Turner Publishing Company

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.

Shaman and Kushtaka, both struck terror in the hearts of the Tlingit and Haida, for both possessed frightening supernatural powers. Among the Natives of the Pacific Northwest Coast, the shaman was honored as a person who could heal the body and spirit as well as see into the future. In his struggles to protect his people, he fought the kushtaka—an evil spirit-being who was half human and half land hotter—for the souls of dying persons. Theirs was a battle between the forces of good and evil, and today it remains a cornerstone in Tlingit and Haida mythology. Mary Giraudo Beck provides a powerful mix of history, legend, and adventure to dramatize the values and traditions of Tlingit and Haida societies. The heroic and wondrous incidents in these stories transcend time and culture and, as tales of myth and magic, provide compelling reading for young and old alike.

Shaman and Kushtaka, both struck terror in the hearts of the Tlingit and Haida, for both possessed frightening supernatural powers. Among the Natives of the Pacific Northwest Coast, the shaman was honored as a person who could heal the body and spirit as well as see into the future. In his struggles to protect his people, he fought the kushtaka—an evil spirit-being who was half human and half land hotter—for the souls of dying persons. Theirs was a battle between the forces of good and evil, and today it remains a cornerstone in Tlingit and Haida mythology. Mary Giraudo Beck provides a powerful mix of history, legend, and adventure to dramatize the values and traditions of Tlingit and Haida societies. The heroic and wondrous incidents in these stories transcend time and culture and, as tales of myth and magic, provide compelling reading for young and old alike.

A rhyming picture book about how sometimes it’s not the biggest, strongest, or the fastest, but the littlest who can get the job done!

At a landing strip in the far north, a little bush plane watches quietly as bigger, stronger, faster planes take off for adventure. But when a storm hits and hikers are stranded on the mountain, who will come to the rescue?

Told in rhyming verse with bright illustrations, The Littlest Airplane soars high with heart and excitement.

"Charming, entertaining, and original, The Littlest Airplane is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library picture book collections for children ages 4-7."
—Midwest Book Review

"This is a really cute story about a plane that is smaller than all the others. He feels inferior because he can’t do what the big planes can. But when people get stuck in a storm and call for help, the big planes are too big to land to rescue the people, the little plane can reach them and he saves them. The illustrations were cute; I love the expressiveness of the planes. . . 4 stars."
—Youth Services Book Review

"The text clearly stands out against Joseph's wonderful illustrations, which work in tandem with the text to convey exactly what's happening in the story. These scenes are big and colorful, making it easy to see all aspects of the picture, even from a distance—perfect for story hours. . . Altogether, Hartman has created another wonderful ride of a story. A great rhyming read aloud for little learners to introduce different types of planes and spot light the oft-forgotten bush plane."
—School Library Journal

"The story told in lilting rhyming text is brought to life in colorful illustrations featuring personified airplanes with expressive faces and beautiful Alaskan scenery. Facts about bush planes and a labeled diagram of a plane appear in the back pages. Young children identify with being small and wanting to be important. They will recognize this story as a good companion to The Little Engine That Could."
—Children's Literature Comprehensive Database

“Alaska Northwest Books wings into spring with... The Littlest Airplane by Brooke Hartman, illus. by John Joseph, in which a storm necessitates calling a mighty little bush plane to rescue people stuck on a mountain in the snow.”
—Publishers Weekly, Spring 2022 Children’s Sneak Previews

Arctic adventurer Pam Flowers shares Anna’s amazing story in classrooms and auditoriums all over North America. Children learn that even the smallest, seemingly the most powerless among us, are big enough to try their best.

With 60 puzzles to delight curious minds, The Puzzler’s Guide to Alaska is an interactive introduction to the 49th state for kids 8 and up that’s one part puzzle book, one part natural history guide—and lots and lots of fun!

Meet Nelchina the Caribou, Galena the Porcupine, Zippy the Short-tailed Weasel, and Skilak the Black Bear—four good friends who can’t wait to show you around the beautiful state of Alaska. In this book they introduce all kinds of puzzles and games while telling jokes and sharing trivia about Alaska. Learn about the official state symbols, its biggest features, why Alaska’s called the Land of the Midnight Sun, the animals that live here, glaciers, and much more.

The puzzles mix a variety of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) challenges to exercise different parts of the brain, including mazes, logic and math reasoning, crosswords, word searches, and language codes. When solved, the puzzles’ answers (at the back of the book) reveal facts about Alaska’s flora, fauna, history, and culture.

Perfect for long drives, plane or train rides, meals, and other slow times, The Puzzler’s Guide to Alaska keeps young puzzlers occupied and engaged with all things Alaska. So grab a pen or pencil and get ready to travel to Alaska, the true puzzler’s way!

With several types of puzzles to delight curious minds, The Puzzler’s Guide to California is one part puzzle book, one part natural history guide—and lots and lots of fun!

