Robyn Looks for Bears

Sylvia Pantaleo is an assistant professor of education specializing in
children’s literature at Queen’s University. She is the co-author of
Learning with Literature in the Canadian Elementary Classroom.

Every summer, Robyn travels to her cousins’ tourist lodge on Thunder
Mountain. This year, Robyn’s quest is to see a bear so that she can
have an exciting story to share with her classmates. The first bear she
sights turns out to be her uncle. Robyn accompanies Mr. Sims to Bear
Lake expecting to see a bear, but is doubly disappointed—there was no
bear at the lake, but while she was gone, a bear was sighted in the
nearby campground. After her cousin’s dog unexpectedly encounters a
porcupine, Robyn realizes the potential dangers associated with meeting
a bear. Then, just when she thinks she is cured of bears, Robyn gets a
surprise.

The vocabulary, large print, and sentence structure in this chapter
book are all appropriate for the target audience. Hazel Hutchins’s
story includes both humorous and suspenseful moments. Yvonne
Cathcart’s black-and-white illustrations provide visual pleasure and
support for readers. Recommended.