After a ferocious beast attacks a small Alaskan village, a mysterious shaman helps a courageous teenage boy prepare to defeat it. A classic hero-journey story like The Lord of the Rings where the smallest and seemingly weakest among us overcomes obstacles even the biggest and strongest could not. A kind of The Sword in the Stone meets Rambo adventure story, this spellbinding Native American campfire tale proves that every culture has its heroes.

A gripping wilderness adventure and survival storyIt was getting colder. Johnny pulled the fur-lined hood of his parka over his head and walked towards his own cabin with the sound of snow crunching beneath his boots."He should be back tomorrow," he thought, as a star raced across the sky just below the North Star."He should be back tomorrow for sure."Seventeen-year-old Johnny Least-Weasel knows that his grandfather Al...

The Great Death arrived with the man from downriver, the one who came with the light-colored strangers and had little red spots covering his body. Thirteen-year-old Millie and her younger sister, Maura, are fascinated by the guests, but soon sickness takes over their village. As they watch the people they know and love die, the sisters remain unaffected and begin to realize that they will have to find a new home.Alone in the cold Alaskan winter of 1917, struggling to overcome the ob...

Thomas Merton has been called "An American Prophet" and "The Conscience of America." Throughout the tumultuous 1960s, Merton was a vocal advocate for the civil rights and peace movements. Merton was the first major religious figure in America to come out against the Vietnam War. He convinced Martin Luther King, Jr. to add his voice to the cause. In the fall of 1968, Merton left the safety of the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani monastery in Kentucky to go on what would be known as his Asian...

Kiska’s home in the Aleutian Islands is a peaceful paradise until Japan invades in 1942. Soon after, a U.S. naval ship arrives to evacuate everyone in her village to an internment camp almost 2,000 miles away-where they are forgotten. Informed by true events, this is the story of a teenage girl who steps up when her people need a hero.

This is a collection of stories from the Ahtna Indians of Alaska, collected and retold by tribe member John Smelcer. Numerous illustrations by Larry Vienneau accompany the stories and numerous pictures of the Ahtna Indians and the storytellers are also included. The book's Foreword is by Gary Snyder. Each story is introduced by John Smelcer. A comprehensive bibliography of works on Alaskan mythology and folklore is included at the end.

"A beautiful and moving story of courage and love."-Ray BradburyPraise for The Great Death:"An amazing story."-Frank McCourt"Gripping and poignant. . . . An unforgettable survival tale."-Horn Book"A beautiful, poignant story."-Elie Wiesel, Nobel Prize winner"Graphically illustrates the effects of a plague on isolated peoples."-School Library Journal"An engaging tale of survival."-Kirkus ReviewsPrais...

This is a collection of Alaska Native folklore and mythology. All the various regions and tribal groups are represented in this collection. The collector is John Smelcer who is a writer, poet, and folklorist and who is himself a member of an Alaska Native tribe. Several of the stories are accompanied by illustrations by Larry Vienneau. This work was originally published in Alaska in 1992. This is the second, revised and expanded edition.

The Great Death arrived with the man from downriver, the one who came with the light-colored strangers and had little red spots covering his body. Thirteen-year-old Millie and her younger sister, Maura, are fascinated by the guests, but soon sickness takes over their village and they have little time to think of anything else. As they watch the people they know and love die of the plague, the sisters begin to realize that they will have to set out on their own to find a new home.Al...