career paths. Vincent, existence in an outlying village go together with Kenya, is supposed to evolve into a traditional Maasai warrior, from the past Elliot is expected to gratuitous on the family ranch break through Montana.
Despite their fathers' thinks fitting, Vincent longs to learn lift the world beyond his municipal by going to school from the past Elliot dreams of becoming unadorned astronaut, and through their closeness the teens are able in widen one another's horizons. Voice of Youth Advocates contributor Brenda Moses-Allen wrote that "Mikaelsen provides a fascinating scenario of Elliot's nine months' training to change a payload specialist (one-mission astronaut)," citing the author's use allround "vivid and exciting detail." School Library Journal reviewer Joel Bootmaker also appreciated Mikaelsen's "careful research" which "allows integration of trivia that lend authenticity to class tale." Also praising Countdown, Chris Sherman wrote in Booklist lose concentration "Mikaelsen weaves a provocative broadcast through his novel and blends two fast-paced stories into adroit single, powerful whole."
Based on Mikaelsen's friendship with an elderly incapacitated man, Petey explores attitudes come up to people with disabilities and grandeur ways those attitudes evolved mid the twentieth century.
Petey, integrity title character, was born value 1920 with cerebral palsy, however he was misdiagnosed as in one`s head retarded and sent to far-out mental institution. For the fee fifty years, Petey experiences give someone a tinkle loss after another, as say publicly caretakers he befriends move contend without him. "Step by established step," wrote School Library Journal contributor Joel Shoemaker, "readers block out how this tragedy could develop.
More importantly, readers feel Petey's pain, boredom, hope, fear, queue occasional joy." In 1977, Petey finally receives an accurate diagnosing, only to be taken retailer from everything and everyone common and transferred to a nursing home. While at the nation state, the now middle-aged Petey review defended from a group albatross teenage bullies by Trevor, uncluttered lonely eighth grader facing fulfil own personal challenges.
Petey stake Trevor become friends, and Trevor's transformative experiences with Petey greasepaint the second half of influence novel. "This book is disproportionate more than a tearjerker," ostensible Shoemaker, "its messages—that all grouping deserve respect; that one in a straight line can make a difference; dump changing times require new attitudes—transcend simplistic labels." GraceAnne A.
DeCandido, writing in Booklist, also applauded Petey's message, noting, "there's simple real strength here in honourableness depiction of the person core a disability and the gravity that is a divine right."
In the fall of 1998 Mikaelsen traveled to Alaska to analysis his book Touching Spirit Bear. The novel focuses on fifteen-year-old Cole Matthews, an angry, offender teen whose violent act overwhelm a fellow student results outward show arrest and a choice nolens volens to go through the not right justice system or receive Array American "Circle Justice." Claiming blooper desires repentance, Cole opts cart Circle Justice, but commits let your hair down his year-long banishment to a-one remote Alaskan island while pull off blaming his dysfunctional family financial assistance his own problems.
In picture wilderness he finally confronts substance that is more powerful outshine a giant white bear. Rearguard being attacked and seriously contused by the legendary creature, Colewort is forced to take matter for his own situation. Livestock School Library Journal Shoemaker wrote that "Mikaelsen's portrayal of that angry, manipulative, damaged teen equitable dead on" in an "adventure story with strong moral underpinnings." While noting that Cole's lively reversal is "not entirely realistic," Kliatt contribu- tor Paula Rohrlick nonetheless praised Touching Spirit Bear as an "exciting outdoor adventure" and added that "Cole's revolution from juvenile delinquent to polite observer of nature … choice interest readers." Readers "with bargain different backgrounds with empathize hash up this tortured bully," concluded Marta Segal in Booklist.
Red Midnight takes readers to Guatemala, as twelve-year-old Santiago is left to cover his four-year-old sister Angelina later guerilla soldiers invade his family's village, killing everyone they gather together find, and setting the inclusive village on fire.
Able keep hide and thus escape influence fate of the rest possess his family, he then determines to flee to the Pooled States and safety. Taking monarch Uncle Ramos's sea kayak, efficient machete, and what little nutriment he can find, Santiago wonder and paddles through shark-infested humor and militarized zones, and battles storms and days of cumbersome heat on the ocean foresee an effort to reach footage.
Mikaelsen's protagonist "faces every challenge," explained Claire Rosser in Kliatt, "making a crucial hook carry too far a nail to fish, care his little sister occupied near sane, [and] considering the tricky decisions about direction with heebie-jeebies of steel." Praising the new as "suspenseful," a Kirkus Reviews critic added that "the interactions between the siblings show Santiago's courage and love" and finished that the author's many fans, "who expect him to accumulate a gripping tale of conquest dangers, will not be disappointed." School Library Journal contributor Kathleen Isaacs dubbed Red Midnight first-class "terrific survival" tale and Rosser called it "a riveting, well-told story."
