Recommended Books on Alaska
Key for which Libraries books are located in:
LMS: Library Media Services
NW: Noel Wien Library
NP: North Pole Branch
UAF= Rasmussen Library
(The call number from NW is the same at NP Library.) Check your home library too.
Alaska Behind Blue Eyes : a police officer discovers life, love, and law enforcement on the Last Frontier, by Alan White, 1998 LMS, NW Regional Services HV 7911 .W44 .A3 1998 /NP (Skagway-Biography)
Alaska Gold : the history of Gold Dredge No. 8 by Maria Reeves, 2009 LMS, UAF(Extensive history of this dredge including graphs, charts, old letters, photographs, fossils found, and a glossary. 5th/6th grade reading level.)
Alaska : a history in five parts, by AK Dept. of Ed. LMS Teacher's Guide/DVD*
Alaska in Haiku, by David Hoopes, 1974 NW Alaskana PS 3558.0632.A8 (In appreciation of nature, written entirely in Haiku, the author takes you through Alaska's four seasons.)
Alaska [videorecording] DVD: Raven steals the daylight by Schlessinger Media; Children's Television Trust International - Animated Tales of the World Series, 2005 LMS Teaching Guide available (A folktale describing a time when people lived in darkness. Trickster god Raven and his sidekick bring light from Sky Chief to Earth. Interest Level Grades 3-6)
Alaska Story, The, by Janice Scholfield, 1982 LMS (A richly information filled "coloring book.")
Animated Tales of the World Series Guide Grades 3-6: Alaska: Raven Steals the Daylight DVD, by Schlessinger Media, (Small Teacher's Guide pamphlet. Addresses Culture, Location, Folktales, Motifs, Oral Tradition, Plot Study, Cultural Anthropology. DVD asks three questions at the end and then allows you to click to go back to watch that exact spot in the DVD).
Apun, the Arctic Snow by Matthew Sturm, 2009 LMS/NW QC 926.32.S78 2009 Teacher's Guide available (Apun is Inupiaq for arctic snow cover. Scientific information about snow brought to a young child's level with Inupiaq vocabulary and perspective. Reading Level 4.7.)
Atiska ataska, Charlie's in Alaska, by Anne Canterbury and Glenda Field, 2010 LMS (CD of Charlie's song included)/ NW Alaskana - In Library use only (Welcome to the land of the midnight sun. We'll take you on an exciting Alaska adventure with two colorful characters, Cheechako Charlie and Sourdough Sam. Charlie's called a cheechako because he is a newcomer to Alaska. He will soon discover that he has a lot to learn about this far away place. His cousin, Sam, an old experienced Alaskan, will greet Charlie with enthusiasm and encourage him to pursue his dreams while he is in Alaska. For Sam knows that it is best for Charlie to learn for himself the secrets that can only be uncovered through his own discoveries. We hope that as Charlie and Sam explore the Last Frontier, your own curiosity will grow and you will want to learn more about the forty-ninth state. So, grab your lucky hat and we'll meet you by the pond. Watch out for moose!- from Title Peek)
Big-Enough Anna : The little sled dog who braved the arctic, by Pam Flowers with Ann Dixon, 2003 LMS/NW Alaskana SF 428.7.F59 2003 /Storytown 2nd grade Challenge Picture Books for Children.(True story of Pam's 2,500-mile trans-arctic expedition by dog team. Upper 3rd grade)
Blue Babe: the story of a steppe bison mummy from Ice Age Alaska, by Mary Lee Guthrie, LMS-36 spread out throughout District(Bison, Paleontology --Pleistocene)
Jean Craighead George - Author wrote many Alaskan books with a 2nd or 3rd grade reading level.
The Wolves are Back 2009
The Last Polar Bear, 2009 NW JP GEORGE /UAF (A young boy attempts to save one of the last polar bears in a changing environment.)
One Day in the Alpine Tundra, 1999
Debbie Miller - Her books tend to be at a reading level of 4.8 or higher. Many are in LMS
Big Alaska: Journey Across America’s Most Amazing State, 2006 Picture Books for Children NW Alaskana F 910.5.M55 2008(Author takes us on a journey of Alaska's wonders and wilderness through the eyes of an eagle.)
