Soldier Bear

Winner of the 2012 Batchelder Award

Based on a real series of events that happened during World War II, Soldier Bear tells the story of an orphaned bear cub adopted by a group of Polish soldiers in Iran. The soldiers raise the bear and eventually enlist him as a soldier to ensure that he stays with the company. He travels with them from Iran to Italy, and then on to Scotland. Voytek's mischief gets him into trouble along with way, but he also provides some unexpected encouragement for the soldiers amidst the reality of war: Voytek learns to carry bombs for the company, saves the camp from a spy, and keeps them constantly entertained with his antics.

Always powerful and surprising, Bibi Dumon Tak's story offers readers a glimpse at this fascinating piece of history.

Author: Bibi Dumon Tak
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
Published: 09/26/2013
Pages: 147
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.40lbs
Size: 8.49h x 5.28w x 0.42d
ISBN: 9780802854360

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 5.2
Point Value: 5
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 146245 / Soldier Bear

About the Author
Bibi Dumon Tak is the author of Soldier Bear and Mikis and the Donkey (both Eerdmans), both of which won the Mildred L. Batchelder Award. In 2018 Bibi received the Theo Thijssen Prize, the highest honor for children's authors in the Netherlands. She has previously collaborated with Annemarie van Haeringen on Scout's Heaven (Eerdmans).

Philip Hopman studied at the Rietveld Academy and has illustrated more than 250 books, including A Dog Like Sam, Mikis and the Donkey, and Soldier Bear (all Eerdmans). He lives in the Netherlands.