NORTHERN EXPOSURES

Thirteen-year-old Kevin hasn’t a clue how to take photographs, but by accident and then deceit he wins first prize in a photo contest: a trip to Manitoba to photograph polar bears in the wild. Despite the resistance of his overachieving parents, Kevin heads to the snow-swept town of Churchill and its eccentric residents. The tension builds slowly but becomes increasingly taut with the appearance of shady characters who resort to violence and vandalism to hunt the white bears. Things get really dicey when Kevin and his new friend Loretta decide to take matters into their own hands. Unhappy circumstances land them on the tundra one icy night, pursued by belligerent poachers and hunted by starving polar bears. Relying on instinct, Kevin and Loretta must use all their reserves and wits to survive. Textured with details about conservation and the lives of polar bears, the story somehow dodges any mention of global warming. Still, this novel will be a great fit for Gary Paulsen fans and demonstrates a profound respect for wildlife. (Fiction. 9-13)