Alaska Almanac
• Alaska Northwest
REFERENCE •
2011 •
PAPER
• 240 PAGES
Facts and figures on the geography, history and culture of Alaska, from A to Z. Peppered with it-could-only-be-Alaska jokes and goofy illustrations, it makes for leisurely, entertaining browsing.
(ALA21, $14.99) |
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Flight of the Golden Plover
• Debbie Miller
NATURAL HISTORY •
2011 •
PAPER
• 32 PAGES
The remarkable story of the golden plover's annual migration, this beautifully illustrated tale for young readers traces the six-thousand-mile flight of the small but mighty plover embark between the frozen Alaska tundra and gentle grassy slopes of the Hawaiian Islands.
(ALA354, $11.95) |
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Stickeen
• John Muir
EXPLORATION •
1990 •
PAPER
• 96 PAGES
Muir's exhilarating tale of crossing the treacherous Brady Glacier in Alaska during a storm with a brave little dog. This edition includes illustrations by Carl Buell and an afterward by Malcolm Margolin. Polished with decades of re-telling, a shorter version of the tale is included in his Travels in Alaska.
(ALA334, $7.95) |
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A Child's Alaska
• Claire Rudolph Murphy
• Charles Mason
CULTURAL PORTRAIT •
2012 •
PAPER
• 48 PAGES
• YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)
A photographic overview of modern Alaska -- its wildlife, culture and people, written for an elementary school audience. The author writes about the changes of the seasons, the activities of children, and the indigenous peoples, who are broken down into the three groups of Aleut, Eskimo and Indian.
(ALA100, $10.95) |
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A Child's Glacier Bay
• Kimberly Corral
NATURAL HISTORY •
1998 •
HARD COVER
• 32 PAGES
• YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)
A photographic journal of camping and kayaking at Glacier Bay with 13-year-old Hannah, younger brother Ben and their parents. Dad took the pictures and mom wrote the book with Hannah. It's a good introduction to the land and nature of Glacier Bay for young readers ages 4 to 8.
(ALA87, $15.95) |
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Alaska ABC Book
• Charlene Kreeger
• Shannon Cartwright
CULTURAL PORTRAIT •
2003 •
PAPER
• 32 PAGES
• YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)
Q is for Qiviut (an Arctic musk ox). Young children (ages 4 to 8) will love this introduction to Alaska in an illustrated ABC format.
(ALA190, $9.95) |
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Alaska's 12 Days of Summer
• Pat Chamberlain-Calamar
• Shannon Cartwright
CULTURAL PORTRAIT •
2003 •
PAPER
• 32 PAGES
• YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)
A lighthearted tribute to the wildlife of Alaska for youngsters, presented in illustrations and song lyrics set to the tune of "The 12 Days of Christmas.
(ALA191, $10.99) |
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Alaska's Three Bears
• Shelley Gill
• Shannon Cartwright
LITERATURE •
2003 •
PAPER
• 32 PAGES
• YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)
This book, written for elementary school kids, teaches about bear ecology while telling the story of a black bear, a grizzly bear and a polar bear and their search for homes in the Alaskan wilderness.
(ALA189, $10.99) |
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Alaskan Wildlife Coloring Book
• Jan Sovak
NATURAL HISTORY •
2006 •
PAPER
• 32 PAGES
• YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)
Whales, grizzlies and bears await the creative touch of your 4-8 year old traveler.
(ALA235, $3.95) |
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Big Alaska
• Debbie S. Miller
• Jon Van Zyle
NATURAL HISTORY •
2006 •
HARD COVER
• 40 PAGES
• YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)
Miller writes of the landscape, wildlife and people of Alaska on this illustrated eagle-eye journey around the state, from Admiralty Island to Glacier Bay, Kodiak, Katmai and Denali. With lush, double-page watercolor illustrations by Jon Van Zyle.
(ALA231, $17.95) |
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Face to Face With Grizzlies
• Joel Sartore
NATURAL HISTORY •
2008 •
PAPER
• 32 PAGES
• YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)
Ever been face-to-face with a grizzly bear? Joel Sartore has -- and he lived to tell this and other great tales in Face to Face with Grizzlies. Through stunning photography and engaging storytelling, this National Geographic expert takes you into the bears' world. Witness a mother bear charge a human intruder. Watch male bears battle. Find out the grizzly's idea of a fast-food take-out.
