New Releases

Written with wit, wisdom, and a grateful heart, A Tender Distance presents fifteen finely-crafted vignettes that explore the perils and joys of raising two fearless boys from toddlerhood to young men. Mothers everywhere will relate to the hard, familiar choice between holding close and letting go.

"Presents parenting on a 'high-voltage tightrope' between adventure and safety in rugged conditions."
--Foreword Footnotes

"A Tender Distance is written with a calm, deep grace. It is a poem of a book, infused with courage, sadness, and beauty."
--Richard Goodman, author of French Dirt, The Story of a Garden in the South of France and Soul of Creative Writing.

This is a mother's story about raising her two boys in Alaska were wilderness is just out the back door of their home. Written with wit, wisdom, and a grateful heart, A Tender Distance presents fifteen finely-crafted vignettes that explore the perils and joys of raising two fearless boys from toddlerhood to young men. Mothers everywhere will relate to the hard, familiar choice between holding close and letting go.

Nick Jans leads us into his "found" home—the Eskimo village of Ambler, Alaska, and the vast wilderness around it. In his powerful essays, the rhythms of daily arctic life blend with high adventure—camping among the wolves, traveling with Inupiat hunters, witnessing the Kobuk River at spring breakup.

The poignancy of a village funeral comes to life, hordes of mosquitoes whine against a tent, a grizzly stands etched against the snow—just a sampling of the images and events rendered in Jans' transparent, visual prose. Moments of humor are offset by haunting insights, and by thoughtful reflections on contemporary Inupiaq culture, making A Place Beyond a book to read and enjoy.

After an unconventional childhood that ended in the tragic death of her mother and the murder of her Alaskan mobster father, Kim Rich was left on her own at the young age of fifteen to fend for herself. Ever since then, she began a nearly lifelong pursuit in chasing what most others had—a normal life.

Rich tugs at your heartstrings as you follow her journey toward normalcy, from her teen years, freshly orphaned, through her high school years spent couch-surfing at local families’ homes, then through her college years, a failed first marriage, and a rising career as a journalist. Through frank and down-to-earth storytelling, Rich also tells of her grandfather’s kidnapping, a frightening health crisis, and a six-year attempt to have children.

Picking up right where her first memoir, Johnny’s Girl, left off, A Normal Life recounts the author’s vivid story of being an ordinary girl faced with extraordinary circumstances—at seemingly every turn in life—with grace, humility, and wit.

After an unconventional childhood that ended in the tragic death of her mother and the murder of her Alaskan mobster father, Kim Rich was left on her own at the young age of fifteen to fend for herself. Ever since then, she began a nearly lifelong pursuit in chasing what most others had—a normal life.

Rich tugs at your heartstrings as you follow her journey toward normalcy, from her teen years, freshly orphaned, through her high school years spent couch-surfing at local families’ homes, then through her college years, a failed first marriage, and a rising career as a journalist. Through frank and down-to-earth storytelling, Rich also tells of her grandfather’s kidnapping, a frightening health crisis, and a six-year attempt to have children.

Picking up right where her first memoir, Johnny’s Girl, left off, A Normal Life recounts the author’s vivid story of being an ordinary girl faced with extraordinary circumstances—at seemingly every turn in life—with grace, humility, and wit.

Through the mists of Alaska's rain forest, totem poles have stood watch for untold generations. Imbued with mystery to outsider eyes, the fierce, carved symbols silently spoke of territories, legends, memorials, and paid debts. Today many of these cultural icons are preserved for the public to enjoy in heritage parks and historical centers through southeast Alaska. And, after nearly a century of repression, totem carving among Alaska's Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian peoples is flourishing again.

In this newly revised edition of Alaska's Totem Poles, readers learn about the history and use of totems, clan crests, symbolism, and much more. A special section describes where to go to view totems. Author Pat Kramer traveled throughout the homelands of the Totem People—along Alaska's Panhandle, the coast of British Columbia, and into the Northwest—meeting the people, learning their stores, and researching and photographing totem poles. Foreword writer David A. Boxley also offers the unique perspective of a Native Alaskan carver who has been a leader in the renaissance.

This is a handy guide for travelers in Southeast Alaska who want to learn more about Alaska's totems. There's even a guide of where to view totems in the state. Ravens, killer whales (Orca) and bears... they're all represented in the totem.

The Alaska Homesteader's Handbook is a remarkable compilation of practical information for living in one of the most impractical and inhospitable landscapes in the United States.

More than forty pioneer types ranging from their mid-nineties to mid-twenties describe their reasons for choosing to live their lives in Alaska and offer useful instructions and advice that made that life more livable. Whether it be how to live among bears, build an outhouse, cross a river, or make birch syrup, each story gives readers a window to a life most will never know but many still dream about. Fifty photographs and 150 line drawings illustrate the real-life experiences of Alaska settlers such as 1930s New Deal colonists, demobilized military who stayed after World War II, dream-seekers from the '60s and '70s, and myriad others who staked their claim in Alaska.

This traveler's guide to the state parks of Alaska is useful for the traveler and the arm chair traveler.  Alaska's state park system is the nation's largest and grandest, covering almost 120 state park units. In words, color photos and maps, Bill Sherwonit details six of the state's wildest, and most alluring parklands.  

Here are glaciers, unscaled mountains, ancient forests, and high alpine tundra. You will see salmon-rich streams, vast lakes, and remote islands. Wildlife abounds, and beauty is to behold. For all their wildness and unspoiled beauty, these parklands are remarkably easy to reach and in most cases, explore.

For the seriously dedicated as well as the merely curious ’shroomer, Alaska’s Mushrooms is a wide-ranging guide to the fungi of the Last Frontier.

The book, featuring detailed descriptions of 114 species, includes: color photographs; family and common names; genus and species; striking field characters; both a macro- & micro-description; habitat and role; edibility, taste, and odor; look-alikes, and comments. This comprehensive collection also provides:

• information on mushroom seasons and habitats
• hints for collecting mushrooms for food and study
• tips on how to tell the real mushrooms from their “imposters”
• directions for making spore prints (an essential test for identifying mushrooms)
• hundreds of black-and-white line drawings
• a section listing all poisonous mushrooms by toxin groups
• a list of frequently asked questions
• a range map of Alaska’s biogeographic zones

Alaska’s Mushrooms provides authoritative natural history, informative color photographs, and black-and-white line drawings for clear identification, and lively notes from the field. It’s a must-have for anyone who has a passion for hunting mushrooms.

Alaska is truly bear country. It is the only one of America’s fifty states to be inhabited by all three of North America’s ursine species: black, polar bear, and brown bear (also known as grizzly). Alaska’s Bears is a handy guidebook to the bears of Alaska, a book that slips easily into a jacket pocket or a day pack, and that provides entertaining armchair reading when you’re not in bear country.

Here in one compact edition is a book that can help you understand Alaska’s bears and their natural histories. Learn about their appearances, behaviors, yearly cycles, ecological niches, and relationships with humans. Find full details on how to visit Alaska’s prime bear-viewing and get tips for traveling safely through bear country. Complementing Bill Sherwonit’s text are photographs from longtime Alaskan Tom Walker, a premier wildlife photographer who has spent hundreds of hours in the company of bears.

Alaska is truly bear country. It is the only one of America’s fifty states to be inhabited by all three of North America’s ursine species: black, polar bear, and brown bear (also known as grizzly). Alaska’s Bears is a handy guidebook to the bears of Alaska, a book that slips easily into a jacket pocket or a day pack, and that provides entertaining armchair reading when you’re not in bear country.

