The novel "The Bears on Hemlock Mountain" is about a family of three living in the wilderness at the turn of the century. Jonathan and his parents live in a small community at the base of Hemlock Mountain, and as Johnathan (also known as "John") explained it is more of a big hill than a mountain. John has many family members including his uncle, James, who is just a few years older than him. James and John are best friends. One day they are talking when John asks James if he has seen a real bear before. James says he had a long time ago.

John, who is nine years old, is asked by his mother to go to his Aunt’s house to get a large cast iron pot to cook for all the family coming for a christening of a younger cousin. John is afraid of the bears on the mountain, but his momma tells him there aren’t any on the hill. John, feeling comforted, gathers up bread crumbs, carrots, and nuts for the woodland creatures. As John starts off, his mother begins to worry, but distracts herself by singing “There are no bears on Hemlock Mountain at all, none at all.” John also sings this as he is walking. A short while passes and John reaches the peak and sits down to rest, laying out all the treats. The woodland creatures come to eat the food he has provided. Soon John hears dripping water and realizes spring is fast on its way. He hopes the bears don’t realize this. This spurs him into hurrying to his Aunt’s house.

At his Aunt’s house he greets her and skates around why he is actually there. She gives him milk and cookies. John is tired from hiking and randomly falls asleep. John wakes up hours later and realizes he needs to get home before dark and runs along, but forgets the pot. Johnathan turns around and goes back for the pot then sets off again. John’s Aunt is scared for him and says to herself he should take care because there are bears on Hemlock Mountain. It becomes dark, and John is nearly to the peak of the mountain again when he ears something big. Through the trees he sees two bears lumbering towards him so he turns the large pot upside down and hides until he hears the bears right outside his pot. Eventually the bears are scared off by John’s father and his group coming to find John. When John’s father finds him and he tells his father about the bears, the other members of the group break free, track the bears, and kill them.