Hidden Rock Rescue
Page 15
Dad laughed. “I’ve been there.”
“And about the time B.D. and I saved Yude from the ocean by Moon Farm,” Spencer went on as they started to climb a hill.
“What!” Mom gave him a worried look.
“Don’t worry, Jane,” Dad said. “He obviously survived.”
Mom rolled her eyes.
Spencer was about to list another event he’d need to fill Mom and Dad in on when they reached the top of the hill. They all stopped walking. Bearhaven’s valley stretched out beneath them. Little lights were flickering on in the houses and buildings in the middle of the valley. Spencer could just make out the shadows of bears moving around the paths as night fell. He took a deep breath, happier than he’d ever been to be back in Bearhaven, his other home. He looked at Mom and Dad’s faces as they surveyed the safe haven they’d built for bears.
Mom sighed, her eyes still on the valley. Spencer could tell she was thinking of Pam, and his horrible plans to attack Bearhaven and capture all its bears. Dad put an arm around her waist and tugged her against his side.
“Hey,” he said. “Tonight’s for celebrating. You know Bunny Weaver can throw a welcome home party together at the drop of a hat. Tomorrow we’ll get back to work.”
“Don’t worry, Mom,” Spencer added. “We’re going to stop Pam.”
“You bet we are,” Mom said, shooting him a smile. “And Dad’s right about that welcome home party. Let’s get down to the Weavers’.”
“Spencer!” Kate was bounding as fast as she could toward them. Spencer smiled.
“Looks like the Weavers are coming to us,” Dad remarked.
“What took you so long?!” Kate shouted. “I smelled you an hour ago!”
Spencer laughed and broke away from Mom and Dad, jogging down the hill to greet Kate.
“You did it!” Kate cried when Spencer reached her.
“Aldo and I did!” Spencer cheered, the words suddenly pouring out of him.
“It was crazy! We had to save everyone, Kate!” He wanted to tell Kate everything right away, but she cut him off.
“I found your jade bear!” she exclaimed. “Right after you left!” She ducked her head and grabbed a little pouch hanging around her neck. She jutted her head out toward him, extending the pouch to him in her mouth. Spencer took it, turning it over in his hand. The jade bear slipped out into his palm. “I’ve been keeping it safe for you.” Kate dropped the pouch to hang around her neck again.
Spencer rolled the little stone figurine over in his palm. He was glad to have it back, but it looked smaller than he remembered.
He closed his fingers around the jade bear and slipped it into his pocket. Somehow, he didn’t think he’d need to reach for it as often anymore, especially if he had his teammates by his side.
“Thanks, Kate,” he said.
“You’re welcome,” Kate answered shyly, headbutting Spencer. “Now come on, my mom’s planning a party!”
Learn more about the bears of Bearhaven, and continue the adventure with Spencer and Kate at www.secretsof bearhaven.scholastic.com.
Don’t miss all the exciting adventures!
Secrets of Bearhaven Book 1
Secrets of Bearhaven Book 2: Mission to Moon Farm
Erin Black, for her continued dedication to the world of Bearhaven, and Nancy Mercado, David Levithan, and Ellie Berger for their support.
Ross Dearsley for capturing the characters of Bearhaven so completely through illustration and Nina Goffi for her beautiful book design.
The marketing and publicity team at Scholastic, for always finding new ways to share Bearhaven with readers: Antonio Gonzalez, Jazan Higgins, Lori Benton, Brooke Shearouse, and Michelle Campbell.
Paul Gagne, Executive Producer, Paul Ruben, Director, and Louisa Gummer, Narrator, for their creative talent in bringing Bearhaven to audio.
For their enthusiastic and ongoing expert advice and contributions to the world of Bearhaven: Dr. Thomas Spady, Bear Biologist, California State University San Marcos, and Dr. Sherri Wells-Jensen, Linguist, Bowling Green State University.
Emma D. Dryden and Elizabeth Grojean, for enthusiastic editorial and managerial creativity and support.
Finally, thank you to all the administrators, teachers, librarians and students who have welcomed Bearhaven into their schools!
K. E. Rocha is the author of Secrets of Bearhaven, developed in collaboration with Egg in the Hole Productions. She received a BA in English from Trinity College and an MFA from New York University. She has never visited with talking bears, although she often talks to her goofy little hound dog, Reggie, while writing in her studio in Queens, New York.
Text copyright © 2017 by Egg in the Hole Productions, LLC
Illustrations copyright © 2017 by Ross Dearsley
All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., Publishers since 1920. SCHOLASTIC, SCHOLASTIC PRESS, and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available
ISBN 978-0-545-81305-1
First edition, January 2017
Cover art © 2017 by Ross Dearsley
Cover design by Nina Goffi
e-ISBN 978-0-545-81317-4
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