Here in one compact edition is a book that can help you understand Alaska’s bears and their natural histories. Learn about their appearances, behaviors, yearly cycles, ecological niches, and relationships with humans. Find full details on how to visit Alaska’s prime bear-viewing and get tips for traveling safely through bear country. Complementing Bill Sherwonit’s text are photographs from longtime Alaskan Tom Walker, a premier wildlife photographer who has spent hundreds of hours in the company of bears.

This newly revised edition includes up-to-date information and historical photographs on everything you need to know about the Last Frontier, all in one travel-friendly package.

Alaska’s rich and cultural history comes to life in this vivid, take-along account. Travel to the Far North and discover the origins of Russian America and the effects of the fur trade, Native lifestyles before and after European contact, John Muir’s visit to Glacier Bay, the Klondike gold rush, exploits of Alaska Bush pilots, big game hunting in the North Country and famous fisheries, and more. Five new chapters cast light on more modern subjects, such as the strengthening stance of Alaska Natives in politics, the impact of a changing climate on the fish and wildlife, the future of coastal villages by the sea, and the state of Alaska looking forward today. A history book that's fun to read, Alaska’s History provides a look into the deep story behind the United States’ 49th state, from its glorious past to its challenging present.

Quirky, whimsical, playful art captures the "Wild Life" of Alaska in this first coloring book from beloved Alaskan artist Monica Estill. From the humongous moose and whales to the tiny puffin and dragonfly, colorists can dream about the hidden creatures that frolic in the wild places of the Last Frontier. Thirty-two black and white illustrations in single sided 8 x 10 format suitable for framing include: a bear napping with a cup of joe; a snowboarding fox; and a mermaid swimming with a whale. The charming illustrations, which vary in complexity and level of detail, will spark creativity, relieve stress, and provide a window to explore an Alaskan dreamland.

With bright color photographs and completely up-to-date information, this authoritative guidebook introduces adventurers and harvesters to more than 80 of Alaska's most common wild edible plants.

Alaska’s Wild Plants is the perfect guide to tuck in your backpack as you explore Alaska’s lands. Now reorganized to be more user friendly with a new introduction to foraging, this informative book will help you discover the bounty of the land and its plants around you.

• Understand basic principles to foraging and easy plant preparations.
• Learn about each plant's nutritional content, and medicinal and culinary uses.
• Discover the habitats where the plant can be found and how to harvest it correctly.
• Identify the plant’s physical characteristics with an accompanying color photograph.
• Find more expert sources to continue your plant education.

For explorers, foragers, harvesters, or just the casually interested, this book will help readers recognize Alaska’s most common edible plants, including chickweed, high bush cranberry, crowberry, sweet gale, and more.

This newly revised edition includes up-to-date information and historical photographs on everything you need to know about the Last Frontier, all in one travel-friendly package.

Alaska’s rich and cultural history comes to life in this vivid, take-along account. Travel to the Far North and discover the origins of Russian America and the effects of the fur trade, Native lifestyles before and after European contact, John Muir’s visit to Glacier Bay, the Klondike gold rush, exploits of Alaska Bush pilots, big game hunting in the North Country and famous fisheries, and more. Five new chapters cast light on more modern subjects, such as the strengthening stance of Alaska Natives in politics, the impact of a changing climate on the fish and wildlife, the future of coastal villages by the sea, and the state of Alaska looking forward today. A history book that's fun to read, Alaska’s History provides a look into the deep story behind the United States’ 49th state, from its glorious past to its challenging present.

A perennial best seller that’s been in print for over 50 years, Alaska Sourdough—part valuable historical reference and part kitschy souvenir—now offers more than 95 recipes with even more interesting facts and Alaskan lore for sourdough fans.

Written by one of Alaska’s most foremost sourdough historians, Alaska Sourdough is a witty and useful primer for sourdough cookery. For decades Alaskans have ordered their lives around their sourdough pots, and Ruth Allman was no different. In this book she shares her own time-tested advice for home cooks and novice bakers, as well as little-known facts and history about sourdough.

Sourdough was a staple in pioneer-era Alaska and without it, folks would not survive. Alaska’s Sourdough features two types of starters and discusses the nuances of time on the starter that only a pioneer can know. The book then walks the reader through how to keep sourdough alive and the dozens of things that can be made from it—from hotcakes and waffles, to breads, rolls, muffins, and coffee cakes. But what was once utilitarian may seem peculiar today—sourdough baked Alaska? It was the only way to make such novelty desserts in pioneer time, and Ruth’s writing offers a charming glimpse back to another era. You’ll want to try some of her favorite recipes for such delights as sourdough cakes, doughnuts, cookies, and dumplings, along with accompanying sauces, syrups, and toppings.

With an all-new foreword by writer and food journalist Addie Studebaker, this new edition transports you back into a nostalgic Alaskan world filled with comfort, love, fun, and, of course, sourdough.

A perennial best seller that’s been in print for over 50 years, Alaska Sourdough—part valuable historical reference and part kitschy souvenir—now offers more than 95 recipes with even more interesting facts and Alaskan lore for sourdough fans.

Written by one of Alaska’s most foremost sourdough historians, Alaska Sourdough is a witty and useful primer for sourdough cookery. For decades Alaskans have ordered their lives around their sourdough pots, and Ruth Allman was no different. In this book she shares her own time-tested advice for home cooks and novice bakers, as well as little-known facts and history about sourdough.

Sourdough was a staple in pioneer-era Alaska and without it, folks would not survive. Alaska’s Sourdough features two types of starters and discusses the nuances of time on the starter that only a pioneer can know. The book then walks the reader through how to keep sourdough alive and the dozens of things that can be made from it—from hotcakes and waffles, to breads, rolls, muffins, and coffee cakes. But what was once utilitarian may seem peculiar today—sourdough baked Alaska? It was the only way to make such novelty desserts in pioneer time, and Ruth’s writing offers a charming glimpse back to another era. You’ll want to try some of her favorite recipes for such delights as sourdough cakes, doughnuts, cookies, and dumplings, along with accompanying sauces, syrups, and toppings.

With an all-new foreword by writer and food journalist Addie Studebaker, this new edition transports you back into a nostalgic Alaskan world filled with comfort, love, fun, and, of course, sourdough.

This beautiful blank journal featuring the magnificence of Alaska offers a special place to record your thoughts, notes, dreams, drawings, and more.

Alaska is known as the Last Frontier, a gorgeous landscape captured by its rugged beauty and intense climate. Immerse yourself in the 49th state when you use this multipurpose notebook. With lined pages on one side and blank pages on the other, this journal allows space to write, sketch, doodle, and make lists as well as paste tickets, photos, and more.

With bright color photographs and completely up-to-date information, this authoritative guidebook introduces adventurers and harvesters to more than 80 of Alaska's most common wild edible plants.

Alaska’s Wild Plants is the perfect guide to tuck in your backpack as you explore Alaska’s lands. Now reorganized to be more user friendly with a new introduction to foraging, this informative book will help you discover the bounty of the land and its plants around you.

• Understand basic principles to foraging and easy plant preparations.
• Learn about each plant's nutritional content, and medicinal and culinary uses.
• Discover the habitats where the plant can be found and how to harvest it correctly.
• Identify the plant’s physical characteristics with an accompanying color photograph.
• Find more expert sources to continue your plant education.

For explorers, foragers, harvesters, or just the casually interested, this book will help readers recognize Alaska’s most common edible plants, including chickweed, high bush cranberry, crowberry, sweet gale, and more.