(BST120, $6.95) |
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Glaciers, Nature's Icy Caps
• David L. Harrison
NATURAL HISTORY •
2006 •
HARD COVER
• YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)
Explains in simplest terms the formation and movement of glaciers. With fine illustrations.
(ALA258, $15.95) |
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Growing Up Grizzly, The True Story of Baylee And Her Cubs
• Amy Shapira
NATURAL HISTORY •
2007 •
HARD COVER
• 48 PAGES
• YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)
Focused on a mother bear who welcomes a lost cub into her clan, this true story is framed by Amy Shapira's award-winning photographs of Alaskan Grizzlies.
(ALA259, $14.95) |
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How Do Birds Find Their Way?
• Roma Gans
• Paul Mirocha
NATURAL HISTORY •
1996 •
PAPER
• 32 PAGES
• YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)
A colorful introduction to migratory birds and those that study them for elementary school children. With charming (and helpful) double-page watercolor paintings, pencil drawings and maps. A volume in the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series.
(BST87, $5.99) |
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Humpback Whales
• Dianne M. MacMillan
NATURAL HISTORY •
2003 •
HARD COVER
• 48 PAGES
• YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)
An illustrated introduction to the behavior of the humpback whales.
(ALA262, $27.93) |
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Kiana's Iditarod
• Shelley Gill
• Shannon Cartwright
LITERATURE •
2008 •
PAPER
• 64 PAGES
• YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)
Geared towards elementary school students, this is a tale of the great Alaskan dog-sled race Iditarod, as seen through the eyes of Kiana, one of the lead sled dogs. A lively and enjoyable read for the family.
(ALA104, $10.99) |
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Lucky Hares and Itchy Bears
• Susan Ewing
• Evon Zerbetz
LITERATURE •
2001 •
PAPER
• 32 PAGES
• YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)
This children's book combines lively block print illustrations of Alaskan wildlife with short poems. It is a colorful, fun introduction to the nature of Alaska that may be written for elementary school children, but can be enjoyed by the whole family.
(ALA116, $8.95) |
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Ocean's Child
• Christine Ford
LITERATURE •
2009 •
HARD COVER
• 40 PAGES
• YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)
In this charmingly illustrated bedtime story, an Inuit mother and her child, protected from the arctic chill in their fur-trimmed parkas, paddle along the Alaskan seacoast and say goodnight to each of the beautifully stylized ocean animals (walruses, otters, dolphins, puffins, polar bears, etc.) that they pass.
(ALA343, $15.99) |
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Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest
• Gerald McDermott
LITERATURE •
1993 •
HARD COVER
• YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)
Told in simple language, this beautifully illustrated traditional tale of the raven -- a familiar symbol on totem poles -- is geared for children ages 4-8. A Caldecott Honor Book.
(ALA62, $17.00) |
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The Little Fox, An Alaska Adventure
• Ram Papish
NATURAL HISTORY •
2007 •
• 48 PAGES
• YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)
Papish draws on his work as a seabird biologist for this gorgeously illustrated account of the adventures of a young arctic fox among the fur seals, puffins, auks and other birds of the Pribilof islands.
(ALA256, $15.95) |
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Under Alaska's Midnight Sun
• Jeremiah Trammell
• Deb Vanasse
LITERATURE •
2005 •
PAPER
• 32 PAGES
• YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)
In the far northern parts of the world, near and above the Arctic Circle, summer days are very long. In Barrow, Alaska, for example, the sun rises in May and sets 83 days later, in early August. During this time, the sun shines all through the night. People call it the midnight sun. When the midnight sun is shining, people and animals stay active even at night. This sweet poetic narrative, illustrated by award-winner Jeremiah Trammell, showcases the many pleasures of this unique time as a little girl dances, fishes, plays games, watches moose and fox, and communes with family and nature.
(ALA342, $10.99) |
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Alaska's Bears
• Alaska Geographic
NATURAL HISTORY •
1993 •
PAPER
• 112 PAGES
• MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)
A magazine-style overview of Alaska's bears replete with color photographs and articles on a range of topics. Individual sections focus on bear-watching, tracking bears, and the relationship between humans and bears. You will also find detailed descriptions of the grizzly, black and polar bear.
(ALA74, $14.95) |
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Ancient Forests, Discovering Nature
• Margaret Anderson
NATURAL HISTORY •
2003 •
PAPER
• 40 PAGES
• MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)
The ecology and folklore of the old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest come alive in this workbook, featuring 16 activities for children ages 9-12.
