Denise and I are reading a few young adult books about Alaska along with Brennan to get ready for our trip there this month. ( )

I liked Eskimo Boy. First, the story was extremely informative. The author stuck to the facts and described the life of a boy of Eskimo heritage living in Alaska. The biography was written in third person, but was from the young boy's point of view. I liked how informative this book was, because it gave me a lot of new information that I did not know. Some of the descriptions invoked a feeling of wonder. For example, the author writes, "When it really cold and dark, the northern lights come out. If you look up in the sky you can see them stretching far into the distance, like ribbons moving and flickering, glowing red and green." This quote really captures how a child would view the northern lights. My only criticism, is that the book seemed a bit disorganized. The author did not wrap up the story in a satisfying way. However, overall, I found the book to be enjoyable. The big picture message of this book is that all children, no matter what their culture, have similar feelings, and therefor can relate to one another. ( )

Norman is a seven year old boy who lives in the Inupiaq Village in Alaska. The village has been there for over 4,000 years, the people hunt and live off of walrus, seals, moose, and salmon. There have only one hour of daylight and the northern lights are seen in the sky. Many families ride dogsleds for fun. There are no roads and they have to travel a long way to get anywhere. Norman's father hunts seals and wishes he can go hunt with him when he's older. This book really shows the differences between what we know here and what is the norm for Eskimo's in Alaska. I found this book very fascinating to read because I never really thought about the life of an Eskimo before. ( )

Norman is a seven year old boy, and he lives in Inupiaq, Alaska. His village has been there for over 4,000 years, and the people from the Village eat seals, moose, walrus, and salmon. Winter comes in September, and the nights get longer. There is only one hour of daylight, and the northern lights are in the sky. There are many beliefs, and Norman’s grandmother says that if the northern lights are whistled at, the lights may come to the land. Many families still ride dogsleds for fun, and the only way to leave the town is by plane. Caucasian people introduced snow machines, and that is how they travel by land. There are no roads, and Norman has to travel a long way to the dentist. Many men hunt seals, and Norman wishes to go, but he cannot because he is too young. In the summer it gets warm again, ice melts, and days become longer again. The book reflects the beliefs and culture of the Inupiaq people. It also shows readers how Caucasian men have influenced Eskimo villages. ( )