The Young Alaskans on the Missouri.

Part of a well-loved series of outdoor adventures for the young, this book carries its band of boys onto one of the great rivers of the American West.

What it's about

The Young Alaskans on the Missouri follows a group of youthful companions as they travel the Missouri River, learning the skills of camp and current while retracing a route thick with the history of exploration and the fur trade. The story blends the excitements of the trail, the weather, the campfire and the occasional scrape, with a steady thread of instruction about the land they pass through and the people who came before them.

Themes

Self-reliance, friendship and the education that comes from the outdoors are at the heart of the book. It celebrates the American wilderness and the historic waterways that opened the continent, and it means its young readers to absorb a little geography and history along with the fun.

Why it still matters

Adventure series like this shaped generations of young readers and reflect an era's faith in the character-building power of the wild. They remain an engaging way into the story of western exploration.

Who it's for

For younger readers who love the outdoors, and for anyone fond of classic boys' adventure and river journeys through frontier country.