Alaska Book List
We found so many beautiful books depicting life in Alaska. It was beautiful to not only learn about Chilkat blankets but also to read a story where the chief was wearing one. It made it so much more relatable to journey on the Klondike gold rush with a boy and his cat than to just read about the prospectors who came to the Yukon. I hope you enjoy these books too.
Life in the Arctic
Ice: Chilling Stories From a Disappearing World (DK) - Non-fiction, “From the mighty mammoths and deserts of ice to early explorers and polar survival, come face to face with one of Earth's greatest resources: ice.”
Arctic Lights, Arctic Nights (Debbie S. Miller and Jon Van Zyle) - A beautiful walk through the changes in the seasons and the day light hours found in the arctic. **
Under Alaska’s Midnight Sun (Deb Vanasse and Jeremiah Trammell) - “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.”
Aurora: A Tale of the Northern Lights (Mindy Dwyer) - “In Aurora, storyteller and artist Mindy Dwyer shares a magical tale about a young girl whose dreams lead her to a great discovery, her own courage and the spectacular northern lights.“
Native Cultures of Alaska
How Raven Got His Crooked Nose, An Alaskan Dena’ina Fable (Barbara Atwater, Ethan Atwater, Mindy Dwyer) “Chulyen the trickster raven loses his nose one day, but he vows to get it back. Luckily he has some special powers to help him!”
How Raven Stole the Sun (Maria Williams and Felix Vigil) - “This engaging Tlingit story is brought to life in painterly illustrations that convey a sense of the traditional life of the Northwest Coast peoples.”
Mama, Do You Love Me? (Barbara Joosse and Barbara Levallee) “The lyrical text introduces young readers to a distinctively different culture, while at the same time showing that the special love that exists between parent and child transcends all boundaries of time and place.” Inpsired by Inuit culture and guided by member of the McCord Museum of Canadian History for accuracy.
The Hungry Giant of the Tundra (Retold by Teri Sloat, Illustrated by Robert and Teri Sloat) - “At sundown, a group of children ignore their parents' calls to come home. Suddenly a huge form darkens the horizon. It's the hungry giant, looking for his supper.” Retelling of a traditional Yupik story.
Kumak’s House (Michael Bania) - “At the edge of a great frozen river, Kumak and his family lived in their house by the willows. Though their house was warm and cozy, Kumak was not happy.“ See how the village elder shares her wisdom to bring peace in his house as Kumak comes to her again and again as she is busy with many traditional Inupiat activities. **
Kumak’s Fish (Michael Bania) - When Kumak and his family go ice fishing, they need the whole village to help bring in the fish that he catches with Uncle Aglu's amazing hooking stick.
Whale Snow (Debby Dahl Edwardson, Annie Patterson) “Amiqqaq is excited when his family catches a bowhead whale. As his family prepares to celebrate the traditional Iñupiaq whaling feast, Amiqqaq learns about the spirit-of-the-whale.” **
Berry Magic (Teri Sloat, Betty Huffmon) (A Yupik Folktale) “Long ago, the only berries on the tundra were hard, tasteless, little crowberries. As Anana watches the ladies complain bitterly while picking berries for the Fall Festival, she decides to use her magic to help.” She uses her magic and creates some dolls that bring tasteful berries to the people so there are plenty of tasty berries to use in the Eskimo Ice Cream for the festival.
Benny’s Flag (Phyllis Krasilovsky and Jim Fowler) - This book is based on the true story of how a young Aleutian boy designed the Alaskan Flag that flies over the state today.
An Inuksuk Means Welcome (Mary Wallace) - “An inuksuk is a stone landmark that different peoples of the Arctic region build to leave a symbolic message. Inuksuit (the plural of inuksuk) can point the way, express joy, or simply say: welcome. A central image in Inuit culture, the inuksuk frames this picture book as an acrostic: readers will learn seven words from the Inuktitut language whose first letters together spell INUKSUK. Each word is presented in English and in Inuktitut characters, with phonetic pronunciation guides provided.”
Dance on a Sealskin (Barbara Winslow and Teri Sloat) - “The heartwarming story of Annie, a Yup'ik Eskimo girl, and her coming-of-age ceremony in her Alaskan village.”
How Raven Brought Light to People (Ann Dixon and James Watts) “Raven gives the sun, the moon, and the stars to the people of the world by tricking the great chief who is hoarding them in three boxes”
Totem Tale, A Tall Story from Alaska (Deb Vanasse and Erik Brooks) This story of how the animals that make up a totem pole come to life, help illustrate how a Totem pole can commemorate a story. While there are much deeper meanings behind why native Alaskans construct totem poles, this was a good start to the conversation.
