Description
★“An important book for helping kids see past the stereotypes of terrifying grizzly bears and join the call for conservation.”—School Library Journal, starred review
Grizzlies are one of North America’s most iconic wildlife species.
They once roamed across half the continent, but today the grizzly population has declined at an alarming rate and it is incredibly difficult to rebuild those numbers, especially in places with a lot of people. Yet grizzlies are key members of their ecological communities and a powerful symbol of wilderness. Filled with facts and richly illustrated with photos, Grizzly Bears: Guardians of the Wilderness explores the biology of grizzlies and the vital ecological role these bears play, and it asks readers to consider what it takes to share the land with them. Learn from conservationists, scientists, Indigenous Peoples and young people who are working to ensure that grizzlies will be with us forever.
The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
Author Bio
Frances Backhouse is an award-winning environmental journalist and author who found her way to writing through science. As a kid, she loved exploring nature. She climbed trees, went for long walks with her dog in the river valley near her home, raised monarch butterflies from caterpillars and made plaster casts of animal tracks. Adulthood brought new adventures as she earned a bachelor of ccience degree in zoology and went on to work as a park naturalist and a biologist. Frances has written four books in the Orca Wild series and six books for adults. She lives in Victoria, British Columbia, and loves spending time outdoors wherever she is.
Prizes
- BC Books for SchoolsCommended 2023
- Junior Library Guild (JLG) Gold Standard SelectionCommended 2023
- Children’s Book Council & National Science Teachers Association Outstanding Science Trade BooksCommended 2024
- CCBC Best Books for Kids & TeensCommended 2023
- The Nature Generation Green Earth Book Award (GEBA) - Young Adult Nonfiction Recommended ReadingCommended 2024
- School Library Journal (SLJ) Best Books - NonfictionCommended 2023
- Science Writers and Communicators of Canada (SWCC) Book Awards - Youth CategoryLong-listed 2023
- Young Readers' Choice Book Awards of British Columbia (YRCABC) Red Cedar Book Awards - NonfictionNominated 2025
- Bank Street College of Education Children's Book Committee Best Children's Books of the YearCommended 2024
Review Quotes
“The writing is clear and engaging and benefits from the author’s specific experience working with bears…Organized well for research…An excellent addition to any school or public library collection.”
— Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD)Biographical note
Frances Backhouse studied biology in university and worked as a park naturalist and a biologist before becoming an environmental journalist and author. She is the author of Βeavers: Radical Rodents and Ecosystem Engineers and six books for adults, including Children of the Klondike. Camping is one of Frances’s favorite ways to spend time outdoors. In bear country, she is extra careful to keep a clean campsite so she doesn’t invite in any unwelcome wildlife visitors. Frances lives in Victoria, British Columbia.
