ArKtiKos: Country of the Great Bear is the unique middle grade fantasy novel you are looking for to enthrall young readers similar to the way Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH has for years.

Set some time in the future, ArKtiKos captures the story of life in the ever-changing Arctic through the eyes of twin polar bear cubs, Kian and Kaya. Decades of neglect have left the once fantastical Arctic in ruin. Affected the most were the majestic creatures that roamed the North. The polar bear, once the most powerful and resilient beast on earth, was hit the hardest during this time and their population diminished greatly. Kian and Kaya live amongst a hidden community of polar bears who are only able to maintain their way of life as long as the valley they call home remains a secret. One day the secrecy of the Valley is threatened when a drone from a human research facility enters their realm. The adolescent twins, new to the Valley and already starved for adventure, take it upon themselves to defy the Elder Bear Council and seek out the only human they can trust to help keep their way of life a secret. However, they have their own agenda: to find the nomadic mother who abandoned them.

Along the way, Kian and Kaya are forced to battle the harsh elements of the frozen North and sometimes even harsher wildlife. Throughout the course of the book, they encounter several beastly adversaries, lose a dear friend, and learn that humanity, in some cases, can be trusted to aid in the preservation of the wild. Kian, the hotheaded and impulsive twin, becomes injured, and Kaya, the practical and calculated one, has to interact with the humans on her own until Kian is fully healed and able to continue their journey. The search for their mother leads them to a land forgotten and abandoned by their community. This land, known as the State, is full of polar bears unlike any they have encountered before. Savagery runs rampant in the State because of a food shortage and its inhabitants’ refusal to evolve with the changing times. During their time in the State, Kian and Kaya learn that the evil Elder Naartok plans to attack the Valley and take their food supply for himself and his rapacious comrades. This leads to a race back home to warn the Bears of the Valley of the impending attack. At this point, Kian and Kaya must come to terms with their differences and face the consequences of their actions before defending the Valley against a full-blown attack.

ArKtiKos is a movement in the form of a book that allows children to see firsthand the harmful effects that our carelessness can have on even the most remote areas of the world. Children can follow Kian and Kaya’s journey to show support and bring awareness to the rapid decline of Arctic sea ice and the species that depend on it for survival. This book has been four years in the making and I am committed to seeing it in the hands of children all over the world. I hold a Master of Architecture and I am a LEED Green Associate certified by the US Green Building Council to promote sustainable architecture and design. But more importantly, I am an advocate for polar bears and their continued existence in the wild.