Seekers (novel series) facts for kids
The cover of The Quest Begins, the first book in the series
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| Author | Erin Hunter |
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| Cover artist | Wayne McLoughlin |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Teen literature, fantasy |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
| Published | 27 May 2008 – 6 January 2016 |
| Media type | |
Seekers is an exciting series of books for young readers, written by a team of authors known as Erin Hunter. This is the same team who wrote the popular Warriors cat series. Seekers tells the adventures of four unique bear cubs. They are Kallik, a polar bear; Lusa, a black bear; Ujurak, a small grizzly bear who can change his shape into any animal; and Toklo, also a grizzly bear.
Ujurak leads the four bears on a big journey. They are looking for a safe place to live far away from humans. The first book, The Quest Begins, came out on May 27, 2008. There were five more books in the first series, ending with Spirits in the Stars in 2011. A second series, called Return to the Wild, also has six books. It started with Island of Shadows in 2012. Many people like the Seekers series. Critics have praised how real the bears act, the amazing world the authors created, and the important messages about protecting the environment.
Contents
How the Seekers Series Began
The idea for Seekers came from the publisher, HarperCollins. They wanted editor Victoria Holmes to create another animal series, like the successful Warriors books, but not about cats. Dogs were thought of first, but they were too much like cats in how they lived in groups.
Victoria Holmes wanted a different kind of animal story. She considered horses, otters, and dolphins, but decided against them for various reasons. Horses tended to run away, which might not make for exciting stories. Dolphins looked too similar, and otters might not appeal to enough readers.
Finally, Holmes decided on bears. She thought bears were perfect because they are often more solitary and wild. They don't live in big groups like cats. Bears are also strong and smart, which made for interesting characters and action scenes.
Victoria Holmes also wanted faith and a strong connection to nature to be important themes. She got many ideas from the beliefs of Native American tribes. These tribes have a deep respect for the environment and the land. She was especially interested in Inuit culture and the role of a shaman. A shaman is someone who can transform into different animals. This idea inspired the character of Ujurak, who can change into any animal, even a human. Holmes thought it would be cool to show the human world through an animal's eyes.
The names of the characters come from different Native American languages. For example, Lusa means "midnight" or "black" in Choctaw. Kallik means "lightning" in Inuktitut. Toklo means "two" in Chicksaw, and Ujurak means "rock."
Books in the Seekers Series
The Seekers series is split into two main parts, each with six books.
The First Series: The Great Quest
This first series includes The Quest Begins, Great Bear Lake, Smoke Mountain, The Last Wilderness, Fire in the Sky, and Spirits in the Stars. The story follows four young bears on a big adventure.
- Lusa is an American black bear.
- Kallik is a polar bear.
- Toklo is a grizzly bear.
- Ujurak is a grizzly bear who can change into any animal. He usually stays a grizzly bear.
Their journey takes them across different parts of Canada.
In The Quest Begins, we see how each bear gets separated from their family. Kallik loses her mother and brother. Toklo is left alone after his brother dies and food becomes scarce. Lusa escapes from a zoo, hoping to find the wild. Toklo meets Ujurak, who is hurt, and they travel together. Eventually, all four bears meet up.
By Great Bear Lake, the four bears are together and trying to reach the Arctic. Kallik finds her brother, Taqqiq, but he is with a group of mean polar bears. Taqqiq soon realizes his mistake and joins the questing bears. However, he leaves the group later in Smoke Mountain.
The remaining four cubs learn about a special place called the Last Great Wilderness (the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge). This place is said to have plenty of food and shelter. They face many challenges, like hunger and dangerous humans. They finally reach the Last Great Wilderness. But Ujurak, who is their guide, feels they need to go even further into the Arctic.
In Fire in the Sky, the bears continue their journey towards the Arctic. In the last book of the first series, Spirits in the Stars, the four bears reach Star Island (Ellesmere Island). This island is home to many polar bears. They find a sick mother polar bear, Sura, and her cub. Sura dies, and the traveling bears take care of her cub, which Kallik names Kissimi. Toklo also struggles with his desire to live alone as a brown bear. The bears save the polar bears on Star Island by destroying an oil rig that was polluting their food source. Sadly, Ujurak dies in an avalanche while saving the others. A determined young polar bear named Yakone joins the group at the end.
The Return to the Wild Series
This second series also has six books: Island of Shadows, The Melting Sea, River of Lost Bears, Forest of Wolves, The Burning Horizon, and The Longest Day.
This story is about Toklo, Kallik, Lusa, and Yakone trying to find their way home. They struggle with leaving the only family they've known and returning to places they've been away from for a long time. They also deal with the sadness of losing Ujurak. They meet a new character, Nanulak, a young and sometimes bitter grolar bear.
As they try to find homes for each of them, their friendship is tested. Kallik and Yakone feel drawn to the ice, while Toklo feels the pull of the forest. They also meet Taqqiq again, who has rejoined his old bullying friends. But he soon realizes he made a mistake and leaves them for good. Toklo also meets his father, Chogan, and they have a disagreement over territory.
During the last part of their journey, Lusa gets separated and is taken to a wildlife hospital. She escapes and finds her way back to the others, guided by Ujurak's spirit. In The Longest Day, the four bears arrive at Great Bear Lake. They are forced to join their own kinds for special ceremonies. The different bear species are hesitant to help each other until a big fire forces them to work together. At the end of the last book, we learn that the Seekers, now three years older, have their own families and cubs.
Other Seekers Books
The Seekers series also has some stand-alone books published as original English-language manga (graphic novels). These books were written by Erin Hunter and drawn by Bettina Kurkoski. They were published by Tokyopop. Each book is named after one of the main characters and tells a story from their point of view. These stories happen before The Quest Begins.
The first manga, Toklo's Story, came out in 2010. The second, Kallik's Adventure, was released in 2011. A third manga, Lusa's Tale, was planned for 2012. However, Tokyopop stopped its services in the United States, which meant Lusa's Tale and any future manga books were cancelled.
Important Messages in Seekers
A main message in the Seekers series is about the environment and how humans affect it. The authors said that writing about bears in a different setting allowed them to explore themes like environmentalism. These themes wouldn't fit as well in the Warriors series.
Publishers Weekly noted that "readers will appreciate the bears' struggle to survive, along with Hunter's environmental theme." Booklist also mentioned how each bear's story touches on environmental issues. School Library Journal pointed out that "the bears' declining habitat is evident, and often throughout their journey the animals have to dodge cars and humans with guns." The series shows how human development impacts wildlife. The main characters go on a physical journey across Canada, but also a spiritual journey about protecting their wild way of life for future generations.
Reviewers have also seen messages about friendship and accepting others. A Kidreads reviewer said that Erin Hunter "cleverly deals with the theme of racism through a unique and honest approach—three bears of different color, different backgrounds and different beliefs turn to each other for survival and friendship." This shows how different characters can come together and become a family.
Publication Details
The first Seekers series has six books in total. The series was almost called "The Clawed Path." This name referred to the journey the four bears make in the first series. But the title was changed at the last minute to sound more like the Warriors series.
The first book, The Quest Begins, was released in the United States on May 27, 2008. It was also released in paperback and as an e-book later on. The books have also been published in the UK and Canada. The UK versions have different covers. The first three books have also been translated into Russian.