Playfully told in quick, witty verses and illustrated with gorgeously colored linocut art, Alaska is for the Birds! features 14 feathered friends found across Alaska.

"The book features Zerbetz's signature bold, colorful prints of 14 birds alongside Ewing's playful poems about each bird."
—Ketchikan Daily News

"Fourteen Alaskan birds come to life in this exquisite book. . . Ewing, an experienced author of naturalist topics, weaves the poems into melodic informational texts. Paired with fellow Alaskan Zerbetz, the two create an attractive view of their local wildlife. The lino-cut art is bright and enhances the personality of each bird. A handsome spotlight on these feathered friends, this is recommended for nonfiction collections and fans of wildlife."
—School Library Journal

"Fourteen Alaskan birds each get their own vividly colored linocut print and a jaunty set of 5 rhyming couplets describing the animal’s physiology, habitat, food, and behavior. . . Each double page spread is attractively designed, with the bird taking up one entire page and the poem facing from the other side. . . Back matter includes a detailed paragraph on each bird, along with their scientific name and whether they are a migrant or year-round resident. A glossary of bird words rounds out this offering, along with decorative endpapers showing silhouettes of children observing birds."
—Youth Services Book Review

“Alaska Northwest Books wings into spring with Alaska Is for the Birds by Susan Ewing, illus. by Evon Zerbetz, serving up nature poems and woodcut art showcasing 14 birds found across this state.”
—Publishers Weekly, Spring 2022 Children’s Sneak Previews

Get a bird's-eye view of Alaska from forest treetops to open sea with Great Horned Owl, Tufted Puffin, Arctic Tern, and more in this playful celebration of northern birds. Written in witty verse and illustrated with gorgeous linocut art, Alaska is for the Birds! is a fun and informative treasure.

“As someone who loves knowledge of timeless homesteading and survival skills, this book fascinated me. In addition to being an interesting read, the book could also serve as a preparedness manual.” –Leon Patenburg, The Sportsman Pages blog

The Alaska Homesteader's Handbook is a remarkable compilation of practical information for living in one of the most impractical and inhospitable landscapes in the United States.

More than forty pioneer types ranging from their mid-nineties to mid-twenties describe their reasons for choosing to live their lives in Alaska and offer useful instructions and advice that made that life more livable. Whether it be how to live among bears, build an outhouse, cross a river, or make birch syrup, each story gives readers a window to a life most will never know but many still dream about. Fifty photographs and 150 line drawings illustrate the real-life experiences of Alaska settlers such as 1930s New Deal colonists, demobilized military who stayed after World War II, dream-seekers from the '60s and '70s, and myriad others who staked their claim in Alaska.

Eight sled dogs and one woman set out from Barrow, Alaska, to mush 2,500 miles. Alone Across the Arctic chronicles this astounding expedition. For an entire year, Pam Flowers and her dogs made this epic journey across North America arctic coast. The first woman to make this trip solo, Pam endures and deals with intense blizzards, melting pack ice, and a polar bear. Yet in the midst of such danger, Pam also relishes the time alone with her beloved team. Their survival—her survival—hinges on that mutual trust and love.

Eight sled dogs and one woman set out from Barrow, Alaska, to mush 2,500 miles. Alone Across the Arctic chronicles this astounding expedition. For an entire year, Pam Flowers and her dogs made this epic journey across North America arctic coast. The first woman to make this trip solo, Pam endures and deals with intense blizzards, melting pack ice, and a polar bear. Yet in the midst of such danger, Pam also relishes the time alone with her beloved team. Their survival—her survival—hinges on that mutual trust and love.

The chronicle of a family's first year alone in Alaskan wilderness, here is a poetic exploration into what we value in life.

In 1992 Jean Aspen took her husband, Tom, and their young son to live in Alaska's interior mountains where they built a cabin from logs, hunted for food, and let the vast beauty of the Arctic close around them. Jean had faced Alaska's wilderness alone before in a life-altering experience she shared in Arctic Daughter. Cut off from the rest of the world for more than a year, now her family would discover strength and beauty in their daily lives. They candidly filmed themselves and later produced a companion documentary, ARCTIC SON: Fulfilling the Dream, which shows on PBS stations across the nation.

From an encounter with a grizzly bear at arm's length to a challenging six-hundred-mile river passage back to civilization, Arctic Son chronicles fourteen remarkable months alone in the Brooks Range. At once a portrait of courage, a lyrical odyssey, and authentic adventure, this is a family's extraordinary journey into America's last frontier.

These timeless, beautifully written essays share encounters and observations on a variety of Alaskan wildlife and include natural history information.

In these essays about Alaska’s best-known and most charismatic animals—grizzlies and wolves, moose and Dall sheep, bald eagles and beluga whales—Sherwonit also introduces readers to many of Alaska’s largely overlooked species, from wood frogs to redpolls and shrews to lynx and wolverines. The stories are geographically diverse, stretching across the state, from the Panhandle to the Arctic, and also from Alaska’s urban center, Anchorage, to its most remote backcountry.

Sherwonit examines the complicated relationships humans have with other animals and consider different ways of knowing, and relating to, these critters. Animal Stories increases readers’ awareness and questions their own relationships with wild neighbors, wild relatives, and the inherent value that these animals have, irrespective of what they give to us.

From the author/filmmaker of Arctic Son: Fulfilling the dream and the book on which the Arctic Daughter: A Lifetime in the Wilderness documentary is based.

Set in the Arctic wilderness of Alaska in the 1970s, here is an extraordinary journey of self-discovery and a lyrical odyssey. This remarkable tale of survival and courage measures the value of dreams against the unforgiving realities of the natural world.

Heading off in an overloaded canoe, a young couple journeyed down the Yukon River and walked upstream into the remote Brooks Range to build a cabin and live off the land. She was twenty-two, daughter of a famous woman adventurer. He was her childhood sweetheart. Four years later, they emerged from the Alaskan wilds. Now in her sixties, Jean Aspen updates her spellbinding tale of adventure in a harsh and beautiful land for a new generation. Arctic Daughter is at once an extraordinary journey of self-discovery and a lyrical odyssey. A Reader's Digest book selection, this remarkable tale of survival and courage measures the value of dreams against the unforgiving realities of the natural world.

These timeless, beautifully written essays share encounters and observations on a variety of Alaskan wildlife and include natural history information.

In these essays about Alaska’s best-known and most charismatic animals—grizzlies and wolves, moose and Dall sheep, bald eagles and beluga whales—Sherwonit also introduces readers to many of Alaska’s largely overlooked species, from wood frogs to redpolls and shrews to lynx and wolverines. The stories are geographically diverse, stretching across the state, from the Panhandle to the Arctic, and also from Alaska’s urban center, Anchorage, to its most remote backcountry.

Sherwonit examines the complicated relationships humans have with other animals and consider different ways of knowing, and relating to, these critters. Animal Stories increases readers’ awareness and questions their own relationships with wild neighbors, wild relatives, and the inherent value that these animals have, irrespective of what they give to us.

The chronicle of a family's first year alone in Alaskan wilderness, here is a poetic exploration into what we value in life.

In 1992 Jean Aspen took her husband, Tom, and their young son to live in Alaska's interior mountains where they built a cabin from logs, hunted for food, and let the vast beauty of the Arctic close around them. Jean had faced Alaska's wilderness alone before in a life-altering experience she shared in Arctic Daughter. Cut off from the rest of the world for more than a year, now her family would discover strength and beauty in their daily lives. They candidly filmed themselves and later produced a companion documentary, ARCTIC SON: Fulfilling the Dream, which shows on PBS stations across the nation.