Visit the beautiful golden state of California! Grab a pencil as you play all kinds of puzzles and games while the local animal residents tell jokes and share trivia. Learn about the official state symbols, its biggest features, the animals that live here, and much more.

The puzzles mix a variety of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) challenges to exercise different parts of the brain, including mazes, tessellations, logic and math reasoning, crosswords, word searches, and language codes. When solved, the puzzles’ answers (at the back of the book) reveal facts about California's flora, fauna, history, and culture.

Perfect for long drives, plane rides, meals, and other slow times, The Puzzler’s Guide to California keeps young puzzlers ages 8 and up occupied and engaged. Get ready to travel to California, the true puzzler’s way!

With several types of puzzles to delight curious minds, The Puzzler’s Guide to California is one part puzzle book, one part natural history guide—and lots and lots of fun!

Visit the beautiful golden state of California! Grab a pencil as you play all kinds of puzzles and games while the local animal residents tell jokes and share trivia. Learn about the official state symbols, its biggest features, the animals that live here, and much more.

The puzzles mix a variety of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) challenges to exercise different parts of the brain, including mazes, tessellations, logic and math reasoning, crosswords, word searches, and language codes. When solved, the puzzles’ answers (at the back of the book) reveal facts about California's flora, fauna, history, and culture.

Perfect for long drives, plane rides, meals, and other slow times, The Puzzler’s Guide to California keeps young puzzlers ages 8 and up occupied and engaged. Get ready to travel to California, the true puzzler’s way!

Discover the whimsical tale of friendship between one man and his gold pan, and their journey in the wake of the Gold Rush.

"A plucky pan is a prospector’s devoted companion as they venture through the Alaskan interior. But when their search turns up empty, Pan begins to wonder if he’s broken in this lighthearted glimpse into gold rush history."
—New York Public Library, Best Books for Kids 2019 (Nonfiction History)

"Though the story is humorous and the protagonist playful, there is some meaty geology and history to be mined within, including information on iron pyrite (aka fool's gold: 'Drat!') and how to pan for gold. Souva's illustrations employ geometric shapes and a muted palette, investing Pan with appealing personality via eyebrows, eyes, and mouth. Backmatter expands upon the story for readers curious to know more. While the book is sure to appeal to educators, especially those teaching about the various gold rushes in western American history, the amusing adventures of Pan and Pedro hold broad appeal for read-alouds with many and varied audiences beyond the classroom. A sweet little nugget of a story."
—Kirkus Reviews

Pedro and his pan go on an exciting adventure together—to strike gold! They hike mountains, whack through bushes, and wade through streams as they sift through dirt and gravel in search of the hidden nuggets. But as time goes by without any success, Pan begins to worry that he is broken. Will he and Pedro ever find what they’re looking for? Inspired by the true story of Felix Pedro, a prospector who launched one of the richest gold rushes in Alaska’s history, Pedro’s Pan offers a glimpse into American history as well as educates how gold panning works in a fun and exciting way.

Inspired by a true story of how a young narwhal finds himself a new family to love and accept him—a pod of beluga whales!

Little Narwhal is lost. After a big storm hits, he wanders the ocean alone, in search of a community to belong to. Eventually he finds other whales . . . but these whales don’t look like him at all! Will they welcome him into their family?

From the same team behind the bestselling book Dream Flights on Arctic Nights, this story is told in lyrical text accompanied by gorgeously colored linocut art. Also included at the back are facts about narwhals, including the real story about the narwhal who is adopted by beluga whales.

Inspired by a true story of how a young narwhal finds himself a new family to love and accept him—a pod of beluga whales!

Little Narwhal is lost. After a big storm hits, he wanders the ocean alone, in search of a community to belong to. Eventually he finds other whales . . . but these whales don’t look like him at all! Will they welcome him into their family?

From the same team behind the bestselling book Dream Flights on Arctic Nights, this story is told in lyrical text accompanied by gorgeously colored linocut art. Also included at the back are facts about narwhals, including the real story about the narwhal who is adopted by beluga whales.

With several types of puzzles to delight curious minds, The Puzzler’s Guide to Oregon is one part puzzle book, one part natural history guide—and lots and lots of fun!

Visit the beautiful green state of Oregon! Grab a pencil as you play all kinds of puzzles and games while the local animal residents tell jokes and share trivia. Learn about the official state symbols, its biggest features, the animals that live here, and much more.

The puzzles mix a variety of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) challenges to exercise different parts of the brain, including mazes, tessellations, logic and math reasoning, crosswords, word searches, and language codes. When solved, the puzzles’ answers (at the back of the book) reveal facts about Oregon’s flora, fauna, history, and culture.

Perfect for long drives, plane rides, meals, and other slow times, The Puzzler’s Guide to Oregon keeps young puzzlers ages 8 and up occupied and engaged. Get ready to travel to Oregon, the true puzzler’s way!

