An absorbing first-hand account of living with bears, from the acclaimed author of The Spirit Bear. To many people, grizzlies are symbols of power and ferocity -- creatures to be feared and, too often, killed. But Charlie Russell, who has had a forty-year relationship with bears, holds the controversial belief that it is possible to live with and truly understand bears in the wild. And for five years now, Russell and his partner, artist and photographer Maureen Enns, have spent summers on the Kamchatka peninsula, located on the northeast coast of Russia, and home of the densest population of brown bears in the world. Grizzly Heart tells the remarkable story of how Russell and Enns have defied the preconceptions of wildlife officials and the general public by living unthreatened -- and respected -- among the grizzlies of Kamchatka. In an honest and immediate style, Russell tells of the trials and successes of their years in the field, from convincing Russian officials to allow them to study, to adopting three bear cubs left orphaned when their mother was killed by a hunter (and teaching these cubs how to survive in the wild), to raising environmental awareness through art. Through a combination of careful study and personal dedication, Russell and Enns are persuading people to reconsider the age-old image of the grizzly bear as a ferocious man-eater and perpetual threat. Through their actions, they demonstrate that it is possible to forge a mutually respectful relationship with these majestic giants, and provide compelling reasons for altering our culture. "We have been able to live beautifully with these animals, with no serious threat, because of what we've learned. Hopefully, sharing what we learn will help people -- and be a big help to our bears, too."

In this “powerful story about the healing every man needs” (John Eldredge, New York Times bestselling author), a near-fatal attack by an enraged grizzly bear leads to an unexpected encounter with God for alpha male Greg Matthews. Greg Matthews was the ultimate poster-boy for masculinity. Avid hunter and outdoorsman, Air Force and civilian firefighter, EMT, rescue helicopter pilot, fugitive recovery agent, Ground Zero volunteer and more, Greg had spent his whole life striving to serve others but for all the wrong reasons. After his parents’ divorce when he was young, Greg believed deep down that the only way he could be loved and valued—by his father, by his family, and by God—was if he earned it through daring, high-stakes, high-risk—what society commonly refers to as “manly”—achievements. But everything changed when an idyllic hunting trip through the backwoods of Alaska turned into a harrowing fight for his life. Greg was attacked by a grizzly bear—but the gruesome, nearly fatal conflict offered an unexpected encounter with God. Greg’s eyes, and more importantly, his heart, were finally opened to the lie that he’d internalized as a child: that his dangerously high-risk achievements were the sole signifiers of his worth. The road to recovery was long and painful, but it forced Greg to come face-to-face with the long-held view of manhood he had absorbed as his own identity. The relentless grizzly uncovered something in Greg’s heart: that he was being pursued by an equally persistent God, who loved him unconditionally. A gripping tale of survival and a rebuttal to outdated notions about masculinity, Wild Awakening “will help you lead a life of greater purpose” (John O’Leary, author of On Fire).

A spectacular journey into the heart of bear country, with more than 175 full-colour photographs, from the authors of Grizzly Heart. The moments of unexpected communion they’ve captured on film will change the way you think about bears forever. What if the thought of encountering a grizzly bear filled you with anticipation and wonder? What if you knew a bear her whole life, and the bear treated you as a welcome friend whenever you visited? What if bears themselves could be free to live as they were meant to, enjoying nature’s splendour and not fearful of gun-bearing humans? Not everyone can live the dream, but at least two people (and many more bears) have. For seven years, renowned naturalist Charlie Russell and his partner, artist Maureen Enns, have spent summers in the remote wilderness of Kamchatka, Russia. Home to the densest population of brown bears in the world, the region is also home to Russell and Enns’s unprecedented first-hand study of the kinds of relationships that can exist between bears and humans. The authors’ first book together, Grizzly Heart, told the unforgettable story of their work with Kamchatka’s brown bears. Now comes Grizzly Seasons, a stunning array of photographs of these captivating and elusive creatures. Central to their project are three bear cubs -- rescued by Russell and Enns from a squalid Russian zoo -- who are reintroduced to the wild and allowed to grow into the wild animals they were meant to be. We also meet other bears face-to-face, who over the years have come to accept, and at times even embrace, the couple’s presence.

