Ben Mikaelsen

RESCUE JOSH McGUIRE

Published by Hyperion Books for Children, 1991

 

A DARING RESCUE ... OR A DEADLY RISK? Ever since Josh's older brother died, his father has been drinking too much and taking his anger out on Josh. But when he orphans a bear cub on a hunting trip, it's more than Josh can stand. Josh insists on bringing the defenseless cub home, only to find out he must surrender it to game officials.

Knowing the cub will be given to researchers, Josh makes a defiant choice. Taking only his brother's motorcycle, the cub, and his dog, Josh runs away to the mountains, vowing to stay until the hunting laws are changed. But the mountains hold unexpected menace, and Josh's bid for justice soon becomes a battle to survive...

 

The Creation of Rescue Josh McGuire . . .

The idea for Rescue Josh McGuire came from raising our adopted black bear, Buffy. I received many calls from people finding cubs orphaned during the Montana spring bear hunt. Without their mothers the cubs would starve to death. This gave me the idea for the characters; Josh, Otis, Pokey, and Mudflap.

Part of my research was backpacking in the Tom Miner Basin area. I saw bears, moose, elk, and deer. An average hike was 18 miles. I also visited a hospital, local medivac program, and Bozeman Search and Rescue Department. The Montana Fish and Game department helped in supplying information on the bear hunting issue.