A face-to-face encounter with a big grizzly cures a jumpy 12-year-old of his fear of being afraid in this family adventure set in turn-of-the-century western Texas and Montana. Bailey's rabbity, uncontrollable reaction to sudden noises and movements not only makes him a perennial prank victim but also has him wrestling with the suspicion that he really is a coward. A cryptic comment from a medicine man in a traveling carnival, though, hints that his search for courage will end with a bear, and in the climax, he proves his inner stuff by standing up to a charging grizzly to save his little sister. Wallace places Bailey in a hardworking farm family, setting his internal conflict alongside a sturdily constructed subplot involving his father's near death from sunstroke and a subsequent move from Abilene to a ruggedly beautiful mountain settlement. Although Bailey's (and the bear's) connection with an old tribal legend adds an overplayed note of mysticism, the tale is vigorously told, with uncomplicated situations, cliff-hangers at many chapter ends, and incidents both entertaining and suspenseful. (Reviewed February 1, 1999)

Although the premise is weak--eleven-year-old Bailey earns a reputation as a coward because he jumps at firecrackers and must find, and prove, his courage--this is an engaging novel about life in Texas and Montana in the nineteenth century. Readers will get a good sense of the hardships of daily life and the hardiness required of young people--and families--to survive.

Gr 4-7-A surefire winner of a tale. Bailey, 11, is mortified that he reacts to firecrackers or other loud noises by jumping. He's branded a coward by the boys at school as well as his brothers, all of whom take delight in tormenting him. Bailey and his father set out to "cure" him of this problem until his leaping ability saves his life during an encounter with a rattlesnake. At the Fourth of July celebration, the medicine man who is telling fortunes predicts that Bailey will see himself "in the eye of the great bear." The summer of 1898 wears on filled with farm work and a few adventures. The merciless Texas sun proves too much for Bailey's dad, who suffers from a bout of heat sickness, but he refuses to heed the doctor. After a long conversation behind closed doors, his parents reach a compromise and the family heads for Montana where more experiences and the foretold great bear await them. The author has created characters whom readers come to know and care about. He has spun a story filled with small escapades interspersed with heart-stopping excitement and terror. He shows that everyone has a trait they wish they didn't have, and teaches two very important lessons: that courage comes in a lot of different forms and that one does what one must do. This story will be an excellent read-aloud as the chapters are episodic cliff-hangers.-Nancy P. Reeder, Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, Columbia, SC Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.