From an encounter with a grizzly bear at arm's length to a challenging six-hundred-mile river passage back to civilization, Arctic Son chronicles fourteen remarkable months alone in the Brooks Range. At once a portrait of courage, a lyrical odyssey, and authentic adventure, this is a family's extraordinary journey into America's last frontier.

Early one morning in a long ago northern land, a baby girl was born. Her mother named her Aurora, which means the “rosy light of dawn". . .

Winner, 2021 Northern Lights Book Award, "Time-Honored" category

"Not every child has seen the northern lights, of course, but even those who only have heard of them may be interested in this colorful book. The legend is pleasant, and Dwyer's brilliant watercolors bring it to life."
—Parade Magazine

"This fanciful exploration of the origins of the Aurora Borealis, the northern lights, is a scrumptious delight!"
—Publishers Weekly

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. Through her bright, luminous illustrations and text, this origin story about the glorious northern lights is magically portrayed to young readers and makes the perfect bedtime story.

Mindy Dwyer is author and/or illustrator of many books, including Treasure and Chia and the Fox Man.

The sequel to Secondhand Summer continues Sam Barger's story with the homecoming of his older brother, now wounded from war, and the struggle for the two to understand and find each other again.

"Walker expertly explores how families live in the world at large, and how the ties that bind can be sorely tested by events far from home [. . .] Walker is one of those young adult novel authors writing for adults as well as kids. Intended or not, Back Home is a commentary on our times as well. It's a reminder that battle fatigue comes from more than just warfare. It comes from living in a society at odds with itself."
--Anchorage Daily News

"Back Home will appeal to young adult readers, those interested in an Alaskan setting, and fans of bildungsroman stories. Recommended."
--Historical Novel Society

"His big brother's return from Vietnam with wounds both physical and psychological shakes up a 16-year-old Alaskan's familiar world of girls, guns, and clueless grown-ups. . . occasionally powerful mix of family drama, late-'60s culture clashes, and wilderness adventure."
--Kirkus Reviews

It's 1968, and like any other junior in high school, Sam Barger's just trying to get by in classes and find a part-time job at the local pizza parlor, maybe chat up the pretty girl who also works there. But when his Marine Corps brother Joe comes back from the Vietnam War, life at home changes. By day Joe struggles with alcoholism and by night he battles night terrors. Sam just wants normalcy again but doesn’t know how to close the rift between the brothers, especially once he questions their country's involvement overseas.

Set in Southcentral Alaska in the 1960s, Back Home is a heartfelt story about the brothers and their struggles to come and understand each other. The book reveals the lasting effects of war on young people and draws parallels between a pivotal moment in history then to the contemporary wars and struggles today.

The sequel to Secondhand Summer continues Sam Barger's story with the homecoming of his older brother, now wounded from war, and the struggle for the two to understand and find each other again.

"Walker expertly explores how families live in the world at large, and how the ties that bind can be sorely tested by events far from home [. . .] Walker is one of those young adult novel authors writing for adults as well as kids. Intended or not, Back Home is a commentary on our times as well. It's a reminder that battle fatigue comes from more than just warfare. It comes from living in a society at odds with itself."
--Anchorage Daily News

"Back Home will appeal to young adult readers, those interested in an Alaskan setting, and fans of bildungsroman stories. Recommended."
--Historical Novel Society

"His big brother's return from Vietnam with wounds both physical and psychological shakes up a 16-year-old Alaskan's familiar world of girls, guns, and clueless grown-ups. . . occasionally powerful mix of family drama, late-'60s culture clashes, and wilderness adventure."
--Kirkus Reviews

It's 1968, and like any other junior in high school, Sam Barger's just trying to get by in classes and find a part-time job at the local pizza parlor, maybe chat up the pretty girl who also works there. But when his Marine Corps brother Joe comes back from the Vietnam War, life at home changes. By day Joe struggles with alcoholism and by night he battles night terrors. Sam just wants normalcy again but doesn’t know how to close the rift between the brothers, especially once he questions their country's involvement overseas.

Set in Southcentral Alaska in the 1960s, Back Home is a heartfelt story about the brothers and their struggles to come and understand each other. The book reveals the lasting effects of war on young people and draws parallels between a pivotal moment in history then to the contemporary wars and struggles today.

Ann Dixon's delightful story, illustrated with enchanting, colorful linocuts by Evon Zerbetz, presents a playful look at the secret world of woodland creatures.

In tender and playful detail, Blueberry Shoe describes the sequence of creatures who sleep in, play with, and plan to eat Baby's lost shoe. First vole curls insid ethe shoe and makes a cozy nest of it. After vole slips away, a fox mother finds the shoe and tosses it, thinking it will be a fine plaything for her kits. And finally, a bear sniffs the lost shoe and expects it will yield a tasty morsel.

As the shoe is lost and found several times, young readers will wonder just what will happen to Baby's shoe. But it will take the arrival of another summer and another blueberry-picking trip up Ptarmigan Mountain to reveal the answer. Through lilting words and the bright, inspired linocut illustrations, children are sure to find this a memorable, memorizable story.

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.

Life is hard for Chia. His village doesn’t have enough food and every day there are many chores to do. Chia always goes to bed hungry and tired, until one day in the middle of the night he wakes to a strange noise. He decides to investigate—and meets the legendary Fox Man. Will the Fox Man be able to help Chia and his village?

By the same team who brought you How Raven Got His Crooked Nose, this modern retelling of a traditional Dena’ina story teaches young readers that there is strength in humility and in doing what is right, especially when it’s hard. Also included is an author's note about Alaskan Dena'ina stories, plus a glossary of the Dena'ina words and their pronunciation.

Children of the Midnight Sun was chosen as one of Parenting Magazine's 1998 Books of the Year and School Library Journal's Best Books of 1998.

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. Photographs and text present the experiences and way of life of Tlingit, Athabascan, Yup’ik, and other Native American children in the villages, cities, and Bush areas of Alaska.

A classic collection of over 1,400 Alaskan recipes to delight those who love the North's traditional fare.

Cooking Alaskan is an effort to organize and to share what we have learned about how Alaskan cooks use Alaskan foods ... plus a little. For the most part, the major ingredient of its recipes is Alaskan grown or bred. The great abundance and variety of that home­grown food is represented in the first three books of the volume.

A classic collection of over 1,400 Alaskan recipes to delight those who love the North's traditional fare.

Cooking Alaskan is an effort to organize and to share what we have learned about how Alaskan cooks use Alaskan foods ... plus a little. For the most part, the major ingredient of its recipes is Alaskan grown or bred. The great abundance and variety of that home­grown food is represented in the first three books of the volume.

From the beginning one puppy was different from the rest. He was big and black, his brother and sisters small and gray. While the others lay quietly snuggled against their mother, this puppy squirmed and wiggled constantly.

So begins the inspiring true story of a puppy whose boundless energy almost got the best of him. Douggie: The Playful Puppy Who Became a Sled Dog Hero is Pam Flowers's tribute to the pup who seemed destined to remain the class clown. But Pam saw potential in this exuberant youngster, and Douggie's intelligence and persistence ultimately earned him the position of lead dog for a dangerous 325-mile expedition to the Magnetic North Pole.

As the lead dog, Douggie lead the sled dog team on this exciting adventure traveling across the frozen sea of the far Canadian north for 18 days, surviving many challenges and returning home safely. Douggie went on to become a top lead dog and lead a subsequent trip of 2,500 miles.

