John Smelcer

"A poignant story of colonization and assimilation, something I know a little bit about. A masterpiece."—Chinua Achebe

"One of our most brilliant writers tells a harsh truth about American history."—Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States

Praise for Edge of Nowhere:

"Smelcer's prose is lyrical, straightforward, and brilliant . . . authentic Native Alaskan storytelling

...

"More psychological depth than Robinson Crusoe."—Frank McCourt

Praise for Lone Wolves:

"A beautiful and moving story of courage and love."—Ray Bradbury

"Powerful, eloquent, and fascinating, showcasing a vanishing way of life in rich detail."—Kirkus Reviews

"An adept focus on coming-of-age and an illuminating glimpse of Native Alaskan cultures."—The Horn Book

"A gifted storyteller

...

Hace 2.000 años un predicador llamado Jesús fue condenado a la crucifixión. Un hombre llamado Simón, de Cirene, se vio obligado a ayudar a Jesús a llevar la cruz pesada. El encuentro cambió su vida. Desde entonces, sus descendientes han salvaguardado un secreto increíble.

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...

Brothers Sebastian and James Savage decide to climb one of the highest Alaskan mountains to prove themselves to their father. Inspired by true events, Savage Mountain is not a story of father-son reconciliation, but a touching story of two brothers who test their limits and learn that no matter how different they might be, the strongest bond of all is brotherhood.

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...

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.

In alternating chapters, seventeen-year-old Johnny Least-Weasel, who is better known for brains than brawn, worries about his missing grandfather, and the grandfather, Albert Least-Weasel, struggles to survive, caught in his own steel trap in the Alaskan winter.