Celebrate feelings in all their shapes and sizes in this New York Times bestselling picture book from the Growing Hearts series! Happiness, sadness, bravery, anger, shyness . . . our hearts can feel so many feelings! Some make us feel as light as a balloon, others as heavy as an elephant. In My Heart explores a full range of emotions, describing how they feel physically, inside, with language that is lyrical but also direct to empower readers to practice articulating and identifying their own emotions. With whimsical illustrations and an irresistible die-cut heart that extends through each spread, this gorgeously packaged and unique feelings book is sure to become a storytime favorite.

This is an intimate portrait of Charlie Russell's philosophy of nature. Accompanied by stunning photography, the book is written in narrative form, the way Charlie spoke and shared his stories and knowledge with others. Each of the chapters describes some facet of Charlie's philosophy and experiences through the stories of individual bears and what they taught him: the meaning of trust, respect, attention, love, and much more.

A playful, warm and funny story about a boy with a wild imagination and his lively family, from brand new creative duo: Swapna Haddow and Dapo Adeola. Shhh. Beware. My dad is a grizzly bear. In this family, it’s just possible that Dad is a grizzly bear . . . He has fuzzy fur, enormous paws and he loves the outdoors. He sleeps a lot, even at the movies and when he’s awake, he’s always hungry, usually eating up all the honey, what else could Dad be? But sometimes, when it’s scary at night, a lovely big bear hug is just what is needed.

"Andrews' wonderful Down from the Mountain is deeply informed by personal experience and made all the stronger by his compassion and measured thoughts... Welcome and impressive work." --Barry Lopez Winner of the Banff Mountain Book Competition's Mountain Environment & Natural History Award The story of a grizzly bear named Millie: her life, death, and cubs, and what they reveal about the changing character of the American West The grizzly is one of North America's few remaining large predators. Their range is diminished, but they're spreading across the West again. Descending into valleys where once they were king, bears find the landscape they'd known for eons utterly changed by the new most dominant animal: humans. As the grizzlies approach, the people of the region are wary, at best, of their return. In searing detail, award-winning writer, Montana rancher, and conservationist Bryce Andrews tells us about one such grizzly. Millie is a typical mother: strong, cunning, fiercely protective of her cubs. But raising those cubs--a challenging task in the best of times--becomes ever harder as the mountains change, the climate warms and people crowd the valleys. There are obvious dangers, like poachers, and subtle ones as well, like the corn field that draws her out of the foothills and sets her on a path toward trouble and ruin. That trouble is where Bryce's story intersects with Millie's. It is the heart of Down from the Mountain, a singular drama evoking a much larger one: an entangled, bloody collision between two species in the modern-day West, where the shrinking wilds force man and bear into ever closer proximity.

The True Story of a Big-Hearted Bear is a factual story of a mother grizzly bear named Baylee, her three cubs, and a two-year-old grizzly who Baylee adopts into their family. Grizzly bears are extremely protective of their young and generally do not tolerate other bears. However, Baylee raised her adopted son, Emmett, along with her three cubs until he was ready to live on his own. What happens next in the wilds of Alaska reveals that just like people, every grizzly bear is a little different from every other one, each with its own personality. The story is told with words and photographs exactly as it happened. The authors pledge to donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book to Vital Ground. Vital Ground, a non-profit conservation organization, works with private landowners to protect essential habitat in the last ecosystems where grizzlies roam. Together with its many partners, the group has helped conserve more than a quarter of a million acres in Alaska and the heart of the Rocky Mountains. For more information visit www.vitalground.org.

For nearly twenty years, alone and unarmed, author Doug Peacock traversed the rugged mountains of Montana and Wyoming tracking the magnificent grizzly. His thrilling narrative takes us into the bear's habitat, where we observe directly this majestic animal's behavior, from hunting strategies, mating patterns, and denning habits to social hierarchy and methods of communication. As Peacock tracks the bears, his story turns into a thrilling narrative about the breaking down of suspicion between man and beast in the wild.

Dani was born with her heart on the wrong side of her body. In her fifteen years of life, she's had more doctor's appointments, X-rays, and tests, and eaten more green hospital Jell-O than she cares to think about. Fourteen-year-old Amanda is a competitive gymnast, her body a small package of sleek muscles, in perfect health. The two girls don't know each other, don't go to the same school, don't have any friends in common. But their lives are about to collide. Acclaimed author Jill Wolfson tackles this fascinating story with her trademark honesty and wit.