Children of the Midnight Sun: Young Voices of Alaska (Tricia Brown) “For Native children, growing up in Alaska today means dwelling in a place where traditional practices sometimes mix oddly with modern conveniences. Children of the Midnight Sun explores the lives of eight Alaskan Native children, each representing a unique and ancient culture. This extraordinary book also looks at the critical role elders play in teaching the young Native traditions.“
Dog Sledding
The Great Serum Race, Blazing the Iditarod Trail (Debbie S Miller and Jon Van Zyle) In February 1925, a Diphtheria outbreak in Nome Alaska threatened to destroy the entire town unless a serum could be delivered. “Twenty dog sled teams braved subzero temperatures and blizzard conditions to run over 600 miles in six days in a desperate relay race that saved the people of Nome.” (Based on historic events)
Togo (Robert J Blake) - “Togo wasn't meant to be a sled dog. He was too feisty and independent to make a good team member, let alone a leader. But Togo is determined, and when his trainer, Leonhard Seppala, gives him a chance, he soon becomes one of the fastest sled dogs in history! His skills are put to the ultimate test, though, when Seppala and his team are called on to make the now-famous run across the frozen Arctic to deliver the serum that will save Alaska from a life-threatening outbreak of diphtheria.” **
Robert J. Blake does extensive research and wrote and illustrated several great books about sled dogs and life in Alaska. The fictional story of the sled dog Akiak is a good read too.
Storm Run: The Story of the First Woman to Win the Iditarod Sled Dog Race (Libby Riddles and Shannon Cartwright) - An autobiographical account of how Libby Riddles began dog sledding and her experience of mushing through a blizzard to become the first woman to win the Iditarod. There are some great visuals of what a musher packs for a race, but it is long and word heavy for some kids.
Balto of the Blue Dawn (Magic Tree House #26) (Mary Pope Osborne) “The magic tree house has returned and it’s taking Jack and Annie back in time to Alaska, 1925. There they meet Balto, a jet-black Siberian husky destined to save victims of the diphtheria epidemic. But the trail isn’t easy, and Balto is going to need Jack and Annie’s help!” There’s an accompanying book with facts about Dog sledding and other extreme sports here.
Natural Resources
Salmon Stream (Carol Reed Jones) - “Fast-paced prose and brilliant illustrations follow the salmon from their form as eggs in a stream to the wide ocean, eventually making a hazardous journey home to their stream of origin.” A Great pairing with salmon life cycle activity. **
The Salmon Princess, An Alaska Cinderella Story (Mindy Dwyer) - “In this adaptation of the well-loved fairy tale, the father still has his head in the clouds and the stepmother is as mean as ever. But this story is set in the Last Frontier, and its details and imagery reflect Alaska's landscape and sensibility: the fairy godmother becomes an eagle spirit, the glass slipper a fisherwoman's boot.” We paired this with a discussion on the canning industry and how salmon fishing sustains people as well as is a major export.
Oil (Jonah Winter and Jeanette Winter) - “Mother-son team Jonah Winter and Jeanette Winter tell the story of the Exxon Valdez oil spill and its devastating and lingering effects in this poetic and timely picture book”
Water Protectors (Carole Lindstrom and Micaela Goade) - “Inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America, We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption”
Illustrated by Alaskan Native Michaela Goade, Set in South Dakota, but covers relevant topics about the impacts of oil lines on native lands.
Sunrise Summer (Matthew Swanson and Robbie Behr) - “Sunrise Summer is a picture book by writer Matthew Swanson and illustrator Robbi Behr that celebrates self-confidence and empowerment, as a girl’s role changes in her family’s fishing expeditions.” This book also has beautiful illustrations at the end discussing the real life experiences of the Authors traveling to Alaska for salmon fishing. **
The Klondike Cat (Julie Lawson and Paul Mombourquette) - “Noah and his pa prepare to join the thousands of gold seekers heading for the Klondike. Pa insists the journey will be too long and too hard for a cat, but Noah just can't leave his pet, Shadow, behind.” “Filled with exciting real-life history and adventure, The Klondike Cat gives readers a unique glimpse into a time when hopes were high, dreams were big and golden opportunities came in all shapes and sizes. A historical note at the end of the story provides further information about this dramatic chapter of North American history.“
Others that we didn’t get to read but would still like to check out
Chia and the Fox Man : An Alaska Dena’ina Fable (Barbara Atwater, Ethan Atwater, Mindy Dwyer) “A beautifully illustrated Alaska Native story of a young boy and his encounter with the fabled Fox Man, and how doing the right thing isn’t always easy but important in the end.”
Alaska’s Three Bears (Shelley Gill and Shannon Cartwright) One of the most beloved Alaskan children's picture books of all time, Alaska' Three Bears is a classic retelling of the three bears fairy tale, Alaska-style. Readers young and old will meet Alaska's three bears in this one-of-a-kind adventure. Join the polar, grizzly, and black bears as they travel across Alaska's vast wilderness.
** These are books we bought for our own library