Customer Reviews

Place of the Pretend People: Gifts from a Yup'ik E

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This book is a biography of a bush teacher beginning in 1986. It is available only in hardback but if you are considering teaching in Alaska then go ahead and invest. Carolyn Kremers came to Alaska to teach at a turning point in her life and her wonder at what she sees is shared with the reader. Kremers gives a real "sense of place" through stories, conversations, poetry, journaling and student writing. Prospective teachers should especially consider reading the chapter titled "I hate school." This book demonstrates how challenging the teaching of multicultural students and students in general is everywhere. It covers not only teaching but also living in Alaska. It is also very different from all of the others books I have read about Alaskan teachers because of the contemporary prospective of the author versus the Alaska of 1900 or even 1950 that most books cover.

I loved the book. I found myself reading before I went to work in the mornings besides reading at night. I felt an eagerness to find out if she shared the same awe of the native culture that I did. She appreciated the culture she found herself in while exploring her inner thoughts and trying to come to peace with them.