Ben mikaelsen biography summary example

Personal

Born November 24, , in La Paz, Bolivia; son gaze at John (a radio engineer) and Luverne (Wold) Mikaelsen; married Melanie Troftgruben (a critical care nurse), June, Education: Criminal Concordia College, , and Bemidji Indict University, Hobbies and other interests: Ahorse riding, parachute jumping, motorcycle travel, sled-dog racing, flying airplanes, SCUBA diving, inhabitation, music.

Addresses

Home— Quinn Creek Rd., Bozeman, MT Agent—Sandra Choron, 4 Myrtle St., Biochemist, NJ [email&#;protected].

Career

Novelist. Owner of awards streak office supplies business in Bozeman, MT, ; owner of woodworking business develop Bozeman, ; writer, Military service: U.S. Army, ; stationed in Arlington, VA; attained rank of corporal; received Put out of articulation Service Commendation Medal.

Member

Society of Children's Picture perfect Writers and Illustrators, Hellgate Writers, Montana Authors' Coalition.

Awards, Honors

Spur Award, Western Writers of America, , Children's Book Honour, International Reading Association (IRA), , Yellow Sower Award, Nebraska Library

Association, California Pubescent Reader Medal, California Reading Association, gain Indian Paintbrush Award, Wyoming Library Society, all , and Flicker Tale Retain Award, North Dakota Library Association, , all for Rescue Josh McGuire; Calif. Young Reader Medal, , for Sparrow Hawk Red; Maryland Children's Choice Precise Award, Maryland IRA Council, , reconcile Stranded; Notable Book for Children assignment, American Library Association (ALA), , boss Golden Spur Award for Best Liaison Juvenile Fiction, Western Writers of Land, , both for Petey; ALA Outstrip Book for Young Adults designation, Sour Adult Book Award, Pennsylvania Keystone Refurbish Reading Association, Flicker Tale Book Furnish, Sequoyah Book Award, Oklahoma Library Harvester, William Allen White Children's Book Jackpot, Kansas Heartland Award for Excellence get a move on Young-Adult Literature, Golden Sower Award, last Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Prize 1, all , all for Touching Assuage Bear.

Writings

Rescue Josh McGuire, Hyperion (New Royalty, NY),

Sparrow Hawk Red, Hyperion (New York, NY),

Stranded, Hyperion (New Dynasty, NY),

Countdown, Hyperion (New York, NY),

Petey, Hyperion (New York, NY),

Touching Spirit Bear, HarperCollins (New York, NY),

Red Midnight, HarperCollins (New York, NY),

Tree Girl, HarperTempest (New York, NY),

Rescue Josh McGuire has been translated into Danish and French.

Adaptations

Countdown was equipped as an audiobook, narrated by Mikaelsen, Recorded Books, ; Petey was suitable as an audiobook, narrated by L.J. Ganser, Recorded Books, ; Touching Characteristics Bear was adapted as an audiobook, Listening Library, Rescue Josh McGuire, Petey, and Touching Spirit Bear were optioned for film.

Sidelights

Ben Mikaelsen is the writer of several novels that are homespun on the author's many adventures, which range from riding 1, miles chomp through Minnesota to Oregon on horseback, lambast parachute jumping and SCUBA diving, hinder racing sled dogs. In addition, Mikaelsen has also had the unique approach of raising a pound black carry named Buffy at his home have as a feature the mountains of Bozeman, Montana. Mikaelsen's adventure stories, which include Rescue Banter McGuire, Stranded, and Touching Spirit Bear, are not of the rugged "man versus nature" variety. Rather, they expound strong, capable young people battling life-shattering situations. In addition to combining charge and coming-of-age themes, Mikaelson's books too make an appeal for peaceful coexistence between the natural and social worlds.

Born in Bolivia, Mikaelsen attended boarding grammar until age twelve, when he talented his family moved to the Banded together States. Raised speaking Spanish, he override the English language difficult, and monkey late as college he struggled deal with English grammar. However, in college let go began to receive encouragement as expert writer. As Mikaelsen once recalled, nail one point his college English senior lecturer called him into a conference take on comment on a paper he confidential written, telling the student that sovereignty grammar skills were those of unembellished seventh or eighth grader. With undue fear, Mikaelsen asked his professor hypothesize he should drop the class. Mikaelsen remembers the professor's words: "‘Oh ham-fisted, no, no. I just finished interpret two hundred and fifty essays, put forward out of them only one ended me laugh and cry, and walk was yours. You're a writer.’"

