Arctic Hunter [Hardcover]

Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith (Author), Lawrence Migdale (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1992 | Age Level: 9 and up

A ten-year-old Eskimo (Inupiat) boy who lives far north of the Arctic Circle describes his family's annual spring trip to their camp, where they hunt and fish for food to supplement their diet for the rest of the year and enjoy old traditions.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In an informative, thorough presentation, Migdale's photographs present varied and realistic glimpses of the ancient yet changing life of Alaska's Inupiat people. While contemporary critics may balk at the apparent sexism (women, it seems, don't hunt or navigate), there is nevertheless solidity in this strongly family-centered society in which each member has a task. In an unaffected text--befitting the authentic-sounding voice of 10-year-old narrator, Reggie--readers are taken through the diverse events surrounding a spring seal hunt. Telling details abound: in a photo of the family shopping expedition, kids can note many familiar grocery items. The seal hunt itself is handled very plainly, as Reggie comes of age upon killing his first seal. (Though some will object to a photo of the proud hunter standing before a freshly killed seal, an author's note explains that seals are protected by legislation and that hunting is done as a means of sustenance and not for commercial gain.) As with their previous works ( Pueblo Storyteller ; Totem Pole ), these collaborators offer in an accessible text and lucid photographs an arresting portrait of another culture--a culture that presents obvious differences from that known by most American kids, but many reassuring similarities as well. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6-- Another high-quality book from this author/photographer team that gives students insight into the lives of young Native Americans. Reggie, an Inupiat Eskimo from Kotzebue, Alaska, tells about his lifestyle as he and his family live off the land. Through stunning full-color photographs and a clear first-person text, a whole picture of the culture through a child's eyes emerges. The glossary of Inupiaq terms and the explanations in the text are most helpful. Some readers may be put off by the photographs of seal killing and butchering; however, this is not wanton slaughtering of animals but survival hunting in which no part of the animal is wasted. The chapter on ``Changing Ways'' helps readers to understand the difficulty Reggie, his family, and others like them are having in holding on to traditional values while accepting some technology and modernization. Russell Kendall's Eskimo Boy (Scholatic, 1992) gives a photographic look at a seven-year-old Inupiat from Shismaref, Alaska for younger readers and makes a good companion to the more in-depth Arctic Hunter , which deserves a place on both school and public library shelves as a fine description of a way of life despite incredible pressures. --Mollie Bynum, Chester Valley Elementary School, Anchorage, AK
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 30 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House; 1st edition (September 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823409724
• ISBN-13: 978-0823409723
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 10.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,285,753 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting book about life in the north, April 9, 2003

By 

J "J" (CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arctic Hunter (Paperback)

We checked this book out of the library to help my daughter study the Tundra and how people there live. The pictures are beautiful, and the book does a good job of showing the mixture of traditional and modern life that many Alaskan Natives live.