Goodbye, My Island

Esther Atoolik is twelve years old and her Alaskan village is getting smaller; there aren't enough children to keep the school open. What to do? the people ask. Should we abandon our island in the Bering Sea that her people have lived on for centuries? Here is the tender, true story of Esther's last season in her island home and the wonderful memories she carries with her. A chapter book illustrated with the drawings of Rie Muñoz.

Jean Rogers has lived in Juneau, Alaska, since 1945. There, she and her husband George adopted and raised six lively children, and Jean wrote seven children's books. Among them was the Alaskan classic, The Secret Moose, and two books about the Natives of King Island. The idea for Goodbye, My Island took shape while Jean was collaborating with artist Rie Muñoz on King Island Christmas. Both books have seen national success, and King Island Christmas has been adapted as a musical. Jean's love for books and reading -- and volunteerism -- earned her a lifetime membership with the Alaska Library Association. She also is a member of the American Library Association, and has served in various capacities on the boards of the Alaska State Broadcasting Commission, Alaska Public Offices Commission, and Juneau's public television station, KTOO-TV. The University of Alaska bestowed upon Jean an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters for her work writing published books.