Nancy Thalia Reynolds

Mixed-heritage (multiracial, multiethnic, and/or transracially adopted) people are among the fastest-growing groups in the United States, yet culturally they have been largely invisible, especially in young adult literature. In the first in-depth, wide-ranging critical exploration of this subgenre of multicultural literature, I look at how mixed-heritage people are presented to YA readers in a variety of contexts. After examining mixed-heritage characters in fiction past and present, I look at how they have been portrayed in nonfiction by others (histories, biographies, self-help books) and by the individuals themselves, in autobiographical accounts.

“Broad in scope, Reynolds’ analysis covers a variety of 'multiculti' categories and offers an array of texts to support her claims....Reynolds' work is thorough, important, and highly usable.” —June / July 2009, VOYA

“Contributing an interesting and often overlooked perspective to the critical conversation about multicultural books.”—Uma Krishnaswami, award-winning author of Naming Maya

“In this thorough analysis of multicultural literature, the often overlooked mixed heritage main character is brought to light.”—MultiCultural Review

Each port along Alaska’s Inside Passage has a unique history, personality and ambiance in a beautiful setting, offering extraordinary scenery and abundant wildlife. The challenge lies in getting to them. Southeast defines “off the beaten path.” And once there, you can’t hop in a car and drive between destinations. There’s just no getting around it: to make the most of a visit to this gorgeous part of the world, careful planning is a must.

Most visitors come by cruise ship or ferry. Airlines serve the larger destinations, but tickets can be costly. For a tight ferry stopover or one-day cruise ship in-port, visitors must not only choose what to see and do, but ensure their choices are available within that narrow window. Independent travelers with a week or more available can easily spend a significant chunk of their time and budget simply getting from one port to another.

I wrote this book to help visitors faced with a plethora of possibilities and rigid time constraints, craft an enjoyable itinerary that meets their objectives. To facilitate the necessary travel triage, the book is organized by length of stay and covers 5 destinations in depth—Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau, Haines and Skagway—with ideas for add-on exploration if time allows. “Ferry Breaks” offer doable itineraries for 2- to 3-hour layovers. Suggested activities—ranging from sedate to active—mapped walking tours, dining and lodging choices, plus a few quirky details I couldn't resist adding, round out the offerings.

"Anyone who has endured long hours of car-seat squabbles and "Are we there yet?" whining will welcome Reynolds' help.” — Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

"Covering destinations from Ketchikan to Fairbanks and the Interior, the book breaks down information for each city into easy-to-find tidbits - how to get there, where to stay, where to eat, and what to do. Accommodations are rated by cost and level of child-friendliness, and short descriptions and tips about each accommodation are straightforward and untainted by advertising."—Capital City Weekly

A trip to Alaska and the Yukon affords a rare opportunity to explore one of the most beautiful, fascinating regions on our planet. Humans have lived here for more than 10,000 years. Their descendants, the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian peoples, share much of their long history, arts and culture with visitors. Wildlife residents include bald eagles, golden eagles, brown and black bears, moose and wolverines. Among the many marine animals are beluga, gray, humpback and orca whales, along with sea lions and sea otters. Talk is cheap, I know, but I've walked the walk, too. From the lower 48, my family has flown, ferried, cruised, and driven to Alaska since our kids were preschoolers. The book shares with readers what I learned the hard way, plus essays and comments by Alaska residents and frequent visitors.

"This offers hundreds of reviews specifically on family-oriented places to stay and things to see in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and B.C. The frank comments from parents who've stayed in the various hotels and cabins are particularly useful." — The Seattle Times

When I was young and childfree, I traveled widely. I wasn’t particularly reckless, but I did pass the occasional night shivering in the grassy median of a German autobahn. Once in England’s Lake District I slept in a church where a giant clock chimed every 15 minutes. When traveling by bus through South America, I relied on guidebooks that pointed readers to barebones accommodation and recommended three-day bus journeys through the Andes.

Then I got married and had kids.

When we began to travel again, everything had changed. My old guidebooks might have been written in ancient Sumerian for all the help they were. That’s when I began to write travel articles for parents and coauthored a vastly expanded edition of this popular guidebook. What was and remains groundbreaking about GP is the substantial contribution many parents made to it, sharing their experience and recommendations on matters that can make or break a family holiday, but that fly under the radar of adult travelers and the guidebooks that serve them. It’s questionable whether any other guidebook would list the family of mink living close to their hotel as a child-friendly amenity. Following the tip that parents can call ahead to their hotel and ask that their room’s minibar treats and video games be put out of sight before they arrive has prevented more than one tantrum in my family.