From the beginning one puppy was different from the rest. He was big and black, his brother and sisters small and gray. While the others lay quietly snuggled against their mother, this puppy squirmed and wiggled constantly.

So begins the inspiring true story of a puppy whose boundless energy almost got the best of him. Douggie: The Playful Puppy Who Became a Sled Dog Hero is Pam Flowers's tribute to the pup who seemed destined to remain the class clown. But Pam saw potential in this exuberant youngster, and Douggie's intelligence and persistence ultimately earned him the position of lead dog for a dangerous 325-mile expedition to the Magnetic North Pole.

As the lead dog, Douggie lead the sled dog team on this exciting adventure traveling across the frozen sea of the far Canadian north for 18 days, surviving many challenges and returning home safely. Douggie went on to become a top lead dog and lead a subsequent trip of 2,500 miles.

Follow a child's dreamy flight through the Arctic and discover the animals that live there, from the wolves prowling through the snow to the goats and sheep leaping across mountains, to walrus and sea lions lying on icebergs.

Children's Book Review, Best Picture Books of 2019

"Dramatic rhythm, matched by spectacular linocut illustrations with black backgrounds, glowing colors, and exaggerated perspectives that suggest a surreal dream world. The child has beige skin and dark hair and eyes. The setting is indicated by the title and arctic wildlife and by a simple map of the Arctic Ocean on the wall of the child's cozy bedroom. This stunning interpretation of a fascinating region soars with polished poetry and striking, memorable art."
—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"The deep desire to fly inspires a child's Alaskan dream in this lushly illustrated rhyming book. . . The simple rhymes match well with the linocut illustrations by Zerbetz, whose thick lines give dimension to colorful stars and beasts. The images seem to leap from the page."
—WSU Magazine

At night, just as the moon climbs high, I make a wish that I could fly.

Told in singsong rhymes and colorfully illustrated with gorgeous linocut art, Dream Flights on Arctic Nights is a beautiful bedtime story for children to explore the Arctic before drifting off to sleep.

Follow a child's dreamy flight through the Arctic and discover the animals that live there, from the wolves prowling through the snow to the goats and sheep leaping across mountains, to walrus and sea lions lying on icebergs.

Children's Book Review, Best Picture Books of 2019

"Dramatic rhythm, matched by spectacular linocut illustrations with black backgrounds, glowing colors, and exaggerated perspectives that suggest a surreal dream world. The child has beige skin and dark hair and eyes. The setting is indicated by the title and arctic wildlife and by a simple map of the Arctic Ocean on the wall of the child's cozy bedroom. This stunning interpretation of a fascinating region soars with polished poetry and striking, memorable art."
—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"The deep desire to fly inspires a child's Alaskan dream in this lushly illustrated rhyming book. . . The simple rhymes match well with the linocut illustrations by Zerbetz, whose thick lines give dimension to colorful stars and beasts. The images seem to leap from the page."
—WSU Magazine

At night, just as the moon climbs high, I make a wish that I could fly.

Told in singsong rhymes and colorfully illustrated with gorgeous linocut art, Dream Flights on Arctic Nights is a beautiful bedtime story for children to explore the Arctic before drifting off to sleep.

True and intimate short stories of a modern fisherman's life of luck and loss.

Written in chronological order, fisherman Brad Matsen gives a realistic look of frightening weather, good fishing, terrible fishing, great days, and sweet living in Alaskan waters from the decks of crabbers, trawlers, longliners, trollers, and gillnetters.

This book and others inspired film crews to trek to Alaska and cover the crabbing seasons for reality TV shows. Commercial fishing's home ports—Dutch Harbor, Kodiak, Naknek, Cordova, Petersburg, Sitka, and Seattle—are classic fishing towns, where docks, bars, and even quiet living merge in colorful portraits about life on the last frontier.

Included in this second edition are new stories and updates from the super-heated days when fishing fleets turned king crab into fortunes, to the annual circus of Bristol Bay's monster salmon runs, to the bucolic life of the open ocean trawler.

True and intimate short stories of a modern fisherman's life of luck and loss.

Written in chronological order, fisherman Brad Matsen gives a realistic look of frightening weather, good fishing, terrible fishing, great days, and sweet living in Alaskan waters from the decks of crabbers, trawlers, longliners, trollers, and gillnetters.

This book and others inspired film crews to trek to Alaska and cover the crabbing seasons for reality TV shows. Commercial fishing's home ports—Dutch Harbor, Kodiak, Naknek, Cordova, Petersburg, Sitka, and Seattle—are classic fishing towns, where docks, bars, and even quiet living merge in colorful portraits about life on the last frontier.

Included in this second edition are new stories and updates from the super-heated days when fishing fleets turned king crab into fortunes, to the annual circus of Bristol Bay's monster salmon runs, to the bucolic life of the open ocean trawler.

The story behind the best-selling book One Man’s Wilderness and how author Sam Keith and Dick Proenneke met and forged an everlasting friendship.

“Sam, you know right well you don’t want to leave this country. Don’t give up on it. Me and you got to figure something out.”

After serving as a US Marine during World War II and attending college on the GI Bill, Sam Keith decided to seek adventure in Alaska as a laborer on the Adak Navy base. There he befriended Dick Proenneke, whose shared love of the outdoors, hard work, and self-reliance quickly bonded an alliance between the two. Together they explored the wilds of South Central Alaska while working on the Navy base, hunting and fishing with friends and breathing in the great outdoors. Keith was ready to leave after three years of finding almost everything he sought—not realizing then how his fate was intrinsically tied to his friend’s and how it would lead to writing the best-selling book One Man’s Wilderness.

Sam Keith passed away in 2003. But in 2013, his son-in-law and children’s book author/illustrator Brian Lies discovered in an archive box in their garage a book manuscript, originally written in 1974 after the publication of One Man’s Wilderness. First Wilderness is the story of Keith's own experiences, at times harrowing, funny, and fascinating. Along with the original manuscript are photos and excerpts from his journals, letters, and notebooks, woven in to create a compelling and poignant memoir of search and discovery. Foreword by Nick Jans, one of Alaska's foremost authors and photographers, and Afterword by Keith’s daughter Laurel Lies.

The story behind the best-selling book One Man’s Wilderness and how author Sam Keith and Dick Proenneke met and forged an everlasting friendship.

“Sam, you know right well you don’t want to leave this country. Don’t give up on it. Me and you got to figure something out.”

After serving as a US Marine during World War II and attending college on the GI Bill, Sam Keith decided to seek adventure in Alaska as a laborer on the Adak Navy base. There he befriended Dick Proenneke, whose shared love of the outdoors, hard work, and self-reliance quickly bonded an alliance between the two. Together they explored the wilds of South Central Alaska while working on the Navy base, hunting and fishing with friends and breathing in the great outdoors. Keith was ready to leave after three years of finding almost everything he sought—not realizing then how his fate was intrinsically tied to his friend’s and how it would lead to writing the best-selling book One Man’s Wilderness.

Sam Keith passed away in 2003. But in 2013, his son-in-law and children’s book author/illustrator Brian Lies discovered in an archive box in their garage a book manuscript, originally written in 1974 after the publication of One Man’s Wilderness. First Wilderness is the story of Keith's own experiences, at times harrowing, funny, and fascinating. Along with the original manuscript are photos and excerpts from his journals, letters, and notebooks, woven in to create a compelling and poignant memoir of search and discovery. Foreword by Nick Jans, one of Alaska's foremost authors and photographers, and Afterword by Keith’s daughter Laurel Lies.