(ALA67, $6.95) |
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Arctic Thaw, The People of the Whale in a Changing Climate
• Peter Lourie
CULTURAL PORTRAIT •
2010 •
PAPER
• 48 PAGES
• MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)
Peter Lourie travels with Inupiat whale hunters on Alaska's north slope for this illustrated account of change in the Arctic for ages nine and up.
(ALA355, $10.95) |
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Being Caribou, Five Months on Foot With a Caribou Herd
• Karsten Heuer
NATURAL HISTORY •
2007 •
HARD COVER
• 48 PAGES
• MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)
A park ranger and his wife followed a caribou herd on foot to their birthing grounds in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. To keep up, the pair learned to move, act, and even think like caribou. With handsome color photographs of the animals and their harsh but beautiful landscape.
(ALA250, $17.95) |
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Blessing's Bead
• Debby Dahl Edwardson
LITERATURE •
2009 •
HARD COVER
• 178 PAGES
• MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)
This beautiful debut novel for children follows two storylines set among Iupiaq Eskimos in Alaska's far north. In 1917, Aaluk leaves for Siberia while her sister Nutaaq remains in their Alaskan village and becomes one of the few survivors of an influenza epidemic. Then in 1986, Nunaaq's great-granddaughter leaves her mother due to a different kind of sickness and returns to the village where they were born. A powerful multigenerational story about family history and self-discovery.
(ALA344, $16.99) |
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Buried Alive, A Mystery in Denali National Park
• Gloria Skurzynski
LITERATURE •
2008 •
PAPER
• MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)
The Landons are in Alaska's Denali National Park and are joined by 13-year-old Nicky Milano. When Jack, Ashley and Nicky accept a dogsled ride from a man in a Park Service uniform, the kids become stranded in the frozen wilderness and are caught in an avalanche. Includes a park map.
(ALA251, $4.99) |
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Children of the Midnight Sun, Young Native Voices of Alaska
• Tricia Brown
CULTURAL PORTRAIT •
2007 •
PAPER
• 48 PAGES
• MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)
A profile of eight children, this book features vivid color photography and great information on daily life, customs and background of the Tlingit, Haida, Aleut and other cultures throughout Alaska. Aimed at children ages 9-12, it's a balanced presentation of modern challenges and traditional ways. Outstanding.
(ALA68, $11.95) |
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Eyewitness Bird
• David Burnie
NATURAL HISTORY •
2008 •
HARD COVER
• 64 PAGES
• MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)
An introduction to birds, their evolution, biology and behavior, in the graphic Eyewitness style with hundreds of color photographs and drawings of feathers, wings, nests, eggs (and surprisingly few birds!). It's an excellent introduction to the life of a bird for middle school readers. Includes a CD of bird-related clipart.
(BRD04, $16.99) |
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Frozen Stiff
• Sherry Shahan
LITERATURE •
1999 •
PAPER
• 150 PAGES
• MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)
A story of adventure set in the Alaskan wilderness. Two young kayakers set out for what they figure will be a harmless day traversing the fjords, when an unexpected twist of events sends them into a struggle for survival. It's a fast moving novel, perfect for preteens.
(ALA103, $5.50) |
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Kavik the Wolf Dog
• Walt Morey
• Peter Parnall
LITERATURE •
1997 •
PAPER
• 192 PAGES
• MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)
A reprint of a classic children's novel about Kavik, a wolf-dog who is rescued by a loving boy after a plane crash in Alaska. Kavik, who has been reared as a champion sled-dog, is taken away from the boy and must make a perilous journey back to his home in Washington. He is determined to reunite with his savior, though, and makes a 2000 mile journey from Washington to Alaska, in search of the compassionate boy. Written for preteens.
(ALA99, $5.99) |
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Looking for Seabirds
• Sophie Webb
NATURAL HISTORY •
2004 •
HARD COVER
• 48 PAGES
• MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)
Webb's illustrated account of a month-long journey aboard a research vessel in the Aleutians for middle-schoolers. She captures the texture and routines of research both in the text and watercolor illustrations.
