Kodiak: King of the Grizzlies

Tom Callaghan is a retired Environmental Scientist, mountaineer, and nature lover. He attended the University of California at Santa Cruz where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Studies and a Master's Degree in Natural Science. After 27 years of protecting Natural Resources he began to teach. Tom founded a non-profit organization to help kids learn critical thinking skills through the game of Chess. Founded in 2010, Kids Chess Club has taught over 3000 young minds to play chess, some who went on to win State and National titles. kidschessclub.org

A 15-year-old city-boy moved into a remote forest cabin on Big Bear Mountain and realized his connection to nature after discovering the 100-year-old journal of a grizzly hunter. The California Grizzly Bear was hunted into extinction 100 years ago, and was the most terrifying monster the early pioneers had ever faced. The journal tells the untold story about the extinction of the bears and describes an epic final battle between the grizzlies and the US Army. It even has a talking bear from outer space! Kodiak was a fierce, giant grizzly with special powers who was sent by the Great Creator to help the bears survive their impending doom. Battles raged and the bears were pursued but one clan escaped total annihilation with some unexpected help. This book has stories within stories as you read the entries in the journal, the boy's reaction, and how it affects events in his modern life. It is written in a way that mixes natural science with war and fantasy to create a roller-coaster adventure with many surprising twists.