An enormous ‘thank you’ to both Hannah and the team at Harper Collins Children’s for the proof copy. I have been a fan of Hannah’s since I read the proof of ‘The Last Bear’ during the pandemic, and she has outdone herself yet again in this latest: ‘Finding Bear’, the stunning sequel to the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize winner in 2022 in which we see April, Dad and Bear’s return. Everything is changing and April is having a hard time adjusting, she feels a little unsettled in her new life, 17 months after coming home from saving a polar bear and making a friend for life: Bear. She still feels drawn to the artic, a pull from inside of her to rerun, a roar on the wind calling for help. Bear needs her. With no time to lose, April and Dad race back to Svalbard in search of Bear and find more than they could have ever bargained for… With old characters we know and love, as well as some new faces we will remember forever, Hannah Gold has given us all another story to treasure, making it the perfect hat-trick. Her blend of adventure and environmentalism is the perfect way to engage children to the very real consequences of our actions on this planet and how we can leave the world better than we found it. Along with the gorgeous artwork from Levi Pinfold, April and Bear truly come to life in this powerful story of how change can start with just one person in rainbow wellies.

Well, she's done it again. @HGold_author has moved me to tears once again with her third offering, Finding Bear.

Could Hannah Gold keep April and Bear's story at the quality of The Last Bear? Well, I think she did. April is in England with her father, living near Granny Apples and the coast. She is at school, but she doesn't feel like she belongs. School is difficult. Dad has a new girlfriend Maria; she is April's head teacher! But her life is missing something....Bear. One night she wakes...she heard him surely....how could she hear him roar? Tor's email is due the next day - it doesn't arrive on time...and when it does it says a bear has been shot by a tourist in the port at Longyearben. A bear that was on his hind legs, roaring at the sea....just as Bear had done when she said goodbye. April persuades Dad to return to Svalbard, he's not happy- Maria doesn't really understand why as she hasn't heard the full story. Dad points out it might not be Bear but April is convinced. When they get to Svalbard, they are staying in a bit of a shabby hotel, run by Jurgen who is surprised to see a child in Svalbard in the Winter. April runs from the Polar Institute in alarm when the man says they shouldn't go looking for an injured polar bear, who probably won't remember her, even if she is THE April Wood! She gets lost. She's at the edge of the town. She gets picked up by a woman who clearly lives there; she makes it quite clear Ashe thinks April is stupid! She drops April back at the hotel. Dad is back here and then Tor arrives! Jurgen is stunned by their story and arranges for them to be taken to the area they suspect Bear to be...by the woman who picked April up! They tell her they want to see the Northern Lights; Jurgen suggests telling her they're looking for a polar bear isn't a good idea! But things go wrong when a storm blows up, first April and Tor are separated from Hedda and Dad, then April is alone. the dogs take her to a cabin...but she forgets Hedda's rule and doesn't tie them up...in the morning they've gone. But there is something else there...a polar bear....Bear. And he does recognise her! Bear wants April to ride on his back, he's refusing the peanut butter but seems hungry. Why won't he eat? She leaves Dad a note in the cabin, and climbs on. He takes her to a cave, another bear is there but she has died. Then, Bear makes a different noise and a cub appears from the back of the cave. This is why Bear wouldn't eat. The cub is very small. She decides she has to help. But how? Suddenly she isn't alone - Tor, he took a sled North from the cabin, while Dad and Hedda went back to Longyearben. She tells Tor the plan. Hannah's story of Bear and his love for his cub made me unable to put this down (and I'm not a speed reader!) I couldn't stop reading because I had to know if the plan could work. A twist at the end of the story surprised me and left me with tears rolling down my face and a smile on my lips. Every emotion overflows throughout this book. Hannah's words bring Bear, his cub, April and her family, Tor, Lisé, Jurgen and Hedda to life. As for Levi's illustrations - well they bring the beauty of the story to your eyes. I couldn't imagine this book without them. Stunning, loved everything.

I have been looking forward to reading this book, I got my mum to pre order it as soon as I could. I have loved reading it and can't wait for Hannah to write more books. I highly recommend this book its fantastic. K age 10.

Finding Bear By Hannah Gold Published by HarperCollins Publishers Another fabulous Arctic adventure from Hannah Gold. This follow-up to the bestselling and award-winning The Last Bear takes us back to Svalbard where it all began. Full of twists and turns, this story of April and Bear will keep you captivated til the end. April Wood returns from her adventure on Bear Island, but can’t stop thinking about Bear. Her special polar bear friend and life saver. So when she hears that a polar bear has been shot and injured in Svalbard, she’s convinced it’s Bear and persuades her dad to travel with her to the northernmost reaches of the Arctic to find out the truth. But in Svalbard, April discovers more than she bargained for – a baby polar bear cub, desperately in need of help. So begins another unforgettable journey across frozen tundra, through glaciers and over dangerous Arctic terrain. April fears nothing when she has Bear by her side, but this cannot always be the way. Beautifully illustrated by Levi Pinfold and perfect for readers 8+, Finding Bear is another stunning story of love, survival and hope. This passionately written story reminds us how change can be made if we are strong, determined and committed. It then questions how far we are prepared to go to protect nature and what really matters. Joanne Bardgett - teacher of littlies, lover of Children’s literature. #Netgalley #HarperCollinsPublishing