"The summer Simon turns thirteen, he becomes fascinated with a rare type of black bear called spirit bears. He learns that some have a pure white coat and that they exist in small numbers in the Great Bear Rainforest - not too far from his own home. But the spirit bears' habitat is under threat from deforestation, and Simon knows he must help protect these incredible animals. In school, however, Simon struggles to find his own voice. At lunchtime, he eats in the bathroom to avoid bullies. Even so, Simon becomes a voice for the spirit bears - standing up for these animals who cannot speak for themselves. Simon's remarkable journey leads him to meet Dr. Jane Goodall and eventually hike the Great Bear Rainforest, where he encounters one of the elusive white spirit bears. This inspiring true story is based on the early life of Simon Jackson, who as a teenager founded the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition to save the spirit bears. The organization, which had started out as a small community of friends and classmates, eventually grew to a include 60 million members in 85 countries. Through exclusive interviews with Simon Jackson and his family, author Carmen Oliver gained valuable insight into Simon's experience. His story is covered in more detail in the end matter, along with further information about spirit bears. A concluding note asks young readers what they would change to make the world a better place and inspires them to use their own voices to make a difference."--
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