With several types of puzzles to delight curious minds, The Puzzler’s Guide to Oregon is one part puzzle book, one part natural history guide—and lots and lots of fun!

Visit the beautiful green state of Oregon! Grab a pencil as you play all kinds of puzzles and games while the local animal residents tell jokes and share trivia. Learn about the official state symbols, its biggest features, the animals that live here, and much more.

The puzzles mix a variety of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) challenges to exercise different parts of the brain, including mazes, tessellations, logic and math reasoning, crosswords, word searches, and language codes. When solved, the puzzles’ answers (at the back of the book) reveal facts about Oregon’s flora, fauna, history, and culture.

Perfect for long drives, plane rides, meals, and other slow times, The Puzzler’s Guide to Oregon keeps young puzzlers ages 8 and up occupied and engaged. Get ready to travel to Oregon, the true puzzler’s way!

Discover the whimsical tale of friendship between one man and his gold pan, and their journey in the wake of the Gold Rush.

"A plucky pan is a prospector’s devoted companion as they venture through the Alaskan interior. But when their search turns up empty, Pan begins to wonder if he’s broken in this lighthearted glimpse into gold rush history."
—New York Public Library, Best Books for Kids (Nonfiction History)

"Though the story is humorous and the protagonist playful, there is some meaty geology and history to be mined within, including information on iron pyrite (aka fool's gold: 'Drat!') and how to pan for gold. Souva's illustrations employ geometric shapes and a muted palette, investing Pan with appealing personality via eyebrows, eyes, and mouth. Backmatter expands upon the story for readers curious to know more. While the book is sure to appeal to educators, especially those teaching about the various gold rushes in western American history, the amusing adventures of Pan and Pedro hold broad appeal for read-alouds with many and varied audiences beyond the classroom. A sweet little nugget of a story."
—Kirkus Reviews

Pedro and his pan go on an exciting adventure together—to strike gold! They hike mountains, whack through bushes, and wade through streams as they sift through dirt and gravel in search of the hidden nuggets. But as time goes by without any success, Pan begins to worry that he is broken. Will he and Pedro ever find what they’re looking for? Inspired by the true story of Felix Pedro, a prospector who launched one of the richest gold rushes in Alaska’s history, Pedro’s Pan offers a glimpse into American history as well as educates how gold panning works in a fun and exciting way.

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.

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.

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.

“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.

With nearly 50 species of berries that grow wild in Alaska, this collection takes the more abundant and popular species and shares 200 tried-and-true berry recipes that have been Alaskan favorites for decades.

In this newly updated edition of The Alaska Wild Berry Cookbook, brightened with a fresh design and re-edited and modernized with an all-new foreword and glossary, you’ll find a range of berry recipes that go far beyond the usual limited sampling. Mouth-watering recipes include classic desserts, such as blueberry-lemon pie and strawberry mousse, to more unique ones, such as salmonberry cake, but there are also sections for berry-made breads, salads, meat dishes and marinades, preserves, candies, mincemeats, and even beverages. Also included are easy substitutions for berry lovers everywhere, foragers and grocery store shoppers alike, to customize and enjoy the dishes wherever they may live. From lowbush cranberry marmalade to raspberry cake to crowberry syrup, this classic berry cookbook covers it all.

From the sharp, comic voice of Haunted Inside Passage, Never Cry Halibut is a collection of humorous and thoughtful short essays about hunting and fishing in Alaska.

Accompanied by photographs, each story reflects the author's three-decade relationship with the wildest places left in North America as he interacts with brown bears, wolves, wilderness, commercial fishing, and the nearly forgotten act of harvesting food from the wild. From hilarious tales of his nieces outfishing him to reflective ruminations on the human connection to nature, Bjorn captures the liveliness that comes from living so close to the Southeast Alaska wilds.

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.

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.

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.

Compiled by the editors of Alaska Northwest Books, The Alaska Homegrown Cookbook contains the best recipes from dozens of Alaska Northwest cookbooks published over the past forty years. It includes appetizers, salads and soups, native fruits and vegetables, baking and desserts, beef, poultry and of course, seafood. In addition there is a section on recipes for wild game as well as side dishes, and even beverages such as Alaska Cranberry Tea.

Here are over 200 of the best recipes from the Last Frontier with an introduction by Alaskan chef, Kirsten Dixon. Illustrated with line drawings and black and white photos. A must have for Native Alaskans and visitors alike.

Author Corey Ford writes the classic and moving story of naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller, who served on the 1741-42 Russian Alaska expedition with explorer Vitus Bering.

Steller was one of Europe's foremost naturalists and the first to document the unique wildlife of the Alaskan coast. In the course of the voyage, Steller made his valuable discoveries and suffered, along with Bering and the crew of the ill-fated ship St. Peter, some of the most grueling experiences in the history of Arctic exploration. First published in 1966, Where the Sea Breaks Its Back was hailed as "among this country's greatest outdoor writing" by Field & Stream magazine, and today continues to enchant and enlighten the new generations of readers about this amazing and yet tragic expedition, and Georg Steller's significant discoveries as an early naturalist.

