Ben Mikaelsen (born December 8th, 1952) is a Bolivian American writer of older children's literature.
Born in Bolivia to missionary parents. He wasn't sent to school until 4th grade. He attended Concordia College and Bernidji State University.
Mikaelsen owned a male American black bear named Buffy for 26 years until the bear's death in 2010. He wrote a few books that took inspiration from that bear including Touching Spirit Bear and its sequel Ghost of Spirit Bear
His books are about protagonist with lots of mental problems and are facing something difficult whether its at home or its about belonging and being seen as an outcast.
Works By Ben Mikaelsen
- Rescue Josh Mcguire (1991)
- Sparrow Hawk Red (1993)
- Stranded (1995)
- Countdown (1996)
- Petey (1998)
- Touching Spirit Bear (2001)
- Red Midnight (2002)
- Tree Girl (2004)
- Ghost of Spirit Bear (2008)
- Jungle of Bones (2014)
Tropes Associated With His Work
- Central Theme: Loneliness and individuality, growth, understanding, wisdom, love, showing the beauty and friendships that can be found in even the simplest of places.
- Signature Style: His books usually feature a troubling protagonist who has flaws and problems. The person is usually seen as an outcast by almost everyone else.
- Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism: Leaning more towards the idealistic end of the scale. That said, cynicism really does show with the characters flaws and mental problems as well as the hardships in their world. Its the morals, heart, and themes that makes his books more hopeful and optimistic.
