A Child's Alaska

A Child's Alaska is a visual feast for young adventurers who want to see for themselves what makes the Last Frontier so special. From totem poles to summer berry-picking from sled dog racing to wild animals they may see, this educational book will give readers an unforgettable Alaskan experience. Here in words, photographs, and illustrations, young readers will learn and see about how they ride their bicycles on ice and snow, watch the magical dancing trails of the Northern lights in the night sky, and watch a thousand-pound moose eat all the cabbages in the backyard garden.  What is bigger than Texas, California and Montana put together? Alaska, of course. Where do school buses need snow tires and special electric heaters so they can start their engines? Alaska, of course. For children, grand children, and visiting children, this is a great way to learn more about Alaska for young readers.

Claire Rupolf Murphy grew up and became a language arts teacher before she began to write her own stories. Through her writing she came to understand the creative process and how to help her students write better. Today, she writes about topics that are close to her heart or intrigue her because it takes a long time to produce a published book. Her  ideas come from many sources including her childhood in Spokane, her  years living in Alaska, her children and their friends, her love of history, even current news items that catch her eye.Claire taught high school and middle school drama, literature, and composition for ten years. She has a degree in history from Santa Clara University, a teaching credential from the University of California at Berkeley, and an MFA in Creative Writing. She and her family lived for twenty-four years in Alaska where she watched her children grow up, and she was first inspired to write. 

Charles Mason has taught photojournalism and photography at the University of Alaska Fairbanks for the past twenty years—a job he has grown to appreciate and love. His photography has won awards including the Oskar Barnack Award at World Press Photo, and Pictures of the Year award among others.  His work has been published worldwide including the New York Times, Outside magazine, Time, LIFE, Aperture, GEO and others. His photography was featured in Pictures of the Year issues in Time and LIFE, Stern, and the Photography Annuals of PDN and Communication Arts.