This book should be in all school libraries. The excellent illustrations bring the accurate text to life in a compelling way. I give 2-3 hr presentations in French or English as a voyageur. This book certainly covers more than I can in such a way. I would recommend it whole-heartedly as background for anyone interested in the period and the characters.

Every spring in the late 1700's canoes would leave from Quebec and head for upper Lake Superior. At the same time trappers from deep in the central and Rocky Mountain regions of Canada would head for the same location with the fruits of their trapping labors over the winter. They would meet for a couple of weeks of trading and partying. Then they would laboriously paddle back to where they had come from.

Howard Silvertson captures this time with short clear descriptions and beautiful watercolors that really make the history come alive. It is a part of history that is often forgotten. It's fascinating to imagine what it was like to live in those times. This book captures the feeling. This book should be in every school library.

Maude Kegg is an elder of Mille Lacs reservation in Minnesota. A well known beadwork artist, she's also known as a cultural preserver. In 1970, she became Ojibwe language teacher to Nichols, then a linguistics graduate student at the University of Minnesota (who has recently completed editing an Ojibwe dictionary -- the first since that of Bishop Baraga in 1898). In this book, Maude tells many stories of her girlhood in th late 19th century. She grew up among traditional people who had almost no contact with white people. Though there are a few myths and legends here, these are stories she was told, and they are part of some daily event of her life. The stories are on facing pages in English and Ojibwe. Maude's stories are good and cast a new light on Ojibwe history, but in many respects this is a book for linguists and serious students of the Ojibew language. Reviewed by Paula Giese, from her web page.

This book presents the story of a most unusual place in Alaska. It tells about the beginnings and the development of a large town with a small population. I especially enjoyed the story of the tunnel digging and the problems with the timing and the elements that hindered the construction. It will most interesting to see the results of the new access by automobile that will be available. The pictures and maps were well thought out. The book sure makes you feel like you would like to visit there to see it for youself.

Canada had not yet been formed as a nation when Portage Road was already a main thoroughfare used by the Native Americans, English, French - anyone who had to 'portage' or bypass the mighty Niagara Falls. To this day, Portage Road remains a main street; even called Main Street through the Drummondville area of Niagara Falls. Mr. Siebel illustrates the importance of this road to the development of (Upper) Canada in the early days. A good book, interesting reading.

The book does a good job of describing the logistics of the selected runs but falls short by not including much WY whitewater and lacks detail in harder runs.