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.

A rhyming picture book about how sometimes it’s not the biggest, strongest, or the fastest, but the littlest who can get the job done!

At a landing strip in the far north, a little bush plane watches quietly as bigger, stronger, faster planes take off for adventure. But when a storm hits and hikers are stranded on the mountain, who will come to the rescue?

Told in rhyming verse with bright illustrations, The Littlest Airplane soars high with heart and excitement.

"Charming, entertaining, and original, The Littlest Airplane is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library picture book collections for children ages 4-7."
—Midwest Book Review

"This is a really cute story about a plane that is smaller than all the others. He feels inferior because he can’t do what the big planes can. But when people get stuck in a storm and call for help, the big planes are too big to land to rescue the people, the little plane can reach them and he saves them. The illustrations were cute; I love the expressiveness of the planes. . . 4 stars."
—Youth Services Book Review

"The text clearly stands out against Joseph's wonderful illustrations, which work in tandem with the text to convey exactly what's happening in the story. These scenes are big and colorful, making it easy to see all aspects of the picture, even from a distance—perfect for story hours. . . Altogether, Hartman has created another wonderful ride of a story. A great rhyming read aloud for little learners to introduce different types of planes and spot light the oft-forgotten bush plane."
—School Library Journal

"The story told in lilting rhyming text is brought to life in colorful illustrations featuring personified airplanes with expressive faces and beautiful Alaskan scenery. Facts about bush planes and a labeled diagram of a plane appear in the back pages. Young children identify with being small and wanting to be important. They will recognize this story as a good companion to The Little Engine That Could."
—Children's Literature Comprehensive Database

“Alaska Northwest Books wings into spring with... The Littlest Airplane by Brooke Hartman, illus. by John Joseph, in which a storm necessitates calling a mighty little bush plane to rescue people stuck on a mountain in the snow.”
—Publishers Weekly, Spring 2022 Children’s Sneak Previews

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.

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.

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.

A swashbuckling narrative of treachery and obsession involving pirates, fur seals, competing governments, and near war.

"In Roar of the Sea, [Deb Vanasse] writes with verve and dramatic impact, reconstructing the narrative of Elliott's tenacious crusade in a way that will transport the reader back to the cacophonous seal rookeries, to the bloody, blubber-slicked decks of the sealing ships, and to the elegant meeting rooms of the nation's capital. While bringing deserved attention to Elliott for his wildlife conservation work in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Vanasse ends with a sobering challenge: those seal rookeries on the Pribilof Islands are now facing new human-caused threats—and could use 21st century advocates."
—The Daily Astorian/Coast Weekend

"Now comes a fascinating, full history of the fur seal story, pitting artist and advocate Henry Wood Elliott against the most famous of the seal pirates, a man named Alex MacLean, and a whole host of ill-informed and corrupt business and political titans. Deb Vanasse, a former Alaskan who now lives in Oregon and is the author of many previous books—including Wealth Woman, about the Klondike gold rush—has done extensive research to illuminate the historical characters, the difficulties of reaching an international agreement to protect wildlife, and the significance of that treaty today."
—Anchorage Daily News

Over a century ago, treachery in Alaska's Bering Sea twice brought the world to the brink of war. The US seized Canadian vessels, Great Britain positioned warships to strike the US, and Americans killed Japanese pirates on US soil—all because of the northern fur seals crowded together on the tiny Pribilof Islands.

The herd's population plummeted from 4.7 million to 940,000 in the span of eight years while notorious seafarers like Alex MacLean (who inspired Jack London's The Sea-Wolf) poached indiscriminately. Enter an unlikely crusader to defend the seals: self-taught artist and naturalist Henry Wood Elliott, whose zeal and love for the animals inspired him to go against all odds and take on titans of the sea.

Winning seemed impossible, and yet Elliott managed to expose corruption and set the course for modern wildlife protections that are all the more relevant today as the world grapples with mass extinction.

Carefully written and researched, Roar of the Sea reveals the incredible hidden history of how one lone activist existing in the margins prevailed against national governments and corporate interests in the name of wildlife conservation.

A swashbuckling narrative of treachery and obsession involving pirates, fur seals, competing governments, and near war.

