Chico Bear Adventures: The Awakening

The Awakening is the first of the Chico Bear Adventures novels. Dr. Ben Hamilton is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), and a health education professor at California State University, Chico (Chico State). He has two Welsh Corgis named Kirby and Gracie. Ben stumbles upon two large almond fruits hanging on a tree in his backyard. The two almonds do not contain nuts, rather, Chico Bears, mythical creatures that once roamed the land in Northern California. Ben, with the help of Old Wise Muzza, brings the two Chico Bears to life. We learn the two Chico Bears are named Matthew and Andrew, who have taken on human form, and appear to be in sixth grade (age 11) and fourth grade (age 9). The boys possess supernatural powers, well beyond the abilities of mere mortals. Although Chico Bears appear human, their adoptive family members see them for who they really are whereas other humans see them as two human boys. In the 1800s, General John Bidwell sent away all Chico Bears to hide them from the dark forces and the Evil One. All of those Chico Bears are now long gone and are spirits, waiting for Matthew and Andrew to bring them home to Chico. The spirits must be returned to Chico, and then merged with their brethren in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. The boys meet their first Chico Bear spirit in Bidwell Mansion named Sierra. This meeting at Bidwell Mansion sets the professor and the boys on an adventure to find all Chico Bear spirits, and to bring them home to Chico.