Examine individual changes

[ 0 => '{{Short description|Bolivian American children's literature author}}', 1 => '{{distinguish|Ben Michaelson}}', 2 => '{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}', 3 => ''''Ben Mikaelsen''' (born November 24, 1952) is a [[Bolivian American]] writer of [[children's literature]].', 4 => '', 5 => '==Early life and education==', 6 => 'Ben Mikaelsen was born on November 24, 1952 in [[La Paz]], [[Bolivia]], the son of [[missionary]] parents of [[Denmark|Danish]] descent.<ref name="wordsmorehurtful">{{cite news|last1=Hobbs|first1=Bonnie|title='Words . . . More Hurtful Than Fists'|url=http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2012/jul/09/words-more-hurtful-fists/|access-date=December 10, 2014|publisher=Connection Newspapers|date=July 9, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Cortés|first1=Carlos E.|title=Multicultural America: A Multimedia Encyclopedia, Volume 1|date=September 3, 2013|publisher=SAGE Publications|page=380|isbn=9781452276267|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VQ1zAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA380|access-date=December 10, 2014}}</ref> He wasn't sent to school until fourth [[Educational stage|grade]] where he was [[Bullying|bullied]] for his [[Race (classification of humans)|race]]. Mikaelsen moved to the United States with his family shortly before entering [[seventh grade]],<ref name="wordsmorehurtful" /> where he encountered further bullying because of his poor [[English language|English]] capabilities.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Malernee|first1=Jamie|title=Author: Don't Be Afraid To Be Different|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2002-02-23/news/0202230182_1_imagination-students-story|access-date=December 10, 2014|work=Sun Sentinel|date=February 23, 2002}}</ref> As a [[Adolescence|teen]] in [[Minnesota]], he taught himself to [[Swimming (sport)|swim]] and dive, and this led him to take [[flight]] and [[Parachuting|skydiving]] lessons.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Olp|first1=Susan|title=Bozeman writer's head full of stories|url=http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/bozeman-writer-s-head-full-of-stories/article_3b046b66-b213-59c4-9de6-c2b24777df47.html|access-date=December 10, 2014|date=April 2, 2002}}</ref> Mikaelsen attended [[Concordia College (Moorhead, Minnesota)|USC]] and [[Bemidji State University]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Miller|first1=Wanda J.|title=Teaching U.S. History Through Children's Literature: Post-World War II|date=1998|publisher=Libraries Unlimited|isbn=9781563085819|page=99|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gvPDt70CRgAC&pg=PA99|access-date=December 10, 2014}}</ref>', 7 => '', 8 => '==Personal life==', 9 => 'When building his home in Montana Ben adopted an [[American black bear]] named Buffy for 26 years until the bear's death in September 2012.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bauer|first1=Jennifer|title=Ben Mikaelsen draws from the events of his own extraordinary life to bring to life his books for young adults|url=http://inland360.com/ben-mikaelsen-has-drawn-on-the-events-of-his-own-extraordinary-life-to-inform-his-young-adult-books/|publisher=Inland360|date=April 24, 2013|access-date=December 10, 2014}}</ref> Ben Mikaelsen considered Buffy a "750-pound member of my family."<ref name=ScholasticBio>{{cite web|url=http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/contributor.jsp?id=2592|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130202031921/http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/contributor.jsp?id=2592|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 2, 2013|title=Ben Mikaelsen Biography|publisher=Scholastic Inc.|first=Ben|last=Mikaelsen|access-date=December 16, 2010}}</ref> He has been writing full-time since 1984 and lives in [[Anacortes, Washington]] with his wife, Connie. He has written a few books inspired by his bear, such as ''Touching Spirit Bear'' and the sequel ''Ghost of Spirit Bear''. He also took a year out of high school to join a parachute team and compete around Minnesota. He goes around the country visiting schools to teach kids about his life and his experience as a victim of bullying.', 10 => '', 11 => '', 12 => '==Published works==', 13 => '*''Rescue Josh McGuire'' (1991)', 14 => '*''Stranded'' (1995)', 15 => '*''Countdown'' (1996)', 16 => '*''[[Petey (novel)|Petey]]'' (1998)', 17 => '*''Touching Spirit Bear'' (2000)', 18 => '*''[[Red Midnight]]'' (2002)', 19 => '*''Tree Girl'' (2004)', 20 => '*''Ghost of Spirit Bear'' (2008)', 21 => '*''Jungle of Bones'' (2014)', 22 => '', 23 => '==Awards and honors==', 24 => 'Mikaelson's work has won many state youth literature awards, including the [[California Young Reader Medal]] and Wyoming's [[Indian Paintbrush Book Award]].', 25 => '', 26 => '*1991: [[Golden Spur]], Juvenile Fiction, ''Rescue Josh McGuire''<ref name="goldenspur">{{cite web|title=Spur Awards Past Winners|url=http://westernwriters.org/spur-awards-past-winners/|publisher=Western Writers of America|access-date=December 10, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129111008/http://westernwriters.org/spur-awards-past-winners/|archive-date=November 29, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>', 27 => '*1992: [[International Reading Association]] Children's Book Award, Older Reader Category, ''Rescue Josh McGuire''<ref>{{cite web|title=IRA Children's and Young Adults' Book Awards|url=http://www.reading.org/resources/AwardsandGrants/childrens_ira.aspx|publisher=International Reading Association|access-date=December 10, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130804195444/http://www.reading.org/Resources/AwardsandGrants/childrens_ira.aspx|archive-date=August 4, 2013}}</ref>', 28 => '*1999: [[ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults]], ''Petey''<ref name="bfya">{{cite web|title=Best Fiction for Young Adults|url=http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/awards/408/all_years|publisher=American Library Association|access-date=December 10, 2014}}</ref>', 29 => '*1999: Golden Spur, Juvenile Fiction, ''Petey''<ref name="goldenspur" />', 30 => '*2002: ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults, ''Touching Spirit Bear''<ref name="bfya" />', 31 => '', 32 => '==References==', 33 => '{{Reflist}}', 34 => '', 35 => '==External links==', 36 => '* {{official website }}', 37 => '*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110708144936/http://www.childrensbookradio.com/childrensbookradiopodcast17.mp3 Interview at Children's Book Radio] (MP3), 2007 audio file', 38 => '* {{LCAuth|n91031650|Ben Mikaelsen|11|}}', 39 => '', 40 => '{{Authority control}}', 41 => '', 42 => '{{DEFAULTSORT:Mikaelsen, Ben}}', 43 => '[[Category:1952 births]]', 44 => '[[Category:Living people]]', 45 => '[[Category:American children's writers]]', 46 => '[[Category:American people of Danish descent]]', 47 => '[[Category:Bolivian children's writers]]', 48 => '[[Category:Bolivian emigrants to the United States]]', 49 => '[[Category:Bolivian people of Danish descent]]', 50 => '[[Category:Writers from Bozeman, Montana]]', 51 => '[[Category:Hispanic and Latino American writers]]' ]