Kirkpatrick HillReviews

-Contemporary Realistic Fiction Wilderness survival, Person vs. Nature
-Hill, Kirkpatrick. Toughboy and Sister. M.K. McElderry Books, 1990, 121 pages, Intermediate

-Through the eyes of Toughboy and Sister, this story is a harrowing tale of how two Athabascan children who live in the Yukon survive on their own through the summer at fish camp. The reflective and poignant tone brings a sense of admiration for the characters through a straightforward and descriptive narrative style making this a well-rounded read.
-Keywords: Bannock, Potlatch, Fish camp, Wringer washer, Clabas, Athabascan
-Activity: Have students write journal entries from the perspectives of Toughboy or Sister, reflecting on their on their experiences and emotions throughout the story.

-Historical Fiction: Novel Rural Alaska, Culture vs. Assimilation
-Hill, Kirkpatrick. Year of Miss Agnes. Illus by Peter Knorr. Simon & Schuster, 2000, 115 pages, Middle-grade

-In a remote Alaskan village, Miss Agnes arrives as a new teacher, igniting a journey of learning and aspiration among her students. Through the eyes of young Fred and her deaf sister Boko, a deep bond with Miss Agnes forms, highlighting the significance of education and cultural integration. Kirkpatrick Hill's straightforward yet compelling narrative style and heartfelt, hopeful tone breathe vibrant life into this deeply immersive and personal narrative that any student or educator will enjoy.
-Keywords: Aleutian Islands, Athabascan, Rural education, Cultural Integration, Remote village
-Activity: Have students create a map of the village and surrounding areas, marking important locations mentioned in the book. Have students write a diary entry from Fred’s perspective about a memorable day at school with Miss Agnes.

Bo at Ballard Creek

Childrens literature



Bo at Ballard Creek by Kirkpatrick Hill and illustrated by LeUyen Pham Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); First edition Ebook edition (June 18, 2013) Pages CM

This book captivates a historical relevant place in Alaskan History. Transforming the modern reader back in time to a place where the Alaska Native People still lived in Sod homes and log cabins and the big hunt for gold was happening. The main characters are BO and her best friend Oscar and her two Fathers Arvid and Jack who raised her from a few weeks old. The fathers fell victim to the love and affection of a baby that was supposed to be put in an orphanage. This enduring tail describes the life as a child growing up in what would be a dyeing mining town. Learning both Alaskan Native language and English you will experience her adventures through her eyes as it seems to be told from a 3rd person perspective. With many daring twists and turns, from finding a lost boy to an encounter with the Bear and many other thrills of a five-year-old out exploring the vast world of Ballard Creek.

Plot living through the eyes of a 5 year old in the last frontier
Characters Bo, Oscar, Arvid, and Jack
Setting is in gold mining town in Alaska during the 1920s
Theme historical adventure
Style is 3rd person narrative through the eyes of a 5 year old
Tone enduring and adventuring
Point of view little girl growing up in a mining town
Illistartions look like they are water color
This was story kept me wanting more of Bos adventures to see what other kinds of things she might experience and explore as she grows.

A sweet children's book about the impact of a great teacher on a small community in Alaska. I really enjoyed this one!

Bo at Ballard Creek is a sentimental story about a young girl named Bo, her father’s, and their life in a mining camp in Alaska. The story details the life of a miner in Alaska in the 1920s, it’s hardships, but more importantly the community of the village, their connections with each other and their roles in the camp. Bo learns about mining, cooking, sewing, and survival while building relationships with other villagers. The book is straightforward and easy to read and is written in short episodic chapters that leaves the reader feeling like each chapter is a short story, a glimpse of an important memory for Bo. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and think it would be an excellent steppingstone into Alaskan history, culture and people for young readers.
Alaska connections: Village life, Alaskan history and the goldrush, the science and history of flight and it’s impact on Alaskan life, cultural values about family.
Activity: Learn about the goldrush, how it changed Alaska, and the process of mining gold. Discuss the importance of family and community with an emphasis on the meaning of family, how families can be different, and all families are valid. Learn about and practice some of the ways of life in the mining days such as baking, sewing and survival skills. Take the students outdoors to try their hand at mining.

An interesting counterpoint to both westward expansion children's lit (Wilder et al.) and miner stories from the Yukon. More of a nonfiction account than most of Hill's other work, in that it is a narrative with a real historical personage as the subject. Parts are harsh, parts are beautiful, but the central themes of familial love and changing times remain strong and bittersweet.

