Ben Mikaelsen (born December 8th, 1952 in Bolivia) is a writer of children's literature.
Mikaelsen is a Settler in the United States of Danish descent. He wasn't sent to school until the fourth grade where he was heavily bullied for his race. Some years later, Mikaelsen moved with his family to the United States where he entered the seventh grade. He began writing full time in 1984, and has won many awards, including the International Reading Association Award and the Western Writers' Golden Spur award. He has also gained many state Readers Choice Awards. He is a sky diving champion and has written many novels such as Tree Girl, Touching Spirit Bear, Ghost of Spirit Bear and Petey. Mikaelsen owned a male American Black Bear named Buffy for 26 years until his death on September 1, 2010.[1] Mikaelsen eventually considered Buffy a "750-pound member of my family."[2] He does not believe it is right to take an animal out of its natural environment. Today, Mikaelsen lives outside Bozeman, Montana with his wife and kids. He has been writing books for 26 years. He visits many schools also.