"In Roar of the Sea, [Deb Vanasse] writes with verve and dramatic impact, reconstructing the narrative of Elliott's tenacious crusade in a way that will transport the reader back to the cacophonous seal rookeries, to the bloody, blubber-slicked decks of the sealing ships, and to the elegant meeting rooms of the nation's capital. While bringing deserved attention to Elliott for his wildlife conservation work in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Vanasse ends with a sobering challenge: those seal rookeries on the Pribilof Islands are now facing new human-caused threats—and could use 21st century advocates."
—The Daily Astorian/Coast Weekend

"Now comes a fascinating, full history of the fur seal story, pitting artist and advocate Henry Wood Elliott against the most famous of the seal pirates, a man named Alex MacLean, and a whole host of ill-informed and corrupt business and political titans. Deb Vanasse, a former Alaskan who now lives in Oregon and is the author of many previous books—including Wealth Woman, about the Klondike gold rush—has done extensive research to illuminate the historical characters, the difficulties of reaching an international agreement to protect wildlife, and the significance of that treaty today."
—Anchorage Daily News

Over a century ago, treachery in Alaska's Bering Sea twice brought the world to the brink of war. The US seized Canadian vessels, Great Britain positioned warships to strike the US, and Americans killed Japanese pirates on US soil—all because of the northern fur seals crowded together on the tiny Pribilof Islands.

The herd's population plummeted from 4.7 million to 940,000 in the span of eight years while notorious seafarers like Alex MacLean (who inspired Jack London's The Sea-Wolf) poached indiscriminately. Enter an unlikely crusader to defend the seals: self-taught artist and naturalist Henry Wood Elliott, whose zeal and love for the animals inspired him to go against all odds and take on titans of the sea.

Winning seemed impossible, and yet Elliott managed to expose corruption and set the course for modern wildlife protections that are all the more relevant today as the world grapples with mass extinction.

Carefully written and researched, Roar of the Sea reveals the incredible hidden history of how one lone activist existing in the margins prevailed against national governments and corporate interests in the name of wildlife conservation.

With 60 puzzles to delight curious minds, The Puzzler’s Guide to Alaska is an interactive introduction to the 49th state for kids 8 and up that’s one part puzzle book, one part natural history guide—and lots and lots of fun!

Meet Nelchina the Caribou, Galena the Porcupine, Zippy the Short-tailed Weasel, and Skilak the Black Bear—four good friends who can’t wait to show you around the beautiful state of Alaska. In this book they introduce all kinds of puzzles and games while telling jokes and sharing trivia about Alaska. Learn about the official state symbols, its biggest features, why Alaska’s called the Land of the Midnight Sun, the animals that live here, glaciers, and much more.

The puzzles mix a variety of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) challenges to exercise different parts of the brain, including mazes, logic and math reasoning, crosswords, word searches, and language codes. When solved, the puzzles’ answers (at the back of the book) reveal facts about Alaska’s flora, fauna, history, and culture.

Perfect for long drives, plane or train rides, meals, and other slow times, The Puzzler’s Guide to Alaska keeps young puzzlers occupied and engaged with all things Alaska. So grab a pen or pencil and get ready to travel to Alaska, the true puzzler’s way!

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.

Featured on LitHub.

An extraordinary memoir of a woman’s unconventional childhood growing up in the Alaskan wilderness, on the grounds where the burned remains of a cannery once stood.

In the 1980s the Neilson family moved out on a floathouse to the remote site of a former cannery in Southeast Alaska that had burned to the ground before statehood. They were miles away from any neighbors, surrounded on all sides by wolves, bears and other wildlife, entering the world of subsistence living in an uninviting land of dangerous weather and storms; yet the Neilsons were able to make themselves a home where few others would have found possible. Led by a jack-of-all-trades handyman for a father and a mother who was afraid of everything in the wilderness, Tara and her four siblings cleared the rough terrain to build atop the blackened, rusty ruins a new way of life that was completely their own.

From a young age, Tara learned that anything was possible, so long as one can imagine it and then make it happen. When given her mother’s impractical design of a six-bedroom house, her father picked up his tools and crafted it into a reality. To reach the closest community, they built a wooden boat sixteen feet long for the perilous journey on the water. The Alaska wilds required independence and self-sufficiency from the family, and in return it provided a natural landscape that inspired romantic passion and unlimited dreams. With endless forest on one side and the wide ocean on the other, Tara embraced the lonesomeness of the burned cannery ruins that she called home, and often wondered what it once was with its people inside, their stories, where they went, and what happened to them.

Beautifully poignant and completely original, Raised in Ruins escapes into the wilderness to discover a piece of Alaskan history wrapped in an incredible family adventure fueled by love, strength, hard work, endurance, and boundless imagination.

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.

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 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.

Experience from a kid's perspective what it is like playing during recess when it is really cold: how the world sounds outside, how it tastes outside, how it looks, and even how it smells when the thermometer says it's 20 below. Learn about the layer after layer of clothing you have to put on to avoid frostbite before you could hit the playground, the tiny ice crystals you could just see in the air, the loud crunch, crunch, crunch sound your boots make when you walked.

Photographs of real kids with words by award-winning teacher Cindy Lou Aillaud have made this book popular all over North America because all the kids want to know what happens at 20 below zero. This revised edition also includes the author's answers to real questions she has received from kids everywhere about what life and school are like in Alaska.

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.