Still really enjoying the works of Kirkpatrick Hill -- great kids adventures in the Alaska wilderness. Survival, kindness, and the challenges of growing up in a harsh environment, caught between the old ways and the new. Continuing adventures of Toughboy and Sister (from a previous book), but both can stand alone.

For fans of Hatchet and My Side of the Mountain -- kids finding ways to survive when their adults suddenly disappear. Great story, great, fast read, with Kirkpatrick Hill's evocative settings in the Yukon.

Interesting, solidly researched historical fiction. Depressing in the general oppression of women and the epidemic deaths, but I think it paints a realistic picture, and is highly sympathetic to the preservation of native culture.

Not as strong as The Year of Miss Agnes, but it's nice to return to the village and hear more about Fred's fascinating life.

I find all the Kirkpatrick Hill books I've read so far to be really satisfying --fascinating historical details, good characters, believable and heartwarming. Like Louise Erdrich's books, a good alternative or addition to Laura Ingalls Wilder.

I'm a sucker for frontier stories, and I like it even better when they really teach me something about a time or a place. These books are so upbeat and curiously cheerful that I just adored them. I love the pragmatic responses of the papas to Bo's upbringing -- the rules are so very firm, but never applied with anger. I love the partnership tradition, which strikes me as a uniquely gold-rush sort of thing, where there were so many men living out on their own over such a long time -- handy, too, that it leaves an ambiguous role modeling for today's same sex partnerships. Mostly, I just love the storytelling, the history, the quirky and fascinating characters.

Loving the continuing adventures of Bo and her family. One more thing that I really enjoy about these books is the way children are treasured by the community. They aren't taken for granted by the majority of the adults that surround them -- another thing that I think must be unique to places and times where children are scarce.

The one thing I find controversial is the use of racial slurs -- I appreciate that the author addresses them directly in this book, and applies them widely to a variety of characters -- which may sound like a weird thing to say, but it's an aspect of our history that is true to the time, and an opportunity to confront hurtful language with child readers today. I think we get more of talking about it than pretending it never happened, and in 1930's Alaska, you can be sure that racially/culturally charged language was present. I also appreciated the author's note on the term Eskimo.

I also find the world of mining to be relatively horrifying, but I'm glad to learn more about it, and to hear the range of viewpoints that Hill presents. There's a lot to learn here, and the presentation is excellent.

Loved.
School year 1948-1949, A small town in Alaska can’t keep a teacher. Finally, a seasoned teacher takes the job. Her unusual tactics brings new life to the community.
I love that the author includes so many cultural activities into the story. The story of the deaf older sister getting an opportunity to learn was the biggest pull. American Sign Language is my passion.

Beginner knitting primer with lessons on basic knit stitches – shopping for yarn, abbreviations and projects for knitting.

Two children must fend for themselves in the wilderness when their father disappears.

Eleven-year-old Toughboy and his sister survive the Alaskan winter at a friend's trapping camp. Sequel to Toughboy and Sister.

Set in 1948 in a small Athabascan village, 10-year old Fredericka “Fred” narrates this easy-to-read tale of a year in the life of remote Alaskan students learning about the world around them in a one room schoolhouse. The book highlights the prominent role of their new teacher, Miss Agnes, a skilled professional who proves a love and understanding of her students’ unique learning needs. Miss Agnes embodies a true calling as an educator and inspires everyone around her to learn and grow always.

Winter Camp is the sequel to Toughboy and Sister by Alaskan author Kirkpatrick Hill. In this book, orphaned siblings Toughboy and Sister accompany their elderly caregiver Natasha to her remote winter cabin for the trapping season. In this young adult realistic fiction novel, Kirkpatrick Hill details many aspects of life as an Athabascan Indian before modern technologies changed most peoples’ way of life. Natasha, fully steeped in the “old ways,” teaches Toughboy and Sister how to survive the frigid temperatures of the arctic.

Toughboy and Sister have recently lost their mother and sibling during a complicated birth. They are living with their father, who becomes unreliable due to a drinking problem. When their dad disappears, the kids learn how to survive alone in the cabin. They encounter a hungry bear, learn to cook bread, and how to find fish until they are finally rescued.

Bo is a little girl living at a gold mine in 1920s Alaska. This book is just a series of slice-of-life bits in life at the mine. It is sweet and quaint and so very interesting. Bo is a darling little girl and seeing mine life from her point of view is fresh.

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Fun, lighthearted story. There are hard things in it, but they are talked about from a child's point of view. Heartwarming, shows love between native and white people.

Grades 3-5