From School Library Journal Grade 6-9-In the sequel to Hobbs's Bearstone (Atheneum, 1989), Cloyd Atcitty returns to the high country with his rancher friend Walter. But whereas the elderly man is searching for a lost cache of Spanish gold, Cloyd is hoping to find a family of grizzly bears that has been sighted. The previous novel ended with Cloyd believing that he had failed to save what could have been the last of the Colorado grizzlies, and he clings to the belief that its mate and cubs may be alive. Eventually, his search for the bears and his commitment to their survival becomes a journey of self-discovery. This novel works as an effective adventure story, an exploration of the Ute Indian culture, and a natural-history lesson rolled into one, all set in the rarefied atmosphere of the Continental Divide. As compelling as the first book, Beardance should prove to be equally popular.
