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'''Ben Mikaelsen''' (born December 1, 1952) is a [[Bolivian American]] writer of [[children's literature]].
==Early life and education==
Mikaelsen was born on December 1, 1952 in [[La Paz]], [[Bolivia]], the son of [[missionary]] parents of [[Denmark|Danish]] descent.<ref name="wordsmorehurtful">{{cite news|last1=Hobbs|first1=Bonnie|title='Words . . . More Hurtful Than Fists'|url=http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2012/jul/09/words-more-hurtful-fists/|accessdate=December 10, 2014|publisher=Connection Newspapers|date=July 9, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Cortés|first1=Carlos E.|title=Multicultural America: A Multimedia Encyclopedia, Volume 1|date=September 3, 2013|publisher=SAGE Publications|page=380|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VQ1zAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA380&lpg=PA380|accessdate=December 10, 2014}}</ref> He wasn't sent to school until the fourth [[Educational stage|grade]] where he was [[Bullying|bullied]] for his [[Race (classification of humans)|race]]. Mikaelsen moved to the United States with his family shortly before entering the seventh grade,<ref name="wordsmorehurtful" /> where he encountered further bullying because of his poor English skills.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Malernee|first1=Jamie|title=Author: Don't Be Afraid To Be Different|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2002-02-23/news/0202230182_1_imagination-students-story|accessdate=December 10, 2014|work=Sun Sentinel|date=February 23, 2002}}</ref> As a teen in [[Minnesota]], he taught himself to swim and dive, and took flight and skydiving lessons.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Olp|first1=Susan|title=Bozeman writer's head full of stories|url=http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/bozeman-writer-s-head-full-of-stories/article_3b046b66-b213-59c4-9de6-c2b24777df47.html|accessdate=December 10, 2014|date=April 2, 2002}}</ref> Mikaelsen attended [[Concordia College (Moorhead, Minnesota)|Concordia College]] and [[Bemidji State University]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Miller|first1=Wanda J.|title=Teaching U.S. History Through Children's Literature: Post-World War II|date=1998|publisher=Libraries Unlimited|isbn=9781563085819|page=99|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gvPDt70CRgAC&pg=PA99&lpg=PA99|accessdate=December 10, 2014}}</ref>
==Personal life==
Mikaelsen owned a male [[American black bear]] named Buffy for 26 years until the bear's death in September 2010.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bauer|first1=Jennifer|title=Ben Mikaelsen draws from the events of his own extraordinary life to bring to life his books for young adults|url=http://inland360.com/ben-mikaelsen-has-drawn-on-the-events-of-his-own-extraordinary-life-to-inform-his-young-adult-books/|publisher=Inland360|date=April 24, 2013|accessdate=December 10, 2014}}</ref> Mikaelsen considered Buffy a "750-pound member of my family."<ref name=ScholasticBio>{{cite web|url=http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/contributor.jsp?id=2592|title=Ben Mikaelsen Biography|publisher=Scholastic Inc.|first=Ben|last=Mikaelsen|accessdate=December 16, 2010}}</ref> He has been writing full-time since 1984 and currently lives around [[Bozeman, Montana]] with his wife, Connie. He has written a few books from an inspiration from his bear such as, "Touching Spirit Bear" and also the sequel "Ghost of Spirit Bear".
==Published works==
*''Rescue Josh McGuire'' (1991)
*''Sparrow Hawk Red'' (1993)
*''Stranded'' (1995)
*''Countdown'' (1996)
*''[[Petey (novel)|Petey]]'' (1998)
*''[[Touching Spirit Bear]]'' (2001)
*''[[Red Midnight]]'' (2002)
*''[[Tree Girl]]'' (2004)
*''[[Ghost of Spirit Bear]]'' (2008)
*''Jungle of Bones'' (2014)
==Awards and honors==
Mikaelson's work has won many state youth literature awards, including the [[California Young Reader Medal]] and Wyoming's [[Indian Paintbrush Book Award]].
*1991: [[Golden Spur]], Juvenile Fiction, ''Rescue Josh McGuire''<ref name="goldenspur">{{cite web|title=Spur Awards Past Winners|url=http://westernwriters.org/spur-awards-past-winners/|publisher=Western Writers of America|accessdate=December 10, 2014}}</ref>
*1992: [[International Reading Association]] Children's Book Award, Older Reader Category, ''Rescue Josh McGuire''<ref>{{cite web|title=IRA Children's and Young Adults' Book Awards|url=http://www.reading.org/resources/AwardsandGrants/childrens_ira.aspx|publisher=International Reading Association|accessdate=December 10, 2014|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130804195444/http://www.reading.org/Resources/AwardsandGrants/childrens_ira.aspx|archivedate=August 4, 2013|df=}}</ref>
*1999: [[ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults]], ''Petey''<ref name="bfya">{{cite web|title=Best Fiction for Young Adults|url=http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/awards/408/all_years|publisher=American Library Association|accessdate=December 10, 2014}}</ref>
*1999: Golden Spur, Juvenile Fiction, ''Petey''<ref name="goldenspur" />
*2002: ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults, ''Touching Spirit Bear''<ref name="bfya" />
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* {{official website }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110708144936/http://www.childrensbookradio.com/childrensbookradiopodcast17.mp3 Interview at Children's Book Radio] (MP3), 2007 audio file
* {{LCAuth|n91031650|Ben Mikaelsen|11|}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mikaelsen, Ben}}
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American children's writers]]
[[Category:American people of Danish descent]]
[[Category:Bolivian children's writers]]
[[Category:Bolivian emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Bolivian people of Danish descent]]
[[Category:Writers from Bozeman, Montana]]' |
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