Esther Atoolik is twelve years old and her Alaskan village is getting smaller; there aren't enough children to keep the school open. What to do? the people ask. Should we abandon our island in the Bering Sea that her people have lived on for centuries? Here is the tender, true story of Esther's last season in her island home and the wonderful memories she carries with her. A chapter book illustrated with the drawings of Rie Muñoz. 

Esther Atoolik is twelve years old and her Alaskan village is getting smaller; there aren't enough children to keep the school open. What to do? the people ask. Should we abandon our island in the Bering Sea that her people have lived on for centuries? Here is the tender, true story of Esther's last season in her island home and the wonderful memories she carries with her. A chapter book illustrated with the drawings of Rie Muñoz. 

“For those who plan to visit Alaska, this book is an obvious must, but even armchair birders will get satisfaction from reading it. Any birder will get many hours of enjoyment” —The Canadian Field-Naturalist

New in the sixth edition:

• More than 900 full-color photos, including 400 new to this edition
• every bird is now illustrated including the casuals and accidentals
  
• 22 new species of birds 
• All changes in names and systematics made by the American Ornithological Union 
• Updated status and distribution charts showing the seasonal occurrence of each bird in Alaska’s six biogeographic regions 
• Detailed information on field marks, behavior, similar species, voice, and habitat
• Useful map of Alaska’s six biogeographic regions
• Checklist of all species for birder’s use
• Comprehensive reading list and index

This comprehensive guide provides the most current knowledge about the birds in Alaska. “A fun and convenient way to pique or enhance your interest in Alaskan birds.” — Daily Sitka Sentinel 

"Mary Beck’s collection of legends from Tlingit and Haida folklore provides an excellent look at not only the mythology but the value and culture of these Southeast Alaska Natives." - Jan O’Meara Homer News

Uncover thrilling paranormal tales of Gold Rush ghosts, haunted hotels, shipwrecks, giant squid attacks, disappeared Russian explorers, a vanished bear hunter, Sasquatch, Kushtaka, and so much more.

A collection of twenty stories showcasing the supernatural legends and unsolved mysteries of Southeast Alaska, with a focus on the region between Yakutat and Petersburg, where the author has lived his entire life, writing, teaching, guiding, commercial fishing, and investigating ghost stories.

Each chapter is rooted in Bjorn’s own adventures and will intertwine fascinating history, interviews, and his reflections. Bjorn’s writing, sometimes poignant and often wickedly funny, brings to mind Hunter S. Thompson and Patrick McManus.

Chapters touch on legends such as Alexander Baranov, Soapy Smith, James Wickersham, and the Kóoshdaa Káa (Kushtaka) to lesser known but fascinating characters like “Naked” Joe Knowles and purported serial killer Ed Krause.

From duplicitous if not downright diabolical humans to demons of the fjords and deep seas and cryptids of the forest, Bjorn Dihle presents a lively cross-section of the haunter and the haunted found in Alaska’s Inside Passage.

Uncover thrilling paranormal tales of Gold Rush ghosts, haunted hotels, shipwrecks, giant squid attacks, disappeared Russian explorers, a vanished bear hunter, Sasquatch, Kushtaka, and so much more.

A collection of twenty stories showcasing the supernatural legends and unsolved mysteries of Southeast Alaska, with a focus on the region between Yakutat and Petersburg, where the author has lived his entire life, writing, teaching, guiding, commercial fishing, and investigating ghost stories.

Each chapter is rooted in Bjorn’s own adventures and will intertwine fascinating history, interviews, and his reflections. Bjorn’s writing, sometimes poignant and often wickedly funny, brings to mind Hunter S. Thompson and Patrick McManus.

Chapters touch on legends such as Alexander Baranov, Soapy Smith, James Wickersham, and the Kóoshdaa Káa (Kushtaka) to lesser known but fascinating characters like “Naked” Joe Knowles and purported serial killer Ed Krause.

From duplicitous if not downright diabolical humans to demons of the fjords and deep seas and cryptids of the forest, Bjorn Dihle presents a lively cross-section of the haunter and the haunted found in Alaska’s Inside Passage.

2019 Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) Notable and American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL) 2018 Best Book.

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 Got His Crooked Nose is a modern retelling of a traditional Native American fable. Part picture book and part graphic novel, this beautifully illustrated story teaches an important lesson to children through Dena'ina mythology and includes a glossary of Dena’ina words to learn.

Writer and fisherman Joe Upton recounts the riveting stories of explorers of the past and seafarers of the present in JOURNEYS THROUGH THE INSIDE PASSAGE. His chronicle offers events vivid in their telling: the journey of widow  Muriel Blanchet, who solo navigated a small vessel in the 1930s with her five children; the failed meeting of explorers Alexander Mackenzie and George Vancouver in 1793; countless sinkings; and tales from the author's own experiences plying this legendary waterway.

Winner, National Outdoor Book Award

"Part quest, part rebirth, Heacox's debut novel spins a story of Alaska's Tlingit people and the land, an old man dying, and a young man learning to live."
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"A splendid, unique gem of a novel."
—Library Journal (starred review)

"Heacox does a superb job of transcending his characters’ unique geography to create a heartwarming, all-American story."
—Booklist

"What makes this story so appealing is the character Old Keb. He is as finely wrought and memorable as any character in contemporary literature and energizes the tale with a humor and warmth that will keep you reading well into the night."
—National Outdoor Book Awards

Old Keb Wisting is somewhere around ninety-five years old (he lost count awhile ago) and in constant pain and thinks he wants to die. He also thinks he thinks too much. Part Norwegian and part Tlingit Native (“with some Filipino and Portuguese thrown in”), he’s the last living canoe carver in the village of Jinkaat, in Southeast Alaska.

When his grandson, James, a promising basketball player, ruins his leg in a logging accident and tells his grandpa that he has nothing left to live for, Old Keb comes alive and finishes his last canoe, with help from his grandson. Together (with a few friends and a crazy but likeable dog named Steve) they embark on a great canoe journey. Suddenly all of Old Keb’s senses come into play, so clever and wise in how he reads the currents, tides, and storms. Nobody can find him. He and the others paddle deep into wild Alaska, but mostly into the human heart, in a story of adventure, love, and reconciliation. With its rogue’s gallery of colorful, endearing, small-town characters, this book stands as a wonderful blend of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and John Nichols’s The Milagro Beanfield War, with dashes of John Steinbeck thrown in.

Winner, National Outdoor Book Award

"Part quest, part rebirth, Heacox's debut novel spins a story of Alaska's Tlingit people and the land, an old man dying, and a young man learning to live."
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"A splendid, unique gem of a novel."
—Library Journal (starred review)

"Heacox does a superb job of transcending his characters’ unique geography to create a heartwarming, all-American story."
—Booklist

"What makes this story so appealing is the character Old Keb. He is as finely wrought and memorable as any character in contemporary literature and energizes the tale with a humor and warmth that will keep you reading well into the night."
—National Outdoor Book Awards

Old Keb Wisting is somewhere around ninety-five years old (he lost count awhile ago) and in constant pain and thinks he wants to die. He also thinks he thinks too much. Part Norwegian and part Tlingit Native (“with some Filipino and Portuguese thrown in”), he’s the last living canoe carver in the village of Jinkaat, in Southeast Alaska.

