L Is for Last Frontier: An Alaska Alphabet

Discover America State By State

by Carol Crane, Michael Monroe (Illustrator)

Unrivaled by any other state for sheer size, Alaska is a land of mystery and wonder to many Americans. Bordered by water on three sides, it remains a remote and last frontier...until now. "L is for Last Frontier: an alphabet book" written by Carol Crane, takes readers on an informative adventure through the "land of the midnight sun." Lecturer and book reviewer Carol Crane was recently described as "A walking, talking bibliography of children's books." Her twenty-five years in children's literature supply the essential experience to bring Alaska's vast wildlife and culture to children. Alaska's sheer size lends to its diversity, but Carol Crane employs a two-tiered approach and produces a seamless sampling of the state's culture and wildlife. Each letter of the alphabet is represented by a rhyme for younger readers:

"T is for Tundra,
a treeless arctic plain.
Short warm summers,
in winter, a frozen terrain."

On the same page, older students can read the sidebar text to gain a richer understanding of the same topic.

About the Author: Carol Crane advocates education through reading. She travels extensively and speaks at state reading conventions across the United States. Her thematic approach to learning has been widely accepted and successfully used by many reading teachers. Eight years ago, she founded "Bed, Breakfast and Books," a summer institute for teachers and media specialists across the country. "L is for Last Frontier" is Carol's 4th book with Sleeping Bear Press. She lives with her husband, Conrad, in Bradenton, Florida.

About the Illustrator: Renowned wildlife artist Michael Monroe was the winner of the 1997 Michigan Duck Stamp award.

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, Geography, Nonfiction

40 pages, Hardcover

First published March 13, 2002

Reviews

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book on Alaska for people of all ages! It has lovely illustrations, information for all ages, plus a quiz at the end!

[Katie White]

This book would be really good to read with Kindergarten through 2nd grade because it goes through the alphabet and teaches them about different cultures at the same time. I would probably read one or two pages per day, since there is a little blurb or rhyme that goes with the letter and then there is a longer, more involved informational piece to go with it. They obviously wouldn't be able to read the longer piece, but it would be nice to expose them to different cultures (Alaska, in this case) while practicing their letters within a context.

[Eileen Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for children of all ages, whether they are just learning to read or accomplised readers. There is two ways to use this book. The first is for younger aged children with a easy to read text. The other is more detailed and infomative informational reading. Children who want to learn more about the great state of Alaska will enjoy this. Teachers can use it in their classrooms. If a child lives in Alaska it is the perfect book for them, because it discusses things which they are very familiar with.

[Katie Easter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Informational Fiction
Grade Level: k-5th grade

I love this informational non-fiction book. I bought this while in Alaska with the purpose of using this in my future classroom to teach the students about Alaska and the alphabet! I loved my time in Alaska and I this book would teach the students about several things that makes Alaska what it is! I definitely recommend going to Alaska, and reading this book to your students.

[Elizabeth Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is landscape format ...not sure how they decide which it will be ... text is small but can be read. wish it was larger though. great pics. very pretty. love all the color. need to travel to Alaska one day??! we hope.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

These letter books are among my favorites for kids! They have a short little poem on each page for each letter, but then there are more facts on the side for older kids. I learn a lot!

[Brianna Osborne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but z is for zoodles was a stretch.

[Ariane Skaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ehhhh

This would be an OK book to use if you are only using the alphabet portion of the pages. Along the side of each page there are greater details about a variety of Alaskan aspects, however these are not all accurate. This book also includes the word “Eskimo“ quite frequently and that is no longer considered an appropriate term. Because of this, I would not use this book, as it is not a culturally sensitive book to use in an Alaskan classroom. If being used elsewhere, it would be an important topic to discuss with students so that they can be aware that ‘Eskimo’ is no longer a term that they ought to use in reference to Alaska’s Indigenous Peoples. The illustrations however are beautiful!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the two different levels of text. The simpler A is for... Is a good intro to Alaska and a quick fun read aloud while the extra text can inform older readers.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son and I enjoy reading these state alphabet books. We love the illustrations and the fun facts on each page.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

pictures, history, facts, information and ideals about alaska