(ALA215, $16.00) |
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My Denali, Exploring Alaska's Favorite National Park with Hannah Corral
• Kimberly Corral
• Hannah Corral
• Roy Corral
NATURAL HISTORY •
1995 •
HARD COVER
• 32 PAGES
• MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)
A day in the life of Denali National Park, as seen through the eyes of a twelve-year-old girl. Hannah Corral and her parents, Kimberly and Roy, spend a summer day hiking through the stunning Alaskan wilderness, commenting on the natural beauty. Written by Kimberley and Hannah and complemented by Roy's nature photography, this book is a wonderful companion for any family traveling to the Denali National Park. Written for ages 9-12.
(ALA96, $15.95) |
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Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers, Reflections on Being Raised by a Pack of Sled Dogs
• Gary Paulsen
NATURAL HISTORY •
2007 •
PAPER
• 80 PAGES
• MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)
Iditarod racer and Newberry Honor-winning children's book author Gary Paulsen reflects on his loving friendship with his lead dog Cookie and her litter of pups.
(ALA253, $5.95) |
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Seabird
• Holling C. Holling
LITERATURE •
1978 •
PAPER
• 61 PAGES
• MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)
Whether you're at the coast or on the ocean, this children's book is excellently appropriate reading. An illustrated classic, it follows the history of American seafaring through the eyes (and adventures) of a carved ivory gull. Across four generations and around the world, by whaler, clipper, steamer and airplane, the gull witnesses life at sea. Ages 9-12.
(OCE79, $11.95) |
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Water Sky
• Jean Craighead George
LITERATURE •
1989 •
PAPER
• 224 PAGES
• MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)
Author of the Newbery Medal-winning Julie of the Wolves (ALA144) , Jean Craighead George addresses issues of conservation and cultural heritage in this dramatic tale of part-Eskimo, 13-year old New Englander Lincoln Noah Stonewright, who spends the summer in Barrow Alaska with the family of an Eskimo whaling captain.
(ALA311, $6.99) |
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Whale (Eyewitness Books)
• Frank Greenaway
NATURAL HISTORY •
2004 •
HARD COVER
• 72 PAGES
• MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)
This highly visual overview of whales, dolphins, seals, and other marine mammals, their habitats, means of communication, and biology is geared for 9-12 year olds.
(BST10, $16.99) |
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Whaling Season, A Year in the Life of an Arctic Whale Scientist
• Peter Lourie
SCIENCE •
2009 •
HARD COVER
• 80 PAGES
• MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)
Arctic whale scientist Craig George is the son of children's author Jean Craighead George, and out on the ice with the whales and the whalers in Barrow, Alaska is where this Arctic whale scientist works. He has studied them for nearly thirty years and the mysteries these creatures hold never fail to amaze him. Join Craig at the top of the world, where the days and nights are long, the people full of stories, and the bowhead whale is at the center of it all.
(ARC238, $18.00) |
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Wild Man Island
• Will Hobbs
LITERATURE •
2003 •
PAPER
• 192 PAGES
• MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)
A 14-year-old boy washes up on a remote Alaskan island when his kayak is overwhelmed during a storm. As he struggles to survive in the wilderness, he catches glimpses of a strange man with a stone-tipped spear and is drawn into a dangerous and suspenseful adventure.
(ALA261, $5.99) |
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Czar of Alaska, The Cross of Charlemagne
• Richard Trout
MYSTERY •
2005 •
HARD COVER
• 256 PAGES
• YOUNG ADULTS
The fourth novel in the action-packed, fact-filled, techno-thriller MacGregor Family Adventure Series for young teens, set in Alaska.
(ALA232, $15.95) |
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I Heard the Owl Call My Name
• Margaret Craven
LITERATURE •
1993 •
PAPER
• 159 PAGES
• YOUNG ADULTS
In this brief novel, a young vicar comes to live with the Kwakiutl Indians of the town of Kingcome in the Pacific Northwest. Written for teens but worthwhile for adults, it is a story of cultural sharing and the rediscovery of ancient Native American traditions.
(PNW90, $6.99) |
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Julie
• Jean Craighead George
LITERATURE •
1996 •
PAPER
• 128 PAGES
• YOUNG ADULTS
In this sequel to Julie of the wolves, Julie's decision to return home to her people is not an easy one. But after many months in the wilderness, living in harmony with the wolves that saved her life, she knows the time has come. Julie is not prepared, however, for all the changes that she finds. Her father has forsaken many of the old Eskimo traditions. He has given up his sled dogs for a snowmobile, and now looks after the musk oxen that serve as the village's income. He will do anything to protect them -- even shoot any wolves that might threaten the herd. Julie knows that, like her father, she must find a way to reconcile the old ways with the new. But how can she do that without putting her beloved wolves in danger?