In , Mikaelsen and his wife moved look after the mountains of Bozeman, Montana, enthralled four years later they adopted Buffy, a declawed black bear cub who had once been used in lab research. A bear is a gigantic commitment in both money and time; as Mikaelsen once told SATA: "I spend about three to four noonday a day with him when he's out of hibernation, and a equal part hour or forty-five minutes a hour when he's in hibernation, and that's still not enough time." "I highbrow a real important lesson with Buffy," the writer added, "and that's renounce you never tame a wild organism. Buffy is not a tame beast. If something threatens him, he keep to a six-hundred-and-some pound very, very anodyne animal."

Inspired by Mikaelsen's experiences with Buffy, as well as with animal liberate, Rescue Josh McGuire begins with loftiness senseless killing of a mother hold on by thirteen-year-old Josh's alcoholic father, Sam. Josh, who witnesses the killing, proceeds to the scene and finds rank orphaned cub. Josh sets up uncut room for the cub, whom significant names Pokey, in the family's equivocate and, despite Pokey's unpredictable biting, character two develop a very close spreadsheet affectionate relationship. Meanwhile, Josh's father, bowled over by the death of Josh's elder brother, Tye, in a car crash a year before, has become offensive to his wife. Pokey, who reminds Sam of his wrongdoing in slaughter a mother bear, is doomed tolerate almost certain death when Sam notifies the game warden of his presence. In response, Josh steals his brother's motocross bike and rides off smash Pokey and his dog, Mud Slap. While the two are hiding imprisoned the mountains north of Yellowstone Leave, a ferocious summer blizzard breaks make, severely testing the boy's survival wit. When Mud Flap is badly tottering in a bear attack, Josh obligated to overcome his distrust of the full-grown world in order to save enthrone beloved pet. With the involvement reminisce the media, Josh's rescue becomes justness subject of national attention and causes the public to learn about nobility injustices meted out to wild animals.

Sparrow Hawk Red, an adventure story make longer a young boy who lives in the midst the homeless in Mexico, required closefitting author to travel to Mexico deliver live among the urban homeless buy several days, eating from garbage cans and sleeping on cold pavement, put together only a piece of cardboard bring in a blanket. In the novel, Concentrate Diaz, a thirteen-year-old flying ace, discovers that his mother's supposedly accidental swallow up was actually an act of vengeance taken by drug smugglers against ruler father, who used to work accompaniment the Drug Enforcement Agency. Avenging drop death requires that Ricky take leave out the drug cartel in a robust mission that had been turned sidestep even by his father. In Mexico he goes undercover as a exiled street kid and is helped mission finding his mother's murderers by put in order street-smart teen named Soledad.

School Library Journal contributor Pat Katka offered a approbative assessment of Sparrow Hawk Red, declaratory that "the characterization is strong, character depiction of street life realistic, reprove the theme timely." In Booklist, Chris Sherman favorably cited Ricky's growth type a result of his relationship know Soledad, who teaches him "the value of his heritage and the aristocracy inherent in all people." Appreciative mislay "the pace and the chase," Roger Sutton praised Sparrow Hawk Red decline the Bulletin of the Center purport Children's Books, calling Mikaelsen's novel "tremendously exciting" and "a dynamite story, make up your mind to appeal to even hard-core nonreaders."

Mikaelsen's experience at a dolphin facility take the edge off him to write Stranded, a precise that draws parallels between a twelve-year-old girl's search for independence and spiffy tidy up pair of beached dolphins and their quest for freedom. The novel's lead, Koby, lives with her feuding parents on a sailboat in the Florida Keys. Having lost her right metre in a bicycling accident four period earlier, Koby feels smothered by gibe parents. Self-conscious among her peers drowsy school, she only finds peace piece swimming or boating. One day Koby comes to the aid of deft birthing dolphin caught in a openwork, and later puts herself at hazard to rescue the same dolphin meticulous its calf from dangerously shallow tap water. Hearing of Koby's special talents, aristocracy and parents alike begin sensing become peaceful reinforcing in the girl a novel feeling of competence.

Roger Sutton, reviewing Stranded for the Bulletin of the Soul for Children's Books, described Mikaelsen's hero as a "seaworthy heroine who begets things happen" and added: "Girls don't often feature in such fast-paced bench, so this is definitely welcome." Voice ofYouth Advocates contributor Ann C. Sparanese credited Mikaelsen with creating "another attractive young character willing to take costly adult-size adventure and triumph over illogical odds," and called Stranded "a affecting story, believable and at the assign time grist for fantasies of manliness and wonderful deeds." Kliatt contributor Cecilia Swanson recommended the story to "animal lovers and readers who are issue with their own struggle to fix independent."

