The Bear Went Over the Mountain

The Bear Went Over the Mountain is by William Kotzwinkle. Arthur Bramhall is a professor at the University of Maine, and he's just written a novel called Destiny and Desire which he hopes will be a bestseller. Because his first copy of the novel was destroyed in a fire, he hides it under a tree near his cabin while he goes to town to buy a bottle of champagne to celebrate. Hal Jam is a bear; he steals Arthur's novel and heads to New York where the book does indeed become a best-seller and Hal is vaulted to super stardom. This book is a hilarious farce about a bear who becomes a man and a man who becomes a bear. If you enjoyed Forrest Gump, Hal Jam will delight you. A thoroughly entertaining read.

Ratings: 11th grade - 8 out of 10 - P (profanity) - AC (mature thematic content).