When his grandson, James, a promising basketball player, ruins his leg in a logging accident and tells his grandpa that he has nothing left to live for, Old Keb comes alive and finishes his last canoe, with help from his grandson. Together (with a few friends and a crazy but likeable dog named Steve) they embark on a great canoe journey. Suddenly all of Old Keb’s senses come into play, so clever and wise in how he reads the currents, tides, and storms. Nobody can find him. He and the others paddle deep into wild Alaska, but mostly into the human heart, in a story of adventure, love, and reconciliation. With its rogue’s gallery of colorful, endearing, small-town characters, this book stands as a wonderful blend of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and John Nichols’s The Milagro Beanfield War, with dashes of John Steinbeck thrown in.

Etta Jones was not a World War II soldier or a war time spy. She was a school teacher whose life changed forever on that Sunday morning in June 1942 when the Japanese military invaded Attu Island and Etta became a prisoner of war.

Etta and her sister moved to the Territory of Alaska in 1922. She planned to stay only one year as a vacation, but this 40 something year old nurse from back east met Foster Jones and fell in love. They married and for nearly twenty years they lived, worked and taught in remote Athabascan, Alutiiq, Yup’ik and Aleut villages where they were the only outsiders. Their last assignment was Attu.

After the invasion, Etta became a prisoner of war and spent 39 months in Japanese POW sites located in Yokohama and Totsuka. She was the first female Caucasian taken prisoner by a foreign enemy on the North American Continent since the War of 1812, and she was the first American female released by the Japanese at the end of World War II.

Using descriptive letters that she penned herself, her unpublished manuscript, historical documents and personal interviews with key people who were involved with events as they happened, her extraordinary story is told for the first time in this book.

Etta Jones was not a World War II soldier or a war time spy. She was a school teacher whose life changed forever on that Sunday morning in June 1942 when the Japanese military invaded Attu Island and Etta became a prisoner of war.

Etta and her sister moved to the Territory of Alaska in 1922. She planned to stay only one year as a vacation, but this 40 something year old nurse from back east met Foster Jones and fell in love. They married and for nearly twenty years they lived, worked and taught in remote Athabascan, Alutiiq, Yup’ik and Aleut villages where they were the only outsiders. Their last assignment was Attu.

After the invasion, Etta became a prisoner of war and spent 39 months in Japanese POW sites located in Yokohama and Totsuka. She was the first female Caucasian taken prisoner by a foreign enemy on the North American Continent since the War of 1812, and she was the first American female released by the Japanese at the end of World War II.

Using descriptive letters that she penned herself, her unpublished manuscript, historical documents and personal interviews with key people who were involved with events as they happened, her extraordinary story is told for the first time in this book.

Winner of Dog Writer's Association of America Best Book: Rescue or Adoption and Dogwise Best Book Award in 2017.

From award-winning writer and photographer Joseph Robertia, Life with Forty Dogs is a collection of the funny, fascinating, and sometimes heartbreaking stories of the life-changing canine commitment he and his family made.

When Robertia and his wife, Cole, first entered the world of dog sledding in Alaska, they had never expected to have their household grow up to forty dogs—“primarily rogues, runts, and rejects from other kennels.” But quickly they found their lives inextricably intertwined with each dog they rescued as they learned each one’s unique character and personality and how irreplaceable each was for their team and for their family.

This book is an invitation to understand the essence of life with forty dogs in its entirety and, through that comprehension, to truly appreciate what Robertia sees every day. Not everyone can sacrifice their spare time, salaries, and sanity to get to know so many characters—from the well-mannered to the wily—but Life with Forty Dogs will reveal the endless adventures and misadventures that come to those like Robertia and his family who have dedicated themselves to their furry companions.

Winner of Dog Writer's Association of America Best Book: Rescue or Adoption and Dogwise Best Book Award in 2017.

From award-winning writer and photographer Joseph Robertia, Life with Forty Dogs is a collection of the funny, fascinating, and sometimes heartbreaking stories of the life-changing canine commitment he and his family made.

When Robertia and his wife, Cole, first entered the world of dog sledding in Alaska, they had never expected to have their household grow up to forty dogs—“primarily rogues, runts, and rejects from other kennels.” But quickly they found their lives inextricably intertwined with each dog they rescued as they learned each one’s unique character and personality and how irreplaceable each was for their team and for their family.

This book is an invitation to understand the essence of life with forty dogs in its entirety and, through that comprehension, to truly appreciate what Robertia sees every day. Not everyone can sacrifice their spare time, salaries, and sanity to get to know so many characters—from the well-mannered to the wily—but Life with Forty Dogs will reveal the endless adventures and misadventures that come to those like Robertia and his family who have dedicated themselves to their furry companions.

Follow precious Little Puffin through his first year of life as his parents protect and prepare him for life on his own.

From the safety of the little chick’s nest to his clumsy attempts at flight, Van Zyle’s paintings depict Little Puffin’s adventures through a variety of perspectives, from close-up portraits to sweeping action scenes. Jonathan London’s lyrical prose imparts a reverence for wildlife, endearing the puffin chick—Sea Parrot, Underwater Acrobat, Clown of the Ocean—to the reader and creating a suspenseful read-aloud.

Living Within the Wild features over 100 original recipes, accompanied by personal stories and stunning photographs, to illustrate the lives of one Alaska family that has learned to live well amidst the intense but scenic backcountry of Alaska.

James Beard Foundation Semifinalist, Outstanding Hospitality (for Tutka Bay Lodge, Homer, AK)

Finalist, 2022 IACP Cookbook Award, Culinary Travel

"When I stayed five nights at Winterlake Lodge in Alaska, I looked forward to my breakfast, lunch, and dinner to see what delicious creations chef Mandy Dixon would serve me and my crew. She did not disappoint and these dishes are all in her terrific new cookbook, Living Within the Wild. Some are so good, I just might steal them and put in my next cookbook. Don't worry, I'll give Mandy the credit."
—Nancy Silverton, James Beard Award–winning chef, author, co-owner of Pizzeria Mozza

The Dixons have been running award-winning adventure lodges in Alaska for over thirty years, celebrating the bounty that the land has to offer with guests from around the world. Their lodges and restaurants are known not just for the rare adventures and incredible views of the Alaskan wilderness, but also for appealing dishes created from the freshest local seafood and produce.

Chefs Kirsten and Mandy Dixon’s combined culinary experience has been recognized nationally and internationally, from cooking at the famed James Beard House in New York City to serving private dinners for National Geographic guests. In this book, mother and daughter offer their favorite recipes, featured on their menus at the lodges and café but specially recreated for the home chef’s kitchen. They also share their unique experiences of life at the lodges—from embracing entrepreneurial challenges to working with family, to sharing the deep purpose and meaning in living in the natural world and wilderness.

Chapters are organized thematically, weaving through stories about the seasonal shifts that make this women-run business unique. A final chapter honors the men in Kirsten and Mandy's lives by sharing quick profiles along with a favorite recipe.

From your own kitchen, learn to make delicious dishes such as Black Bean Reindeer Chili or King Salmon Bowl with Miso Dressing; snack on Dried Tomato Sesame Cookies, or dine on Smoked Caramel Blueberry Brownies. And along the way, experience a sense of backcountry Alaska through the flavors of seasonal and regional ingredients as the Dixons welcome you into their secret world in the remote wilderness.

The searing debut novel of poet and writer Anne Coray, Lost Mountain is an impassioned story of love, loss, environment, and politics against a landscape facing threat of destruction.

