 Books to accompany the Big Read’s featured book, The Call of the Wild by Jack London and the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, as recommended by the Selection Team and by library staff at the King County Library System.
Books for Adults/Teens Booklist | Books for Kids
Books for Adults/Teens
Baldino, Megan
Two in a Red Canoe: our journey down the Yukon
A young couple spends a summer traveling down the Yukon River.
Berton, Pierre
Klondike: The Last Great Gold Rush, 1896-1899
Berton, the son of a prospector, brings history to compelling life in this classic account of the last great scramble for gold in the West.
Gibb, Evelyn McDaniel
Two Wheels North: Bicycling the West Coast in 1909
Evocative, heart-warming true story of two 18 year old boys who bicycled from Santa Rosa, California to the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle in 1909.
Jones, Charlotte Foltz
Yukon Gold: the story of the Klondike Gold Rush
This account of the Gold Rush is geared toward teens and includes many period photographs. Teen.
Kantner, Seth
Ordinary Wolves: A Novel
In this beautifully written first novel, Cutuk attempts to reconcile his boyhood living off the land in the frozen Alaskan tundra with the allure and grind of modern America. Teen/Adult.
Krakauer, Jon
Into the Wild
Krakauer’s mesmerizing account of how talented and charming Chris McCandless traded in a bright future to head into the remote Alaskan wilderness, only to be found dead of starvation four months later.
London, Jack
The Portable Jack London
This volume contains Jack London’s letters, essays, and short stories. Teen/Adult.
London, Jack
White Fang
Part wolf and part dog, orphaned White Fang relies on his instincts as well as his inborn strength and courage to survive in the Yukon wilderness despite both animal and human predators but eventually comes to make his peace with humans. Teen/Adult.
Lopez, Barry
Of Wolves and Men
Drawing on literature, history, science, and mythology as well as his personal experience with wolves, Lopez argues for the necessity of the wolf's preservation and envelops the reader in its world, creating a compelling picture of the wolf both as real animal and imagined.
Michener, James
Alaska
Epic novel about Alaska's emotional and sometimes violent history, covering both the near-forgotten past and the technological present.
Mikaelsen, Ben
Touching Spirit Bear
Instead of prison, Cole Matthews is sentenced to life alone on a desolate island in Alaska. Or is he alone? Teen.
Morgan, Lael
Good Time Girls of the Alaska-Yukon Gold Rush
Tens of thousands of men migrated to the Yukon in the early 1900s. Here are the stories of the women who kept them company “on the outskirts of respectable society.”
Muir, John
Travels in Alaska
A fascinating and poetically written account of celebrated naturalist John Muir's expedition into pristine wilderness of late-19th century Alaska.
Niven, Jennifer
Ada Blackjack: A True Story of Survival in the Arctic
From the author of "The Ice Master" comes the remarkable true story of a young Inuit woman who survived six months alone on a desolate uninhabited Arctic island in 1921.
Paulsen, Gary
Hatchet
After a plane crash, Brian must struggle to survive the Alaskan wilderness with only a single tool to help him, a hatchet. Teen.
Paulsen, Gary
Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod
An unforgettable account of how Paulsen, fueled by a passion for running dogs, entered the 1,180-mile Iditarod race, in dangerous ignorance and with fierce determination.
Proenneke, Richard Keith Sam
One man's wilderness : an Alaskan odyssey
Though many have dreamed of living in a log cabin in a pristine wilderness, Richard Proenneke lived the dream in this true life account.
Stefoff, Rebecca
Jack London: an American original
This biography for teens looks at the life, adventures and beliefs of the author, an “American original.” Teen.
Stein, Garth
The Art of Racing in the Rain: A Novel
A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty and hope ... as only a dog could tell it.
Thayer, Helen
Polar Dream: Achieving Your Highest Goal
Helen Thayer walked and skied for 27 days in the Arctic, pulling a 160-pound sled to become the first woman--and the oldest person at age 50--to travel on foot, unresupplied, to the magnetic North Pole, with a dog, Charlie, as her only companion.
Thayer, Helen
Three Among The Wolves : A Couple And Their Dog Live A Year With Wolves In The Wild
By following their dog Charlie’s lead, Helen and Bill Thayer establish trust with a wolf pack, allowing them a rare opportunity to observe and interact with these wild animals in their natural habitat.
Wallis, Velma
Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival
An Athabascan Indian of Alaska's Yukon flats, author Velma Wallis retells a classic legend wherein two old women are abandoned by their tribe during a brutal winter famine and must survive on their own or die trying. Teen/Adult.
Wolfe, Art
Alaska Wild: Celebrating Our Natural Heritage
In this striking collection of images, renowned nature photographer Art Wolfe presents an ode to the untamed majesty of our largest state, which contains some of the most beautiful and unspoiled places in the country.
Wolfe, Art and Weston, Chris
Wolves
There are probably more myths and legends about wolves than any other living creature. In this book the authors set out, in words and pictures, to produce a clearer understanding of the lives of these carnivorous mammals.
Worick, Jennifer
Backcountry Betty Crafting With Style: 50 Nature-Inspired Projects
This latest installment of craft genius is a hip, snappy book with projects designed to bring the outdoors in! From Tiki Torches to Pebble Pendants, you will never lack for quick, easy and sustainable projects from items found in nature.
Books for Kids
Hobbs, Will
Jason's Gold
When 15 -year old Jason sets off to make his fortune in the Klondike Gold Rush, he ends up rescuing an abused husky, meeting Jack London, and surviving a Yukon winter.
Murphy, Claire Rudolf
Children of the Gold Rush
This nonfiction book for children tells the stories of the youngest travelers to Yukon Territory, who suffered the same hardships as the adults. Children.
Murphy, Claire Rudolf
Gold Rush Dogs
This book celebrates some of the most notable dogs of the North, including fictional favorites such as Jack London’s Buck and White Fang. Children.
Paulsen, Gary
Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers: reflections on being raised by a pack of sled dogs
The author of Hatchet, an Iditarod racer, pays honor to the last litter of puppies raised by his lead dog, Cookie. Children.
Sogabe, Aki and Lachenmeyer, Nathaniel
The Origami Master
An origami master whose only company has been his creations captures someone who has been leaving him a magnificent origami animal each night. Ages 4-8.
Waldorf, Mary
The Gold Rush Kid
This middle-grade fiction tells the story of a brother and sister who journey from Skagway, Alaska to the Klondike to find their father, who has gone searching for gold. Children.
Wales, Dirk, illustrated by Barry Moser
Jack London’s Dog
This fictional story stars Jack, the dog that inspired the character of Buck, the dog in the Jack London’s The Call of the Wild. Children.
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