Disappearing Lake : Nature's Magic in Denali National Park, 1997 Picture Books for Children NW Alaskana QH 105.A4.M52 1997(Author and her children spent ten years studying this lake; the book describes the ecosystem of a vernal lake.)
Survival at 40 Below, 2012 Picture Books for Children NW Alaskana QH 543.2.M55 2010(After author's 75 mile hike through Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve she writes this informational book about the region's animals.)
Woolly Mammoth Journey, A, 2001 Picture Books for Children NW Alaskana QH 882.P8.M55 2001(Story about how a mammoth family may have lived and moved day to day 12,000 years ago.)
Born to Run : Athletes of the Iditarod by Albert Lewis, 2013 LMS/NW Oversize Alaskana (Black and White photographs of Iditarod dogs taken in studio fashion with names and how many miles each dog ran.)
Caribou Crossing : animals of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, by Andrea Helman, 2009 LMS/NW Regional Services (Magazine type- Alphabet Book of Alaskan animals - Informational Reading Level 3.2)
Dancing People, by KYUK TV Productions LMS/DVD Footage and explanations in Yu'pik and English of Village dancers. The link to the cultural reasons for the dances. Shows the crowded scene of a village dance.)Also, Cama-i Dance Festival 2002 and 2010 (These have traditional Philippine dancers too.)I imagine only very short clips would be shown in 2nd /3rd grade as these are very long and students would lose interest quickly.
Diamond Willow by Helen Frost (poetry), 2008 LMS/NW Juvenile Fiction Frost 2008 (Grades 5-8, lyrical diamond-shaped poems to tell the story of a 12-year-old part Athabascan girl that wants to run sled dogs alone, Reed Elsevier Inc. Reading Level 4.9)
Dragonflies of Alaska by John Hudson, 2005 LMS (Watching, catching, photographing, and identifying dragonflies.)
Dragons in the Ponds by Robert Armstrong, 2007 LMS
Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Moe : four Alaskan ravens, by Avril Johannes, 2004 NW Regional Services JP JOHANNES
Exploring Alaska The Great Outdoors, by Image Madacy DVD, 2000 LMS (Two discs, more than just a tourist view, lots of great scenery showing wide range of state's geography, concepts of careers in Alaska due to economics from natural resources, and some historical images. Each DVD has four 25 minute sections on a specific area. DVD 2 has two stories on entrepreneurs that basically grew up in rural AK and now own a business.)
Face to Face with Polar Bears by Norbert Rosing, 2007 LMS (Reading level 5.2)
Fairbanks Area Wildlife Watching Guide by Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game, 2005 LMS (Maybe 5th/6th grade reading level and above but good info for teachers.)
Flying Mosquitoes, by Janet Piehl, 2007 LMS (Scientific Information, photographs, Reading Level 2.2)
Gold, Ghost Towns & Grizzlies, by Ron Wendt, 1996 NW Alaskana F 910.5.W45 1996 (This has a small section about the "Blue Parka Man"- one of the characters in the Fairbanks History 3rd grade Play.)
Gold Rush Dogs, by Claire Rudolf Murphy & Jane G. Haigh, 2001 LMS/NW Alaskana SF 422.6.A4.M87 2001 (This has excellent photographs & drawings, informational text, and stories of how dogs were used and the relationships to famous people before, during, and after the Gold Rush. Reading level 8.9.)
Hitting Sticks, Healing Hearts : a Minto memorial potlatch, 1991 by DVD LMS (Importance of honoring a loved one to end the mourning and sorrow. Shows many cultural activities from breaking a log jam to hunting.)
Immi's gift, by Karin Littlewood, 2010 LMS (Reading level 2.0)
It Happened in Alaska by Diane Olthuis, 2006 (YA) LMS/NW/UAF copies in each HS (Thirty true stories from Russian occupation to Fires in Fairbanks 2004.)
Jabber Jaws : an Alaskan magpie by Avril Johannes, 2008 LMS
Kantishna mushers, miners, mountaineers : the story behind Mt. McKinley National Park by Tom Walker, 2005 LMS/NW/NP/UAF
Kayak Girl, by Monica Devine, 2012 LMS (Jana becomes withdrawn after her mother's death until her grandfather carves her a figure of a girl in a kayak and sets it in the water. Reading Level 4.2)
Larry Gets Lost in Alaska, by Michael Mullin, 2011 LMS (Reading Level 2.4, Lost dog sees Alaska's famous sights.)
