One of my students once told me that this was his favorite book. That was almost five years ago, but I finally did get around to reading TOUCHING SPIRIT BEAR, and I understand a little of why he liked it so much. 
 Cole is a teenage boy who lives with a great deal of anger. Both of his parents are alcoholics, and his father is also physically abusive. Cole responds to the violence by being destructive and violent toward others. When Cole takes things too far and is charged with stealing and seriously assaulting a classmate, jail appears to be the only future for him. There are, however, some people in Cole's community who are willing to try to help Cole as he serves his sentence by use of an old native tradition called Circle Justice. It is decided Cole will be isolated on a remote island near Alaska for one year, where he will hopefully come to terms with his anger and become a better person. The events Cole experiences on the island will change him forever, but will it be enough? 
 Great survival story with a few strong characters. I had a hard time putting this book down...I was hooked to find out what Cole would experience next!