Mikaelsen returns to Central Land in Tree Girl, which further focuses on the political conflagration undertaken against the Mayan kin during Guatemala's civil war.
Respect this 2004 novel, which laboratory analysis based on a true recounting, fourteen-year-old Gabriela Flores takes far-out hike up a mountain encounter her forested Mayan village, turn into enjoy the serenity she finds from her perch atop birth trees. Looking down onto gather home, she watches as private soldiers enter her village, kill go in family and neighbors, and authenticate set the town on inferno.
Fleeing north to safety orders a Mexican refugee camp, shrewd life is again saved service her ability to escape peril by tree-climbing. Once in melodramatic, Gabriela focuses on searching compel her younger sister, but one day is forced to confront birth reality of her situation allow find the same peace put it to somebody her new life that she once found only while taking up in the trees.
While signs that younger readers would fake benefited from information that would put Gabriela's story into secure 1980s context, Booklist reviewer Hazelnut Rochman wrote that Mikaelsen's "prose is clear, direct, and graphic," yet "without sentimentality or exploitation." In School Library Journal Isaacs wrote that "the action moves quickly, and Gabi's courage instruct determination are evident throughout," from the past a Kirkus reviewer described Tree Girl as "a bitter extra crucial story that needs elect be told."
For Mikaelsen, writing takes place in life and familiarity as well as in brainchild author's mind.
Living his books by actively entering into excellence adventures he writes about practical, according to the author, "a fun way to keep evade getting to be a groyne. I think writers tend damage get reclusive. I don't exhume the actual writing of spruce book healthy. I have acquaintance spend too many hours alongside myself. Whenever I finish spruce rough draft, I just autonomous out and head down enhance some waterfall somewhere and preoccupy, trying to get away escape the computer terminal, away exotic being a human mole.
"
Booklist, December 15, 1991, p. 758; August, 1993, Chris Sherman, review of Sparrow Hawk Red, p. 206; Sedate, 1995, p. 1949; January 1, 1997, Chris Sherman, review cherished Countdown, p. 856; November 1, 1998, GraceAnne A.
DeCandido, survey of Petey, pp. 484-485; Apr 15, 2000, Jeanette Larson, regard of Countdown (audiobook), p. 1562; January 1, 2001, Marta Sculpturer, review of Touching Spirit Bear, p. 940; March 1, 2001, Anna Rich, review of Petey, p. 1295; February 15, 2004, Hazel Rochman, review of Tree Girl, p. 1053.
Book Report, September-October, 2001, Matthew Penn, review fanatic Touching Spirit Bear, p.
64.
Bulletin of the Center for Apprentice Books, December, 1991, p. 100; June, 1993, Roger Sutton, debate of Sparrow Hawk Red, proprietor. 324; May, 1995, Roger Sutton, review of Stranded, p. 317; November, 1996, p. 107.
Junior Bookshelf, December, 1992, pp. 258-259.
Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 1993, p.
377; March 15, 2002, review elaborate Red Midnight, p. 419; Parade 15, 2004, review of Tree Girl, p. 274.
Kliatt, January, 1997, Cecilia Swanson, review of Stranded, p. 9; January, 2001, Paula Rohrlick, review of Touching Anima Bear; July, 2002, Claire Rosser, review of Red Midnight, possessor. 12; March, 2004, Claire Rosser, review of Tree Girl, possessor.
14.
Publishers Weekly, October 5, 1998, p. 91.
Quill and Quire, May well, 1993, review of Sparrow Belligerent Red, p. 37.
School Librarian, Feb, 1993, p. 30.
School Library Journal, February, 1992, p. 108; Hawthorn, 1993, Pat Katka, review a choice of Sparrow Hawk Red, p.
127; June, 1995, p. 112; Go by shanks`s pony, 1997, Joel Shoemaker, review forget about Countdown, p. 188; November 1, 1998, Joel Shoemaker, review cut into Petey, p. 124; March, 2000, Cindy Lombardo, review of Countdown (audiobook), p. 168; December, 2000, Sarah Flowers, review of Petey (audiobook), p. 81; February, 2001, Joel Shoemaker, review of Touching Spirit Bear, p.
122; Oct, 2001, Sarah Flowers, review racket Touching Spirit Bear, p. 92; May, 2002, Kathleen Isaacs, consider of Red Midnight, p. 157; October, 2003, Jennifer Ralston, debate of Touching Spirit Bear, possessor. 98; April, 2004, Kathleen Isaacs, review of Tree Girl, proprietress. 158.
Voice of Youth Advocates, Dec, 1995, Ann C.
Sparanese, con of Stranded, p. 306; June, 1997, Brenda Moses-Allen, review make a fuss over Countdown, p. 112.
Ben Mikaelsen Network site,http://www.benmikaelsen.com (October 15, 2006).
Becoming representation Author of Your Life (DVD), 2005.
Something About the Author