A thoroughly enjoyable book, with a magnificent glimpse into the Alaskan wilderness. Stunning pictures, with some fun facts sprinkled throughout can easily hold you and your child's attention as you follow the bears through their year. (Did you know that at the height of berry season, one bear can eat 200,000 berries each day?!) But this is no textbook. It's a little piece of magic that reminds us just how much we should appreciate any last bit of wildness that remains. Highly recommended.

Alexandria McClanahan's Growing Up Native In Alaska is an honest, candid, compendium of straightforward discourse by twenty-seven Alaskan Natives about what their cultures and traditions mean to them today. Each interviewed person explains their individual history and perspective in his or her own words. Growing Up Native In Alaska is a truly fascinating, informative, straight to the root account, and very highly recommended for anyone interested in contemporary Native American lifestyles and culture.

This book contains everything that an experienced kayaker needs to know to plan a trip to Alaska's Inside Passage. For those who already know where they want to paddle, the first chapter and apendices still provide great local information and advice on gear, clothing, and techniques that are most appropriate for this area. Anyone who will be paddling in these waters should read these sections of the book not only because they will answer many of the difficult logistical questions but because they will make your trip safer and more enjoyable while helping reduce your impact on the area. For those seeking ideas on where to paddle, the rest of the book offers a wealth of suggested routes without getting so specific that you lose all sense of personal discovery.

As a sea kayak guide based in Gustavus I have paddled most of the northern routes described in Jim Howard's book over the past 20 years and I can report that his descriptions and advice are current and accurate.

Something that really bothers me about some guidebooks I have seen is that they name specific campsites and suggest day-by-day itineraries for a few selected routes; they are like a journal of the author's trip. This approach leads to over-use of a few areas and sites and diminishes the sense of discovery that is one of this wild area's greatest attractions; following one of those guidebooks is more like taking someone else's trip than one's own. Not only that, but many of the best sites along a route are (thankfully) NOT named in those guidebooks, so kayakers can have a better trip by ignoring those authors' detailed suggestions.

Jim Howard took a different approach. His routes cover most of the region and for each he gives a description of the area and an assessment of the difficulty of the trip. He names the hazards and gives helpful logistical advice and a general description of the route. This is just what I look for when visiting a new area. I want to know whether I am getting in over my head and how to get to the area. I don't want to know exactly where someone else paddled and camped and what they saw. Finding my own campsites, wildlife viewing areas, and special places is what sea kayaking in a wild place is all about.

Because Southeast Alaska is a wild place with plenty of hazards far from help, it's wise to have solid sea kayaking skills if you are alone or leading less experienced paddlers here. Therefore, this book doesn't cover basic sea kayaking and navigation. Beginners will need to find this information in one of the many other general sea kayaking books and by going with experienced paddlers.

Jim Howard does an excellent job of giving helpful area-specific information while preserving opportunities for wilderness self-discovery. I can tell he's explored the area thoroughly and talked to lots of local folks. Get this book if you're coming here.

THE SAGA BEGINS WITH SCHRODER GROWING UP ON THE MEXICO-CALIF. BORDER NEAR SAN DIEGO. RUSTLING, BANDITS. ALASKA: HE SPENT A WINTER SNOWED IN WITH JACK LONDON. THEN ON TO CHINA WHERE FROM THE 1880'S THROUGH 1917 THIS MAN WAS ON ONE LONG ADVENTURE. ITEMS: HIS INTEREST IN THE METEORITE THAT STRUCK SIBERIA AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY (1900) AND THE CURIOUS BEHAVIOR OF THE TIBETAN MONKS, LONG BEFORE METAPHYSICS BECAME FASHIONABLE. HIS CRITICISM OF ROY CHAPMAN ANDREWS. HE WORKED FOR THE AMERICAN TOBACCO CO. IN CHINA AND WENT EVERYWHERE WHEN IT WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO DO SO. THE BOOK COVERS HIS LIFE FROM THE 1880'S THROUGH 1917 NO DOUBT A LOT MORE HAPPENED TO HIM THAN WAS IN THE BOOK, BECAUSE THE BOOK ONLY COVERED THOSE YEARS AND HE LIVED WELL INTO HIS NINETIES. HE DIED OF INJURIES FROM AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT. IF YOU LIKE TRUE NON-STOP ADVENTURE THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST.

If you're interested in Alaska, you've probably read all about the natural history, gold rush history, Russian history, etc. But here's part of the history of Southeast Alaska from the view of its orginal people in their own words. A must-read for those whose interest is anthropological, historical, cultural or social. Thornton's introduction to the government study provides a brief but enlightening context.

A writer's trip to Alaska for inspiration turns out to be more inspiring than he'd bargained for. Colorful locals, a girl , a wolf and the magnificent scenery are just the beginning. If you only read one book this year, make it this one!

What a sweet, sweet book! It made me laugh and it made me cry, and that's the highest praise I can give any book. "Elf" is such a darling character!

The World Eskimo Indian Olympics (WEIO) are competitions and demonstrations of Alaska Native music, dances, and games that have been held annually for over thirty years. In this unique festival, six Alaska Native groups are represented as they demonstrate and compete in traditional activities such as seal skinning, the blanket toss, the high kick, kayak races, and dances.

How Raven Stole The Sun is the latest addition to the Abbeville "Tales of the People" series of books for young readers, published in partnership with the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. Felix Vigil's artwork is perfectly suited to Maria Williams retelling of a Tlingit tale she first heard from her father. Its the story of how the Raven transformed himself to bring light to what had been an earth shrouded in darkness. How Raven Stole The Sun is further enriched for young readers with a glossary of Tlingit Words, a brief description of the Tlingit People; and photographs of artifacts drawn from the Smithsonian collection, as well as period photos of the Tlingit people. Other highly recommended titles in this outstanding series include The Butterfly Dance (0789201615, ...); Brave Wolf And The Thunderbird (0789201607, ...); and Coyote In Love With A Star (0789201623, ...).

This book had me absolutely howling with laughter every page I read. Each hillaroius skit and story made me think of one of the many fishermen who I've met in Dutch Harbor and the area who fish Bristol Bay and anywhere in the chain. Any one who fishes there, observes there, or simply loves the place and the unique lifestyle should own a copy of this book. It should rest comfortably in every wheelhouse because it IS every skipper. I loved it so much I am buying a copy for my boyfriend who is most certainly represented in a few pages. :) Life up there is colored with comedy, because we all need it to make a hard lifestyle bearable and sometimes it's just so funny out on the water that you can't imagine ever wanting to be anywhere else -- this book captures those moments perfectly and satirizes all the amusing aspects of our lives from money hungry fishermen's wives to drunken navigation decisions (and their occasional disasterous results) in the harbor. I just wish it was longer. You'll love it if you love fishing. You'll love it if you hate NMFS and ADF&G (who doesn't). You'll love it if you love the Elbow Room. You'll love it whether you're a deck hand or a skipper (well, as long as you can laugh at yourself). Enjoy.