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Backyard Bears: Conservation, Habitat Changes, & the Rise of Urban Wildlife

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The cover of the book "Backyard Bears"Backyard Bears: Conservation, Habitat Changes, & the Rise of Urban Wildlife by Amy E. Cherrix (Scientists in the Field series)
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Kids

When you picture a scientist, do you think of somebody in a white coat working in a laboratory? The Scientists in the Field books show a whole different side of science- people who dive deep underwater, hike through jungles, climb volcanoes, crawl through caves, and (in this latest volume) track bears in their habitats. Backyard Bears is the story of a group of wildlife scientists learning about bears that live not in the wilderness, but in the city of Asheville, North Carolina. How did there get to be bears in a big city? What do they eat, where do they live, and how do they take care of their cubs? Are city bears dangerous to people and pets? Or are people more dangerous to bears? How many bears can live in Asheville, and still have enough to eat and places  to live? Follow wildlife scientists as they track bears, climb trees, and use technology to find the answers.

Find Backyard Bears in the catalog
Find other Scientists in the Field books

One Bear Extraordinaire

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Submitted by Ms. Tess!

In One Bear Extraordinaire by Jayme McGowan, Bear wakes up with a song in his head, as usual. See, Bear is a rambling musician, traveling through the forest, entertaining all the creatures there. But this song needs something unique. He’s not sure what it’s missing, so he goes looking for it! Along the way he meets a banjo playing fox, an accordion playing raccoon, and a fiddle playing rabbit. They all sound mighty fine making music together but there’s still something missing! The band meets a wolf pup who’s an aspiring musician. Bear unloads his supply of instruments, but none of them quite strike Wolf Pup’s fancy. But that night, when the band is gathered around a cozy campfire, jamming, they discover Wolf Pup is a great singer! And that’s just what the song needed! And now, not only does Bear have a great song on his hands, he’s also made some pretty great friends! See this book listed in our catalog

Bruce’s Big Move

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Submitted by Ms. Carol!

Bruce’s Big Move by Ryan T. Higgins is a story about Bruce the bear. Bruce lives with his four adopted geese and his house is very crowded. He also has three mice living in his house that just will not leave. The mice love Bruce and the geese but Bruce wants them gone. The mice always make a mess and are quite noisy. He tries his best to get rid of them but no matter what he does they just won’t leave. Bruce decides that the only way to get rid of the pesky mice is to move. Bruce packs up the geese and goes in search of a new home. He has trouble but eventually finds a nice home. He likes it there, except for his too friendly neighbors, but the geese are sad because they miss the mice. Bruce tries to cheer them up but nothing works. One day the moving van arrives with all of Bruce’s things including the pesky mice. The geese and the mice are so happy to see one another. Will Bruce have to move again or will he welcome the mice as a new addition to his family? See this book listed in our catalog

Big Bear, Small Mouse

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Submitted by Ms. Sue!

In Big Bear, Small Mouse by Karma Wilson, and illustrated by Jane Chapman, a small mouse and a big bear discover all the opposites among their friends. Some animals are big and some animals are small. Some friends are short and some friends are tall. We can see opposites everywhere. Bear is big, big, big and mouse is small, small, small. Bear and Mouse wave to Badger as he goes by. Badger is very slow. But Hare is very fast! There is a flutter in the sky and Wren is flying low while owl is soaring high. The sun is setting outside and it’s getting cold and wet out there. But Bear’s lair is nice and warm. All the animal friends gather together inside. 
“Cold night, warm lair. Quiet woods, loud friends. High Owl, low Wren. Slow Badger, fast Hare. Small Mouse and BIG BEAR!” See this book listed in our catalog

There’s a Bear on My Chair

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Submitted by Ms. Carol!

There’s a Bear on My Chair by Ross Collins is a story about a bear and a mouse. Mouse has a chair. He comes to find that his chair has become occupied by a bear. Mouse is not happy about this at all. He tries many things to try to get Bear to get out of his chair. He gives him a nasty glare, he tempts him with a pear, he even tries to scare Bear by jumping out of a box in his underwear. Bear doesn’t seem to notice any of these things. Bear is just relaxing in Mouse’s chair. Mouse finally gives up and leaves. Bear then decides to get up and go home. Oh no! Bear soon discovers he has a mouse in his house. This is a good story and also incorporates rhyming. See this book listed in our catalog

Bear and Bunny

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Submitted by Ms. Karen!

Bear and Bunny by Daniel Pinkwater, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. This sweetly illustrated story is about two friends, Bear and Bunny, who like walks, long talks, naps, and adventures in the woods. They obviously are besties, so much so, in fact, that “the bear is sure the bunny is a very small bear, and the bunny is sure the bear is a very large bunny.” But of course these kinds of things matter very little to true friends. One day the friends decide that what they need is a pet and they set off in search of the perfect one. Much wandering and careful discussion ensues – “Can a pinecone be a pet?” – until Bunny and Bear find just what they are looking for! See this book listed in our catalog