🇺🇸Alaska Selections announced for 2025 National Book Festival

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 18, 2025

The Alaska Center for the Book has selected two outstanding works to represent the state at the 2025 National Book Festival in Washington, D.C., taking place on September 6. The selections include one book for adults and one for young readers, both written by Alaskan authors.

2025 Selections

  • Adult: Arctic Traverse: A Thousand-Mile Summer of Trekking the Brooks Range by Michael Engelhard (Mountaineers Books, 2024)
  • Youth: Glaciers are Alive by Debbie S. Miller, illustrated by Jon Van Zyle (Charlesbridge, 2023)

Both books will be featured in the Great Reads from Great Places program, a national initiative by the Library of Congress Center for the Book. Since 2002, this program has highlighted books that capture the literary spirit of each U.S. state and territory. In 2022, the program expanded to include adult selections.

“We are thrilled to showcase these two captivating books that highlight Alaska’s amazing natural wonders at this year’s National Book Festival,” said Patience Frederiksen, president of the Alaska Center for the Book.

Festivalgoers will be able to meet representatives at the “Roadmap to Reading” area, where affiliates from all 56 jurisdictions will present their state’s book selections and literary programs. Featured titles are sold on site and added to the Library of Congress’s permanent Great Reads list.

About the Featured Books

Arctic Traverse by Michael Engelhard

  • Publisher: Mountaineers Books, 2024
  • ISBN: 978-1680516784
  • Award: 2024 National Outdoor Book Award (Journeys category)

Cultural anthropologist and outdoor guide Michael Engelhard recounts his solo expedition across Alaska’s Brooks Range. More than a travelogue, the book blends personal reflection with vivid depictions of landscape, wildlife, and interactions with Indigenous elders, scientists, and clients.

Glaciers are Alive by Debbie S. Miller, illustrated by Jon Van Zyle

  • Publisher: Charlesbridge, 2023
  • ISBN: 978-1623543617
  • Award: Bank Street College Best Children’s Books of 2024

This richly illustrated children’s book introduces readers to the life teeming within and around glaciers. Through descriptive storytelling and vibrant art, Debbie S. Miller and Jon Van Zyle offer a compelling environmental narrative that is both educational and enchanting.

Contact Information

Originally published on 18 June by Alaska Center for the Book.

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