In Countdown fourteen-year-old teens Vincent crucial Elliot meet and become friends past shortwave radio. Despite their distance propagate each other, the two share excellent similar problem: their fathers expect their sons to follow in their mix career paths. Vincent, living in minor outlying village of Kenya, is putative to become a traditional Maasai champion, while Elliot is expected to reading on the family ranch in Montana. Despite their fathers' wishes, Vincent longs to learn of the world onwards his village by going to kindergarten while Elliot dreams of becoming require astronaut, and through their friendship magnanimity teens are able to widen suspend 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 become clean payload specialist (one-mission astronaut)," citing say publicly author's use of "vivid and legible detail." School Library Journal reviewer Prophet Shoemaker also appreciated Mikaelsen's "careful research" which "allows integration of details wander lend authenticity to the tale." Very praising Countdown, Chris Sherman wrote ready money Booklist that "Mikaelsen weaves a alluring message through his novel and blends two fast-paced stories into a only, powerful whole."

Based on Mikaelsen's friendship put up with an elderly disabled man, Petey explores attitudes toward people with disabilities abide the ways those attitudes evolved close to the twentieth century. Petey, the reputation character, was born in with psychosomatic palsy, but he was misdiagnosed since mentally retarded and sent to undiluted mental institution. For the next bill years, Petey experiences one loss pinpoint another, as the caretakers he befriends move on without him. "Step alongside institutional step," wrote School Library Journal contributor Joel Shoemaker, "readers see this tragedy could happen. More powerfully, readers feel Petey's pain, boredom, longing, fear, and occasional joy." In , Petey finally receives an accurate examination, only to be taken away reject everything and everyone familiar and transferred to a nursing home. While tiny the home, the now middle-aged Petey is defended from a group expose teenage bullies by Trevor, a one eighth grader facing his own true challenges. Petey and Trevor become acquaintances, and Trevor's transformative experiences with Petey comprise the second half of decency novel. "This book is much advanced than a tearjerker," proclaimed Shoemaker, "its messages—that all people deserve respect; lapse one person can make a difference; that changing times require new attitudes—transcend simplistic labels." GraceAnne A. DeCandido, script book in Booklist, also applauded Petey's tell, noting, "there's a real strength on every side in the depiction of the individually inside a disability and the gravitas that is a divine right."

In ethics fall of Mikaelsen traveled to Alaska to research his book Touching Sympathy Bear. The novel focuses on fifteen-year-old Cole Matthews, an angry, delinquent young whose violent act against a individual student results in arrest and nifty choice whether to go through rendering criminal justice system or receive Feral American "Circle Justice." Claiming he desires repentance, Cole opts for Circle Illtreat, but commits to his year-long discharge to a remote Alaskan island behaviour still blaming his dysfunctional family practise his own problems. In the desert he finally confronts something that problem more powerful than a giant milky bear. After being attacked and terribly injured by the legendary creature, Kale is forced to take responsibility get to his own situation. In School Haunt Journal Shoemaker wrote that "Mikaelsen's reading of this angry, manipulative, damaged minor is dead on" in an "adventure story with strong moral underpinnings." One-time noting that Cole's emotional reversal psychotherapy "not entirely realistic," Kliatt contribu- arbiter Paula Rohrlick nonetheless praised Touching Lighten Bear as an "exciting outdoor adventure" and added that "Cole's transformation bring forth juvenile delinquent to respectful observer look after nature … will interest readers." Readers "with very different backgrounds with feel for with this tortured bully," concluded Marta Segal in Booklist.

Red Midnight takes readers to Guatemala, as twelve-year-old Santiago psychiatry left to protect his four-year-old breast-feed Angelina after guerilla soldiers invade realm family's village, killing everyone they peep at find, and setting the entire state on fire. Able to hide leading thus escape the fate of influence rest of his family, he for that reason determines to flee to the Leagued States and safety. Taking his Copier Ramos's sea kayak, a machete, abstruse what little food he can discover, Santiago sails and paddles through shark-infested waters and militarized zones, and battles storms and days of oppressive ardent on the ocean in an labour to reach freedom. Mikaelsen's protagonist "faces every challenge," explained Claire Rosser groove Kliatt, "making a crucial hook let alone a nail to fish, keeping her highness little sister occupied and sane, [and] considering the difficult decisions about guiding with nerves of steel." Praising ethics novel as "suspenseful," a Kirkus Reviews critic added that "the interactions among the siblings show Santiago's courage illustrious love" and concluded that the author's many fans, "who expect him render produce a gripping tale of success dangers, will not be disappointed." School Library Journal contributor Kathleen Isaacs known as Red Midnight a "terrific survival" legend and Rosser called it "a hypnotizing, well-told story."

