He was a boy with no friends. The other a dog, abandoned and forgotten. Together, they would build a bond that could never be broken and will share adventures that would last a lifetime.

SYNOPSIS:

Clyde is a child with Asperger's syndrome. He is a misunderstood child, even by his own mother. At school,

everyone either torments and bullies him or ignores him completely, even the administrators and teachers. His release is escaping into his own little world where he is the hero every time.

After the school threatens to suspend him for a small incident the principal blew up into something major, Clyde's father decides that his son needs someone to lean on. He adopts an eight year old Newfoundland from clients that couldn't take the dog with them. After rejecting the dog at first because the dog needed an adjustment period, Clyde discovers that when he is alone with the dog, a Newfie, can talk. He names the dog Bear and brings Bear into his world, which will lead to problems and issues when Clyde's bullies

at school find out.

Clyde's behavior begins to change, but the principal in the school still wants to have Clyde expelled because he wants a school free of special education students. Conflicts arise as bullies begin to bully Clyde outside of school, leading Bear to defend Clyde and attack the bullies. Bear is taken by the police and a hearing is set to determine Bear’s danger to the community as well as whether it should be put down for

attacking a human. This destroys Clyde, but his problems are made worse when the principal tries to punish him for Bear’s actions, exposing the principal’s motives in his treatment towards Clyde.

Clyde runs away, but he is found and, while his parents finally begin to understand him, the principal starts an expulsion hearing for truancy. In this hearing, is it discovered the bullies had the principal's blessing to bully and torment Clyde, that the principal threatened Clyde's teacher's career (being a first year teacher and still learning) if she didn't create a case for expulsion, and that the principal covered for the bullies and lied for them in discipline hearings. With the hearing over, Clyde reunites with Bear and becomes viewed as more of an asset to the school community, even developing a crush on a classmate, a latina name Paloma. However, Bear starts complaining of pain and exhaustion almost immediately after.

On another grand adventure, Bear’s change in health gets worse. The vet diagnoses hip dysplasia and since the dog is so big, surgery is out of the question. Clyde deals with this the only way he knows how. . .he avoids it by entering his own world, this time without Bear. He feels the abandonment and slips into a depression.

As the disease progresses, Bear tries to join Clyde, but slips down the steps and breaks his hip. Now, in a critical position, the family must decide whether to put down Bear or not. Clyde goes to pieces one night, begging his parents not to kill his dog and spending the night talking with and apologizing to Bear for ignoring him. Bear forgives him.

The next morning, the parents still discuss Bear’s future, with the idea that they are leaning towards putting Bear down. Clyde spends the day with Bear, playing games as Bear sits, watching him, wishing he could join his best friend. In the afternoon, Clyde goes out to meet the one friend from the class he has made over this time, but stops and puts the leash on Bear. They meet the classmate, then go to the

hilltop where they had all their adventures to watch the sunset. Clyde puts his arms around Bear and tells Bear that he is Clyde’s best friend in the world. Bear turns and starts licking Clyde’s face as the two watch the sunset together, possibly for the final time.

CLYDE AND BEAR