Winner of the National Outdoor Book Award

A Northern classic and beloved favorite, Two in the Far North chronicles the incredible story of Margaret “Mardy” Murie, called the Grandmother of the Conservation Movement, and how she became one of the first women to embrace and champion wilderness conservation in America.

At the age of nine, Margaret Murie moved from Seattle to Fairbanks, not realizing the trajectory life would take her from there. This moving testimonial to the preservation of the Arctic wilderness comes straight from her heart as she writes about growing up in Fairbanks, becoming the first woman graduate of the University of Alaska, and meeting—and then marrying—noted biologist Olaus J. Murie. So begins her lifelong journey in Alaska and on to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where along with her husband and others they founded The Wilderness Society to protect nature and wildlife and speak out for ecological consciousness. From adventures of traversing over thin ice with dog sleds, camping in woods surrounded by bears, caribou, and other wildlife, to canoeing in streams with geese nearby, and more, Murie embraced nature as a close neighbor and dedicated her life to advocating for wilderness protection and conservation.

First published in 1962, this edition features a new foreword by Frances Beinecke and an afterword from Donald Murie. Margaret Murie inspires readers to join her in finding life, love, and adventure in the beautiful remote Alaskan wilderness and the natural world beyond.

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.

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.

Winner of the National Outdoor Book Award.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of when Dick Proenneke first broke ground and made his mark in the Alaskan wilds in 1968, this bestselling memoir features an all-new foreword by Nick Offerman plus color photographs not seen in print for over 20 years.

To live in a pristine land unchanged by man...to roam a wilderness through which few other humans have passed...to choose an idyllic site, cut trees, and build a log cabin...to be a self-sufficient craftsman, making what is needed from materials available...to be not at odds with the world, but content with one’s own thoughts and company...

Thousands have had such dreams, but Dick Proenneke lived them. He found a place, built a cabin, and stayed to become part of the country. One Man’s Wilderness is a simple account of the day-to-day explorations and activities he carried out alone, and the constant chain of nature’s events that kept him company. From Dick’s journals, and with firsthand knowledge of his subject and the setting, Sam Keith has woven a tribute to a man who carved his masterpiece out of the beyond.

An extraordinary memoir of a woman’s unconventional childhood growing up in the Alaskan wilderness, on the grounds where the burned remains of a cannery once stood.

In the 1980s the Neilson family moved out on a floathouse to the remote site of a former cannery in Southeast Alaska that had burned to the ground before statehood. They were miles away from any neighbors, surrounded on all sides by wolves, bears and other wildlife, entering the world of subsistence living in an uninviting land of dangerous weather and storms; yet the Neilsons were able to make themselves a home where few others would have found possible. Led by a jack-of-all-trades handyman for a father and a mother who was afraid of everything in the wilderness, Tara and her four siblings cleared the rough terrain to build atop the blackened, rusty ruins a new way of life that was completely their own.

From a young age, Tara learned that anything was possible, so long as one can imagine it and then make it happen. When given her mother’s impractical design of a six-bedroom house, her father picked up his tools and crafted it into a reality. To reach the closest community, they built a wooden boat sixteen feet long for the perilous journey on the water. The Alaska wilds required independence and self-sufficiency from the family, and in return it provided a natural landscape that inspired romantic passion and unlimited dreams. With endless forest on one side and the wide ocean on the other, Tara embraced the lonesomeness of the burned cannery ruins that she called home, and often wondered what it once was with its people inside, their stories, where they went, and what happened to them.

Beautifully poignant and completely original, Raised in Ruins escapes into the wilderness to discover a piece of Alaskan history wrapped in an incredible family adventure fueled by love, strength, hard work, endurance, and boundless imagination.

Discover the whimsical tale of friendship between one man and his gold pan, and their journey in the wake of the Gold Rush.

"A plucky pan is a prospector’s devoted companion as they venture through the Alaskan interior. But when their search turns up empty, Pan begins to wonder if he’s broken in this lighthearted glimpse into gold rush history."
—New York Public Library, Best Books for Kids 2019 (Nonfiction History)

"Though the story is humorous and the protagonist playful, there is some meaty geology and history to be mined within, including information on iron pyrite (aka fool's gold: 'Drat!') and how to pan for gold. Souva's illustrations employ geometric shapes and a muted palette, investing Pan with appealing personality via eyebrows, eyes, and mouth. Backmatter expands upon the story for readers curious to know more. While the book is sure to appeal to educators, especially those teaching about the various gold rushes in western American history, the amusing adventures of Pan and Pedro hold broad appeal for read-alouds with many and varied audiences beyond the classroom. A sweet little nugget of a story."
—Kirkus Reviews

Pedro and his pan go on an exciting adventure together—to strike gold! They hike mountains, whack through bushes, and wade through streams as they sift through dirt and gravel in search of the hidden nuggets. But as time goes by without any success, Pan begins to worry that he is broken. Will he and Pedro ever find what they’re looking for? Inspired by the true story of Felix Pedro, a prospector who launched one of the richest gold rushes in Alaska’s history, Pedro’s Pan offers a glimpse into American history as well as educates how gold panning works in a fun and exciting way.