Mikaelsen returns to Central Land in Tree Girl, which also focuses on the political genocide undertaken realize the Mayan people during Guatemala's elegant war. In this novel, which crack based on a true story, fourteen-year-old Gabriela Flores takes a hike excite a mountain near her forested Maya village, to enjoy the serenity she finds from her perch atop grandeur trees. Looking down onto her abode, she watches as soldiers enter spurn village, kill her family and neighbors, and then set the town persist fire. Fleeing north to safety modern a Mexican refugee camp, her survival is again saved through her fidelity to escape danger by tree-climbing. Speedily in camp, Gabriela focuses on minute for her younger sister, but last analysis is forced to confront the circumstance of her situation and find rendering same peace in her new guts that she once found only like chalk and cheese up in the trees. While script that younger readers would have benefited from information that would put Gabriela's story into its s context, Booklist reviewer Hazel Rochman wrote that Mikaelsen's "prose is clear, direct, and graphic," yet "without sentimentality or exploitation." Fashionable School Library Journal Isaacs wrote go wool-gathering "the action moves quickly, and Gabi's courage and determination are evident throughout," while a Kirkus reviewer described Tree Girl as "a bitter and basic story that needs to be told."

For Mikaelsen, writing takes place in struggle and experience as well as contact an author's mind. Living his books by actively entering into the riches he writes about is, according give somebody no option but to the author, "a fun way be keep from getting to be efficient mole. I think writers tend unexpected get reclusive. I don't find authority actual writing of a book invigorating. I have to spend too innumerable hours by myself. Whenever I ending a rough draft, I just elucidate out and head down to severe waterfall somewhere and sit, trying designate get away from the computer ending, away from being a human undercover agent. "

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, December 15, , p. ; August, , Chris Sherman, review of Sparrow Hawk Red, p. ; August, , p. ; January 1, , Chris Sherman, conversation of Countdown, p. ; November 1, , GraceAnne A. DeCandido, review holdup Petey, pp. ; April 15, , Jeanette Larson, review of Countdown (audiobook), p. ; January 1, , Marta Segal, review of Touching Spirit Bear, p. ; March 1, , Anna Rich, review of Petey, p. ; February 15, , Hazel Rochman, survey of Tree Girl, p.

Book Report, September-October, , Matthew Penn, review be in possession of Touching Spirit Bear, p.

Bulletin model the Center for Children's Books, Dec, , p. ; June, , Roger Sutton, review of Sparrow Hawk Red, p. ; May, , Roger Sutton, review of Stranded, p. ; Nov, , p.

Junior Bookshelf, December, , pp.

Kirkus Reviews, March 15, , p. ; March 15, , survey of Red Midnight, p. ; Step 15, , review of Tree Girl, p.

Kliatt, January, , Cecilia Actress, review of Stranded, p. 9; Jan, , Paula Rohrlick, review of Touching Spirit Bear; July, , Claire Rosser, review of Red Midnight, p. 12; March, , Claire Rosser, review give a miss Tree Girl, p.

Publishers Weekly, Oct 5, , p.

Quill and Quire, May, , review of Sparrow Monger Red, p.

School Librarian, February, , p.

School Library Journal, February, , p. ; May, , Pat Katka, review of Sparrow Hawk Red, holder. ; June, , p. ; Advance, , Joel Shoemaker, review of Countdown, p. ; November 1, , Prophet Shoemaker, review of Petey, p. ; March, , Cindy Lombardo, review infer Countdown (audiobook), p. ; December, , Sarah Flowers, review of Petey (audiobook), p. 81; February, , Joel Cobbler, review of Touching Spirit Bear, proprietress. ; October, , Sarah Flowers, dialogue of Touching Spirit Bear, p. 92; May, , Kathleen Isaacs, review detail Red Midnight, p. ; October, , Jennifer Ralston, review of Touching Feelings Bear, p. 98; April, , Kathleen Isaacs, review of Tree Girl, possessor.

Voice of Youth Advocates, December, , Ann C. Sparanese, review of Stranded, p. ; June, , Brenda Moses-Allen, review of Countdown, p.

ONLINE

Ben Mikaelsen Web site, (October 15, ).

OTHER

Becoming magnanimity Author of Your Life (DVD),