Betty Levin – författare

Ben, Kate, and Foster, the trio of friends from Starshine and Sunglow return in this satisfying sequel in which Ben finds a tiny creature in a ditch and is convinced he''s stumbled upon something really big -- really big. It looks exactly like a baby dinosaur, but how can Ben be sure without letting the potentially explosive secret out? With help from Kate and Foster the answers begin to come together. But soon there''s a new problem, and an even bigger challenge that will unite -- and galvanize -- the youngsters and their entire community.

When The Ice Bear was published in 1986 to critical acclaim, Betty Levin whetted her fans, appetites for a captivatingly primitive land and a civilization at odds with its future. In this anticipated prequel, young Siri must play a critical role in order to free the exiled people of Starkland. Only a dangerous overseas journey with Uncle Thorvald and the Furfolk to help deliver a prized bear and her cubs to the king will bring about liberation. But who will help Siri with her own dilemmas of choice and conflicting loyalties, and ultimately the meaning of freedom? A gripping page turner from a renowned storyteller.

Chris Fossett can''t resist a dare to spend a week alone on rocky, isolated Fowlers Island off the coast of Maine. He expects to spend his time hunting for food--not ghosts. But there''s no denying an eerie presence in the fog, and Chris recalls his grandfather''s tales of a girl who was left behind on the island. A fierce girl...who may still be there.

Joellen Roth, who comes to the island''s bird cliffs with her scientist father and his new girlfriend, wants nothing to do with Chris--nor he with her. But when the two stumble upon a hidden journal, the pages reveal a story strikingly similar to one that Joellen is writing.

It is 1892, and Jonathan Capewell, a farm boy who dreams of becoming a big-city detective, is sent from home to look after his mysterious grandfather. Grandpa is a traveling photographer, and his independent ways have never included family members -- certainly not his youngest grandchild.

After a grueling journey, Jonathan and Grandpa shoot an image of a puzzling struggle on a raging river in the Maine woods. At first they don''t suspect it''s anything more than a logging accident. But later the scene comes back to haunt them when a stranger shows an uncommon interest in the undeveloped negatives.

Who is this over-friendly stranger? Why does he seem so determined to have those pictures? The clues point to something that Jonathan has already begun to suspect: what happened on the rapids that day was no accident....