L is for Last Frontier by Carol Crane, 2002 LMS/NW (F 904.3 .C73 2002)/NP/UAF (Alphabet book with rhyming couplets and expository paragraphs.)
Legend of the Ghost Dog by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel, 2012 NW (0n order)/NP (Thrilling mystery about Balto.)
Life in the Far North by Bobbie Kalman, 2004 LMS/NW Juvenile NonFiction E99.E7.S5114 2004/NP (Striking images and easy-to-follow text describing Native nations such as Inuit, Yup'ik, and Inupiat and how the cold impacted daily life. Syndetic Solutions, Inc. Reading Level 4.7)
The Little Book of Snowflakes by Kenneth Libbrecht, 2004 LMS/UAF (Gift book with super detailed photographs, detailed captions explaining the science, and literary quotes relating to nature.)
Living from the Land and Sea, by J. Silverman and Blueberry Productions, 2005 DVD LMS (Great cultural film showing many areas of Alaska and Native connections.)
Looking Back : A Fairbanks community collection of historic photos by Fairbanks Daily News Miner, 2012 LMS/UAF (Fairbanks history with amateur photos from early 1900s to present.)
Mr. Alaska : Bartlett Goes to Washington, byKUAC-TV/AKOnePTV -DVD LMS (This documentary has some great footage of early Fairbanks and Mrs. Nordale although for older students.)
Painter and Ugly, by Robert J. Blake, 2011 NW Alaskana /NP (Two inseparable dogs end up of different Junior Iditarod dog teams and save a lone boy musher. Reading Level 2.9)
Our City – Past and Present : A student led walking tour of Fairbanks, by Dave Merrill’s class, 2008 LMS/UAF
Secret Life of A Snowflake : an upclose look at the art and science of snowflakes, by Kenneth Libbrecht, NW QC 926.37 .L53 2009 /NP (Explains the science behind snowflakes. Excellent photographs of individual snowflakes. Aimed at Readers 6-12.)
The Sourdough Man : an Alaska folktale, by Cherie Stihler, 2010 LMS/NW Alaskana /NP/UAF (Children's book of Sourdough bread that runs from Alaskan animals. Reading Level 3.4)
The Story of Snow: the science of winter's wonder, by Mark Cassino, 2009 LMS/NW QC 926.32 .C37 2009 /NP/UAF (Simple sentences in large type and Photographs answer a variety of questions about snow. Reading Level 3.5)
Snowy Owls, by Helen Frost, 2007 (Did not find anywhere)
Ten On The Sled, by Kim Norman, 2010 (Did not find anywhere)
This Dog Team Lives in the House, by Beverly Stevens, 2005 LMS/NW Regional Services /UAF (Fiction about a rescue dog named Spirit including facts about the real Spirit.)
This Place is Cold, by Vicki Cobb, 1989 LMS (book set of 6)/NW Alaskana F 910.5.C63 1989 /UAF (Informational: from permafrost, tundra, gold seekers, and much much more.)
Trailwalk - botanical drawing book done by STEAM class 2012
Vole Family in Summer : when the midnight sun comes out to play by Claudia Lively, 2012 LMS/NW on order-NP too
Whaling Season: A year in the life of an arctic whale scientist, by Peter Lourie, 2009 LMS/NW Alaskana QL 737 .C423 .L68 2009 /UAF (Scientist -Jean Craighead George's son- in the Field Series. Reading Level 6.9)
Whistlers on the Mountains, by Robert Armstrong, 2006 LMS/NW Regional Services QL 737 .R6 .A75 2006 (Marmots)
Woman of Alaska Workshop, by Maxey Fritz Essay Contest Winners 1977, 1978, 1979 Anchorage Education Association Women's Caucus 1980 (Although this is written by HS students it is in short essays or poetry form. There are super questions that are applicable to discuss and have 3rd grade students answer after reading about Alaska Women.)
Yupik Music from Emmonak [computer file]. LMS