Dig deeper with Reader's Guides which are located in the back of the books, or downloadable here. The questions are suitable for Book Clubs, student discussion and book reports, individual reflection, and family or intergenerational conversations.

Free Reader's Guides
Alaska Bush Pilot Doctor Book Cover

Reader's Guide for Alaska Bush Pilot Doctor

Sample Questions:

  1. What comes to you mind when you think of "adventure"?
  2. Is your life an adventure? Yes? How? No? Why not?
  3. What disease was epidemic in Alaska during the early 1900s? What diseases are prevalent in the world today? If you could eliminate one disease, what would it be? Why?

A Mennonite Family Finds Home

Reader's Guide for From Kansas Wheat Fields to Alaska Tundra: A Mennonite Family Finds Home

Sample Questions:

  1. Ruby coped with lack of conveniences. Some of these occurred because of life in the 1950s and others because of remoteness. Identify the lack of conveniences, i.e. dryer, TV, email, etc. Which would be most disconcerting for you? Explain.
  2. If you were a character in the story, how would you have portrayed yourself? Survivor? Victim? Hero? Adventurer? True homesteader? City-boy/girl lost in the wilderness? Nature-lover? Reporter? Other?
  3. What character or personality traits do you have that would have made you adaptable to living in the village of Tanana or homesteading on the Kenai Peninsula?

A is for Alaska

Reader's Guide for 'A' is for Alaska: Teacher to the Territory

Sample Questions:

  1. Select three of the most humorous incidences in the book. What made these amusing to you?
  2. What intrigued you about Anna's life choices as a woman, a single woman, a school teacher?
  3. In both Valdez and Tanana, Anna was in a pivotal position of helping the community work together for the common good, regardless of ethnic, religious, or occupational differences. List five examples.

'A' is for Anaktuvuk: Teacher to the Nunamiut Eskimos

Reader's Guide for 'A' is for Alaska: Teacher to the Nunamiut Eskimos

Sample Questions:

  1. Discuss what is would be like if you were without roads, air travel, or boat travel, and without television, radio, internet, and phone service?
  2. What part did getting mail play in Anna's life? Relationally? Emotionally? Mentally?
  3. What qualities do you think the Nunamiuts had to survive in their way of life and culture?

Anna Bortel DVD

Reader's Guide for The Alaska Story of Anna Bortel Church

Sample Questions:

  1. Who is your role model for living life fully? What are his/her characteristics?
  2. What was one of the first incidences where Anna stretched herself from her familiar and comfortable way of life?
  3. What Comfort Zones would be challenged if you were to have lived in her situations?