"Fram!", that is to say, "Forward!"

A multifaceted story with a broad scope of events and characters of all kinds.

Fram the bear works in a circus; he is so talented and understands humans so well that it seems he might start speaking at any moment. Naturally, he is a universal favorite, the main star of the show. But one day, Fram falls into a funk; he feels an overwhelming pull toward his native snowy expanses, and performing is no longer on his mind.

...Meanwhile...
Fram is not just a bear. The word "Fram" means "forward" in Norwegian; it was the name of the schooner on which Nansen undertook his Arctic expedition. (The same Nansen who later developed a document for refugees—it is topical once again today: the Nansen passport. But that is just an aside; the book is not about that, but exclusively about the polar expedition, though reading Nansen's biography is very intriguing). And so, one young spectator who admired the polar bear in the circus gains access to books about the North and dives headfirst into a world of dazzling snow and courageous polar explorers. He reads Nansen’s travel diary and dreams of one day becoming a pioneering hero himself.
...Meanwhile...
Fram the bear is taken back to his homeland and released into the wild. Having left these lands as a cub, Fram now finds it difficult to adapt to a wild life. He does not know how to hunt and has no desire to fight for territory, for he is civilized and friendly...

In this book, the animal story genre is unusually intertwined with adventure, and many pages are devoted to excerpts from Nansen's diary. The narrative is non-linear: we do not experience the bear's life from beginning to end, but through flashbacks; and with the polar explorers, we are transported back and forth in time. (One cannot help but think of "Two Captains," even though Kaverin wrote his novel 10 years later.)
These diverse plot lines in a single story, these completely different characters—young children, animal trainers, circus animals, Inuit, real historical figures—make the book dynamic and unpredictable. And the ending, where the human path intersects with the animal trail, turns out to be very good.

There are episodes involving the death of animals here, but overall, the book is not heavy or sad at all—it can safely be given to even the most tender-hearted readers.

"Fram the Polar Bear" by Romanian author Cezar Petrescu is for 8–14-year-olds who love exciting, unusual stories.