"Anne Coray, the author of three poetry collections, has brought her observational and writing skills to fiction that demonstrates both her attention to language and her passion for her home place. . . Lost Mountain is many things: a love story between the two main characters, a portrait of a small and isolated community, a mystery, a paean to salmon and lives that surround salmon, a not-very-disguised critique of a megamine project, and an example of eco-fiction--environmentally conscious literature."
--Anchorage Daily News

When news of an open-pit mining project hits the remote Alaskan hometown of Whetstone Cove, young widow Dehlia Melven barely takes in the town's nervous chatter. The Ziggurat corporation promises the mine will be fifteen times larger than all the mines in Alaska combined, but Dehlia's thoughts are consumed by the loss of her late husband and the future of her security. At least the new arrival of solar energy expert Alan Lamb brings a distraction and a different dynamic to the small community--one that's surprisingly more interesting than expected.

For Alan, Whetstone Cove offers a fresh start to a job away from all the bureaucracy and politics he'd been running away from. Plus, there's Dehlia, the beautiful and enigmatic artist who begins to occupy more and more of Alan's thoughts. But with Ziggurat's looming presence, he knows it is only a matter of time before the corporation would take over his livelihood as well as the town's way of life. He can't bear the thought of being connected let alone paid by Ziggurat—yet leaving would also mean losing Dehlia forever.

Inspired by the Pebble Mine project in Alaska, Lost Mountain is an exploration on the interconnectivity of the natural world woven into the narrative of people's strength and resistance. Readers will enter a familiar world where environment plays an encompassing role in not just politics of society but in real relationships and careers, and in the hopes and dreams we dare to have.

The searing debut novel of poet and writer Anne Coray, Lost Mountain is an impassioned story of love, loss, environment, and politics against a landscape facing threat of destruction.

"Anne Coray, the author of three poetry collections, has brought her observational and writing skills to fiction that demonstrates both her attention to language and her passion for her home place. . . Lost Mountain is many things: a love story between the two main characters, a portrait of a small and isolated community, a mystery, a paean to salmon and lives that surround salmon, a not-very-disguised critique of a megamine project, and an example of eco-fiction--environmentally conscious literature."
--Anchorage Daily News

When news of an open-pit mining project hits the remote Alaskan hometown of Whetstone Cove, young widow Dehlia Melven barely takes in the town's nervous chatter. The Ziggurat corporation promises the mine will be fifteen times larger than all the mines in Alaska combined, but Dehlia's thoughts are consumed by the loss of her late husband and the future of her security. At least the new arrival of solar energy expert Alan Lamb brings a distraction and a different dynamic to the small community--one that's surprisingly more interesting than expected.

For Alan, Whetstone Cove offers a fresh start to a job away from all the bureaucracy and politics he'd been running away from. Plus, there's Dehlia, the beautiful and enigmatic artist who begins to occupy more and more of Alan's thoughts. But with Ziggurat's looming presence, he knows it is only a matter of time before the corporation would take over his livelihood as well as the town's way of life. He can't bear the thought of being connected let alone paid by Ziggurat—yet leaving would also mean losing Dehlia forever.

Inspired by the Pebble Mine project in Alaska, Lost Mountain is an exploration on the interconnectivity of the natural world woven into the narrative of people's strength and resistance. Readers will enter a familiar world where environment plays an encompassing role in not just politics of society but in real relationships and careers, and in the hopes and dreams we dare to have.

Follow along with award-winning sportswriter Lew Freedman as he journals an unforgettable season of fly fishing along the Kenai River.

Just as you never know what kind of fish and what size fish might be tugging on your line when the rod bends, you never know what kind of excitement awaits during a season on the Kenai River. Located in Southcentral Alaska, the Kenai River is a world-class salmon river attracting fishermen from all over the world. Each summer thousands of anglers fish the magical Kenai River. Discover what makes the eighty-five-mile-long river a dream destination for the devout fisherman inside My Season on the Kenai.

Freedman’s amusing stories and first-hand experience are sure to entertain and inspire the avid angler, with valuable information and insights sprinkled in each chapter.

Follow along with award-winning sportswriter Lew Freedman as he journals an unforgettable season of fly fishing along the Kenai River.

Just as you never know what kind of fish and what size fish might be tugging on your line when the rod bends, you never know what kind of excitement awaits during a season on the Kenai River. Located in Southcentral Alaska, the Kenai River is a world-class salmon river attracting fishermen from all over the world. Each summer thousands of anglers fish the magical Kenai River. Discover what makes the eighty-five-mile-long river a dream destination for the devout fisherman inside My Season on the Kenai.

Freedman’s amusing stories and first-hand experience are sure to entertain and inspire the avid angler, with valuable information and insights sprinkled in each chapter.

The latest publication of the Alaska Geographic Society offers an accessible and attractive antidote to such misconceptions. Native Cultures in Alaska blends beautiful photographs with informative text to create a striking portrait of the state's diverse and dynamic indigenous population.

Filled with stories of family, food, and culture, and interwoven with personal recipes and photographs taken by the author, My Father's Smokehouse folds the reader into a beautiful island landscape.

"Prescott emphasizes the importance of learning the traditional values of where one lives, gratitude for what the land and sea provide, and the responsibility to share with community."
—Anchorage Daily News

"[Prescott’s] book is filled with traditions, memories and stories surrounding Southeast Alaska life, including a family’s perseverance, the wisdom of Sámi and Tlingit cultures, and respect for elders and their knowledge of the culture. The smokehouse at the fish camp is named after her father."
—Wrangell Sentinel

The smokehouse at Mickey's Fishcamp holds more than fish. It is filled with traditions, memories, and stories of a thriving Southeast Alaskan life—of a family's perseverance, of the wisdom of Sámi and Tlingit cultures, and of respect for Elders and their knowledge of the natural world.

Mickey's Fishcamp is named after three generations of Prescott fishermen who commercially fished the waters of the Inside Passage, and is located near one of the oldest Tlingit settlements in Wrangell, Alaska. Here, next to the rainforest and sea, author Vivian Faith Prescott has found her place in the world. She is a student and teacher of the natural environment—harvesting spruce tips, berries, sea lettuce, and goose tongue and processing salmon, halibut, and hooligan—who combines traditional practices with modern knowledge.

Heartwarming and introspective, My Father's Smokehouse tells one woman's stories of Traditional Knowledge that is learned and passed on, from one generation to the next.

Filled with stories of family, food, and culture, and interwoven with personal recipes and photographs taken by the author, My Father's Smokehouse folds the reader into a beautiful island landscape.

"Prescott emphasizes the importance of learning the traditional values of where one lives, gratitude for what the land and sea provide, and the responsibility to share with community."
—Anchorage Daily News

"[Prescott’s] book is filled with traditions, memories and stories surrounding Southeast Alaska life, including a family’s perseverance, the wisdom of Sámi and Tlingit cultures, and respect for elders and their knowledge of the culture. The smokehouse at the fish camp is named after her father."
—Wrangell Sentinel

The smokehouse at Mickey's Fishcamp holds more than fish. It is filled with traditions, memories, and stories of a thriving Southeast Alaskan life—of a family's perseverance, of the wisdom of Sámi and Tlingit cultures, and of respect for Elders and their knowledge of the natural world.

Mickey's Fishcamp is named after three generations of Prescott fishermen who commercially fished the waters of the Inside Passage, and is located near one of the oldest Tlingit settlements in Wrangell, Alaska. Here, next to the rainforest and sea, author Vivian Faith Prescott has found her place in the world. She is a student and teacher of the natural environment—harvesting spruce tips, berries, sea lettuce, and goose tongue and processing salmon, halibut, and hooligan—who combines traditional practices with modern knowledge.

Heartwarming and introspective, My Father's Smokehouse tells one woman's stories of Traditional Knowledge that is learned and passed on, from one generation to the next.