Intermediate (ages 9-14)

Material appropriate for intermediate age groups

The Inuksuk Book

An introduction to the many forms of the inuksuk structure The image of a traditional Inuit stone structure, or inuksuk, silouetted against an arctic sky, has become a familiar symbol. Yet, for many, their purpose remains a mystery. In a stunning new book, artist and children’s author Mary Wallace, in consultation with Inuit elders and other noted experts, gives a fascinating introduction in words, pictures, and paintings to the many forms of the inuksuk structure and its unique place in Inuit life and culture.

Blessing’s Bead

Nutaaq and her older sister, Aaluk, are on a great journey, sailing from a small island off the coast of Alaska to the annual trade fair. There, a handsome young Siberian wearing a string of cobalt blue beads watches Aaluk “the way a wolf watches a caribou, never resting.” Soon his actions—and other events more horrible than Nutaaq could ever imagine—threaten to shatter her I~nupiaq world. Seventy years later, Nutaaq’s greatgranddaughter, Blessing, is on her own journey, running from the wreckage of her life in Anchorage to live in a remote Arctic village with a grandmother she barely remembers. In her new home, unfriendly girls whisper in a language she can’t understand, and Blessing feels like an outsider among her own people. Until she finds a cobalt blue bead—Nutaaq’s bead—in her grandmother’s sewing tin. The events this discovery triggers reveal the power of family and heritage to heal, despite seemingly insurmountable odds. Two distinct teenage voices pull readers into the native world of northern Alaska in this beautifully crafted and compelling debut novel.

People of the Ice: How the Inuit Lived

Describes how the Inuit built their igloos, kayaks and sledges; made their clothing and prepared their food; played games and carved objects from soapstone; and how they hunted and fished.

An Arctic Community

Hundreds of breathtaking photographs show the exciting life that flourishes in this beautiful, yet forbidding frozen land. These large full-color books explore the wildlife and wild landscape of the north, and the communities and customs of the people. Children will love this fascinating journey across the Arctic, from Greenland to Siberia. These are the finest children’s books available on the Arctic.Through candid photographs and stories, this book portrays the very different way of life in the far north. The friendly, welcoming appeal of this community will make you want to visit the Arctic.

The Igloo (Sandpiper Books)

Detailed pencil drawings depict the building of an igloo, as well as the summer homes, forms of transport, and ways of life of the Eskimos. “A tidy source of reference information, curriculum support, and just plain compelling reading”.–School Library Journal.

Glooscap And His Magic

Short children’s stories about Glooscap, a mythical Wabanaki hero. In each of the short stories, Glooscap conducts some form of intervention. Often this occurs while in disguise so that the moral or ethical character of his ‘subject’ can be determined and either rewarded or punished.

Neeluk: An Eskimo Boy in the Days of the Whaling Ships

Weaving history, art and literature, these stories follow a young Inupiat Eskimo boy through a year of his life at the turn of the last century.

More Glooscap Stories: Legends of the Wabanaki Indians

Eighteen traditional tales of the Wabanaki tribe from the eastern woodland include “Glooscap, the Great Chief,” “The Year Summer Was Stolen, ” and “Tomik and the Magic Mat.”