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.

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.

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.

Winner of the National Outdoor Book Award

A Northern classic and beloved favorite, Two in the Far North chronicles the incredible story of Margaret “Mardy” Murie, called the Grandmother of the Conservation Movement, and how she became one of the first women to embrace and champion wilderness conservation in America.

At the age of nine, Margaret Murie moved from Seattle to Fairbanks, not realizing the trajectory life would take her from there. This moving testimonial to the preservation of the Arctic wilderness comes straight from her heart as she writes about growing up in Fairbanks, becoming the first woman graduate of the University of Alaska, and meeting—and then marrying—noted biologist Olaus J. Murie. So begins her lifelong journey in Alaska and on to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where along with her husband and others they founded The Wilderness Society to protect nature and wildlife and speak out for ecological consciousness. From adventures of traversing over thin ice with dog sleds, camping in woods surrounded by bears, caribou, and other wildlife, to canoeing in streams with geese nearby, and more, Murie embraced nature as a close neighbor and dedicated her life to advocating for wilderness protection and conservation.

First published in 1962, this edition features a new foreword by Frances Beinecke and an afterword from Donald Murie. Margaret Murie inspires readers to join her in finding life, love, and adventure in the beautiful remote Alaskan wilderness and the natural world beyond.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Born into a family of aviators, Merrill Wien was destined to become a pilot. His father, Noel Wien, was one of the first pilots to fly in Alaska and his life was full of firsts, including making the first round-trip flight between Asia and North America in 1929. His mother played a big role in the founding and development of Wien Alaska Airlines, the second-oldest scheduled airline in the United States and territories.

One of the most versatile and experienced pilots of his time, Merrill has flown just about every aircraft imaginable from DC-3s to Lockheed 1011s to historic military planes like the cargo C-46 and B-29 bomber to the Hiller UH-12E chopper. Although fundamentally modest by nature, family and friends encouraged Merrill to share his remarkable stories given his accomplishments and experiences with so many famous people and events. His tone is engagingly informal as he recounts crossing paths with such luminaries as Joe Crosson, Howard Hughes, Lowell Thomas Sr. and Lowell Thomas Jr., Sam White, Don Sheldon, Brad Washburn, Wally Schirra, and Bill Anders. He re-creates for readers his firsthand experiences flying top-secret missions for the Air Force, viewing the devastation of the Good Friday Earthquake in Anchorage, and the challenges of starting his own helicopter company, to name just a few. His fascinating narrative is complemented by photographs from his personal archives.

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.

Experience from a kid's perspective what it is like playing during recess when it is really cold: how the world sounds outside, how it tastes outside, how it looks, and even how it smells when the thermometer says it's 20 below. Learn about the layer after layer of clothing you have to put on to avoid frostbite before you could hit the playground, the tiny ice crystals you could just see in the air, the loud crunch, crunch, crunch sound your boots make when you walked.

Photographs of real kids with words by award-winning teacher Cindy Lou Aillaud have made this book popular all over North America because all the kids want to know what happens at 20 below zero. This revised edition also includes the author's answers to real questions she has received from kids everywhere about what life and school are like in Alaska.

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.

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.

With nearly 50 species of berries that grow wild in Alaska, this collection takes the more abundant and popular species and shares 200 tried-and-true berry recipes that have been Alaskan favorites for decades.

In this newly updated edition of The Alaska Wild Berry Cookbook, brightened with a fresh design and re-edited and modernized with an all-new foreword and glossary, you’ll find a range of berry recipes that go far beyond the usual limited sampling. Mouth-watering recipes include classic desserts, such as blueberry-lemon pie and strawberry mousse, to more unique ones, such as salmonberry cake, but there are also sections for berry-made breads, salads, meat dishes and marinades, preserves, candies, mincemeats, and even beverages. Also included are easy substitutions for berry lovers everywhere, foragers and grocery store shoppers alike, to customize and enjoy the dishes wherever they may live. From lowbush cranberry marmalade to raspberry cake to crowberry syrup, this classic berry cookbook covers it all.

Winner of the National Outdoor Book Award.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of when Dick Proenneke first broke ground and made his mark in the Alaskan wilds in 1968, this bestselling memoir features an all-new foreword by Nick Offerman plus color photographs not seen in print for over 20 years.

To live in a pristine land unchanged by man...to roam a wilderness through which few other humans have passed...to choose an idyllic site, cut trees, and build a log cabin...to be a self-sufficient craftsman, making what is needed from materials available...to be not at odds with the world, but content with one’s own thoughts and company...

