First published 1992
Jonathan has heard the same thing his whole life. No bears live on Hemlock Mountain. Not a single one. The adults in his town repeat this fact like gospel, and Jonathan believes them completely. So when he needs to cross the mountain alone, fear never enters his mind. Why would it? Everyone knows bears don't live there. Jonathan sets off on his solitary journey across the mountain. The winter air bites at his face as he climbs higher. The familiar landscape stretches around him, looking just as safe and empty as always. But as darkness falls and the cold deepens, Jonathan makes a discovery that shatters everything the adults told him. Bears do live on Hemlock Mountain. Not only do they exist, but Jonathan finds himself face to face with them on this isolated winter night. His world of certainties crumbles as he realizes that sometimes what everyone knows to be true isn't true at all.
Genres: fiction, adventure, fantasy
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, shattered-illusions
Setting: Hemlock Mountain
Period: winter
64 pages · Paperback · Turtleback Books