(ALA313, $5.99) |
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Julie of the Wolves
• Jean Craighead George
LITERATURE •
1972 •
PAPER
• 170 PAGES
• YOUNG ADULTS
The classic tale of a young Eskimo girl who chooses to run with the wolves rather than submit to a cruel husband. This young adult novel whipped up some controversy on publication in 1972, due to brief but violent sexual content, and we would caution parents that it's most appropriate for teens and sophisticated pre-teens.
(ALA144, $6.99) |
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Julie's Wolf Pack
• Jean Craighead George
NATURAL HISTORY •
1999 •
PAPER
• 208 PAGES
• YOUNG ADULTS
From the author of the Newbery Medal-winning "Julie of the Wolves" and its sequel, Julie, comes a third exciting adventure about the wolf pack that saved the life of a young girl when she was lost on the tundra. Julie has returned to her family, but her wolf pack has a story all its own. Fearless but inexperienced Kapu is now the new leader of the pack. He must protect his wolves from the threats of famine and disease and, at the same time, defend himself from bitter rivals, both inside and outside the pack, who are waiting for their chance to overthrow him. The strength of Kapu's leadership will determine not just the well-being of the pack but its very survival.
(ALA310, $5.99) |
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Stampede for Gold, The Story of the Klondike Rush
• Pierre Berton
HISTORY •
2007 •
PAPER
• 176 PAGES
• YOUNG ADULTS
The great Canadian historian Pierre Berton weaves the amazing--and amazingly brutal--story of the Yukon Gold Rush of 1896-1899, where thousands, including Berton's own parents, took to the showy mountains of northern Canada in search of fortune.
(CND289, $6.95) |
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Tisha, The Story of a Young Teacher in the Alaska Wilderness
• Robert Specht
BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •
2003 •
PAPER
• 342 PAGES
• YOUNG ADULTS
The as-told-to autobiography of Anne Hobbs, who in 1927, at age 19, accepted a position as the only schoolteacher in Chicken, Alaska. Called "Tisha" by her students, Anne unwittingly enraged the white townspeople by consorting with Alaskan natives; but with grace, determination and bravery she continued to act as she thought right. This compelling book is a marvelous portrait of pre-statehood Alaska -- and a wonderful read. Ages 11 and up.
(ALA133, $7.99) |
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Touching Spirit Bear
• Ben Mikaelsen
LITERATURE •
2002 •
PAPER
• 241 PAGES
• YOUNG ADULTS
In the tradition of Gary Paulsen's "Hatchet" comes this novel of a delinquent boy's adventures on a remote Alaskan island. This young adult's novel follows the fate of Cole, an abused and abusive troubled teen who chooses a traditional First Nation punishment -- banishment -- over incarceration. But banishment isn't sufficient to reform Cole. For that, it takes an encounter with the white Spirit Bear of First Nation legends. Ages 12 and up.
(PNW127, $5.99) |
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Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival
• Velma Wallis
LITERATURE •
2004 •
PAPER
• 175 PAGES
• YOUNG ADULTS
A retelling of a traditional Athabaskan legend by Velma Wallis, an Athabaskan woman born and raised in Fort Yukon on the upper Yukon River. It's an inspiring tale of two old women abandoned by their tribe who must make their own way, alone, through the winter in the Alaskan wild. With line drawings throughout. Teens and adults are the appropriate audience.
(ALA64, $13.99) |
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A Northern Christmas
• Rockwell Kent
TRAVEL NARRATIVE •
1998 •
HARD COVER
• 40 PAGES
• FAMILY
First published in 1941, this charming book is adapted from Kent's Wilderness, A Journal of Quiet Adventure in Alaska (ALA106, $17.95). It's Rockwell Kent's illustrated tale of Christmas with his nine-year-old son in remote Alaska. The woodcuts are delightful.
(ALA175, $12.95) |
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Call of the Wild, White Fang, and To Build a Fire
• Jack London
LITERATURE •
1993 •
PAPER
• 416 PAGES
• FAMILY
London's 1903 novel about the dog Buck, who is forced to confront the harsh realities of survival in the brutal Arctic, is accompanied by the novel White Fang and a short story, To build a fire. Apart from its literary themes, the book is rich in details of history and geography, flora and fauna -- and it gives an awful lot of information about Klondike sled dogs.
(ARC10, $7.95) |
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