Thousands have had such dreams, but Dick Proenneke lived them. He found a place, built a cabin, and stayed to become part of the country. One Man’s Wilderness is a simple account of the day-to-day explorations and activities he carried out alone, and the constant chain of nature’s events that kept him company. From Dick’s journals, and with firsthand knowledge of his subject and the setting, Sam Keith has woven a tribute to a man who carved his masterpiece out of the beyond.

“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 

Set in Alaska in 1965, a coming-of-age story of loss, adventure, violence, and redemption

Fourteen-year-old Sam Barger’s life changes forever when his father dies and his family is forced to move from a remote homestead and fishing camp to the busy city of Anchorage. Life in the big city hits Sam a little differently; suddenly he’s surrounded by cars and girls, poverty and diversity, and new places to explore. One day he and his new friends stumble upon an abandoned nightclub, and it fires up Sam’s imagination and leads him into dangers he never expected. Can he survive the wilds of Anchorage before the end of summer?

Secondhand Summer is the gripping debut novel inspired by author Dan Walker’s own life and experiences.

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.

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.

From the sharp, comic voice of Haunted Inside Passage, Never Cry Halibut is a collection of humorous and thoughtful short essays about hunting and fishing in Alaska.

Accompanied by photographs, each story reflects the author's three-decade relationship with the wildest places left in North America as he interacts with brown bears, wolves, wilderness, commercial fishing, and the nearly forgotten act of harvesting food from the wild. From hilarious tales of his nieces outfishing him to reflective ruminations on the human connection to nature, Bjorn captures the liveliness that comes from living so close to the Southeast Alaska wilds.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sojo the sled dog is born into a hardworking, talented family and starts life as a happy, trusting, and confident dog. But her confidence rapidly wanes as she begins to understand how complicated and challenging it is to be a sled dog. She fears that she will never learn how to do the job and is overshadowed by her sister, Anna, who is very smart and confident and gets all the glory. Reluctantly, she accepts that she is destined to be a sled dog, undergoes training, and much to her surprise, makes the team. When explorer Pam Flowers and the team set out alone across the arctic, Sojo’s self-confidence and pride in her work slowly grow. By journey’s end, she comes to realize that she has made a valuable contribution to the success of the adventure and is respected as a sled dog. When she retires, Sojo is a contented dog who understands that doing your best and being supportive of friends and family is what is most important.

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.

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.

Set in Alaska in 1965, a coming-of-age story of loss, adventure, violence, and redemption

Fourteen-year-old Sam Barger’s life changes forever when his father dies and his family is forced to move from a remote homestead and fishing camp to the busy city of Anchorage. Life in the big city hits Sam a little differently; suddenly he’s surrounded by cars and girls, poverty and diversity, and new places to explore. One day he and his new friends stumble upon an abandoned nightclub, and it fires up Sam’s imagination and leads him into dangers he never expected. Can he survive the wilds of Anchorage before the end of summer?

Secondhand Summer is the gripping debut novel inspired by author Dan Walker’s own life and experiences.

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.

Sojo the sled dog is born into a hardworking, talented family and starts life as a happy, trusting, and confident dog. But her confidence rapidly wanes as she begins to understand how complicated and challenging it is to be a sled dog. She fears that she will never learn how to do the job and is overshadowed by her sister, Anna, who is very smart and confident and gets all the glory. Reluctantly, she accepts that she is destined to be a sled dog, undergoes training, and much to her surprise, makes the team. When explorer Pam Flowers and the team set out alone across the arctic, Sojo’s self-confidence and pride in her work slowly grow. By journey’s end, she comes to realize that she has made a valuable contribution to the success of the adventure and is respected as a sled dog. When she retires, Sojo is a contented dog who understands that doing your best and being supportive of friends and family is what is most important.

Born into a family of aviators, Merrill Wien was destined to become a pilot.

His father, Noel Wien, was one of the first pilots to fly in Alaska and his life was full of firsts, including making the first round-trip flight between Asia and North America in 1929. His mother played a big role in the founding and development of Wien Alaska Airlines, the second-oldest scheduled airline in the United States and territories.

One of the most versatile and experienced pilots of his time, Merrill has flown just about every aircraft imaginable from DC-3s to Lockheed 1011s to historic military planes like the cargo C-46 and B-29 bomber to the Hiller UH-12E chopper. Although fundamentally modest by nature, family and friends encouraged Merrill to share his remarkable stories given his accomplishments and experiences with so many famous people and events. His tone is engagingly informal as he recounts crossing paths with such luminaries as Joe Crosson, Howard Hughes, Lowell Thomas Sr. and Lowell Thomas Jr., Sam White, Don Sheldon, Brad Washburn, Wally Schirra, and Bill Anders. He re-creates for readers his firsthand experiences flying top-secret missions for the Air Force, viewing the devastation of the Good Friday Earthquake in Anchorage, and the challenges of starting his own helicopter company, to name just a few.

His fascinating narrative is complemented by photographs from his personal archives. Includes a list of all the different aircraft Wien has been endorsed to fly at the back of the book.

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.