365 Days to Alaska

by Cathy Carr

Overview

A charming debut middle-grade novel about a girl from off-the-grid Alaska adjusting to suburban life

Eleven-year-old Rigel Harman loves her life in off-the-grid Alaska. She hunts rabbits, takes correspondence classes through the mail, and plays dominoes with her family in their two-room cabin. She doesn’t mind not having electricity or running water—instead, she’s got tall trees, fresh streams, and endless sky.

But then her parents divorce, and Rigel and her sisters have to move with their mom to the Connecticut suburbs to live with a grandmother they’ve never met. Rigel hates it in Connecticut. It’s noisy, and crowded, and there’s no real nature. Her only hope is a secret pact that she made with her father: If she can stick it out in Connecticut for one year, he’ll bring her back home.

At first, surviving the year feels impossible. Middle school is nothing like the wilderness, and she doesn’t connect with anyone . . . until she befriends a crow living behind her school. And if this wild creature has made a life for itself in the suburbs, then, just maybe, Rigel can too.

365 Days to Alaska is a wise and funny debut novel about finding beauty, hope, and connection in the world no matter where you are—even Connecticut.

“Rigel’s big heart made my own heart ache. A funny and poignant fish-out-of-water tale with all the right feels and an important reflection on how we can all find our way home.” —John David Anderson, author of Ms. Bixby’s Last Day

“Rigel’s suspenseful journey toward finding a home for her brave and wild heart is one that will help us all discover the beauty and uniqueness of where we are.” —Francisco X. Stork, author of Marcelo in the Real World

“Readers will want to travel alongside Rigel as she struggles to survive the halls of middle school as well as she did the Alaskan bush. 365 Days to Alaska is a wonderful debut novel about compassion, belonging, and finding your way home when you feel lost in the wilderness.” —Lynne Kelly, author of Song for a Whale

“Cathy Carr’s debut is a poignant novel about family and truth, particularly the uncomfortable truths between fathers and daughters, told in a voice full of insight, love, and humor. She’s an author to watch, full of wisdom and exquisite heart.” —Carrie Jones, NYT bestselling author of the Need and Time Stoppers series

“Rigel Harman isn’t just any outsider—she’s an Alaskan Bush outsider. Carr’s empathic and outstanding debut novel will move readers of all ages, creating internal acceptance not only for Rigel but also for ourselves.” —Bethany Hegedus, author of Grandfather Gandhi

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419743801
Publisher:	Amulet Books
Publication date:	01/19/2021
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	90,683
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Cathy Carr grew up in Wisconsin, where a steady supply of her dad’s stories about his Alaskan adventures sparked her interest in the forty-ninth state. A former copy editor, library clerk, and technical writer, she now lives in New Jersey with her family and writes fiction. Visit her online at cathycarrwrites.com.

Editorial Reviews

Rigel’s suspenseful journey toward finding a home for her brave and wild heart is one that will help us all discover the beauty and uniqueness of where we are.

author of Marcelo in the Real World Francisco X. Stork

"Carr's heartfelt debut features classic middle-school problems, like dodging mean kids, as well as Rigel's vivid feelings of displacement and deep love for nature."

Booklist

Cathy Carr’s debut is a poignant novel about family and truth, particularly the uncomfortable truths between fathers and daughters, told in a voice full of insight, love, and humor. She’s an author to watch, full of wisdom and exquisite heart.

NYT bestselling author of the Need and Time Stoppe Carrie Jones

Rigel’s big heart made my own heart ache. A funny and poignant fish-out-of-water tale with all the right feels and an important reflection on how we can all find our way home.

author of Ms. Bixby’s Last Day John David Anderson

"This is a solid middle grades story with an unusual hook, and kids who have made their own adjustments will relate to Rigel."

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Rigel’s big heart made my own heart ache. Afunny and poignant fish-out-of-water tale with all the right feels and an important reflection on how we can all find our way home.”—John David Anderson, author of Ms. Bixby’s Last Day

“Rigel’s suspenseful journey toward finding a home for her brave and wild heart is one that will help us all discover the beauty and uniqueness of where we are.”—Francisco X. Stork, author of Marcelo in the Real World

“Readers will want to travel alongside Rigel as she struggles to survive the halls of middle school as well as she did the Alaskan bush. 365 Days to Alaska is a wonderful debut novel about compassion, belonging, and finding your way home when you feel lost in the wilderness.”—Lynne Kelly, author of Song for a Whale

“Cathy Carr’s debut is a poignant novel about family and truth, particularly the uncomfortable truths between fathers and daughters, told in a voice full of insight, love, and humor. She’s an author to watch, full of wisdom and exquisite heart.”—Carrie Jones, NYT bestselling author of the Need and Time Stoppers series

“Rigel Harman isn’t just any outsider—she’s an Alaskan Bush outsider. Carr’s empathic and outstanding debut novel will move readers of all ages, creating internal acceptance not only for Rigel but also for ourselves.”—Bethany Hegedus, author of Grandfather Gandhi

"Rigel herself—homesick for her old life, uncertain (and ambivalent) about how to navigate this new one—is sure to resonate with young, housebound readers.A likable, timely debut." —Kirkus Reviews

"Carr's heartfelt debut features classic middle-school problems, like dodging mean kids, as well as Rigel's vivid feelings of displacement and deep love for nature." —Booklist

"This is a solid middle grades story with an unusual hook, and kids who have made their own adjustments will relate to Rigel." —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Rigel is a fun character; she has a lot in common with average tweens trying to find their place in the world." —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

Rigel’s big heart made my own heart ache. A funny and poignant fish-out-of-water tale with all the right feels and an important reflection on how we can all find our way home.

author of Ms. Bixby’s Last Day John David Anderson

01/01/2021

Gr 4–7—Eleven-year-old Rigel Harman is a happy kid who loves living off the grid with her close-knit family in Alaska. Rigel's life looks very different from most American students; she hunts, takes correspondence classes by mail instead of attending school, and has no running water or electricity. Things change when her parents divorce, and she and her sisters move to the Connecticut suburbs with their mother to live with a grandmother they've never met. But Rigel has a secret pact with her father: After one year, she can come home. Rigel hates middle school and Connecticut. She misses real nature and feels out of place. She befriends a small, wounded crow living behind her school and spends her free time with it. Caring for the crow helps her make friends, reconnect with her family, and fit in while still being herself. Rigel is a fun character; she has a lot in common with average tweens trying to find their place in the world, but her experiences in Alaska may be an informative peek into different lifestyles. The story shows how a strong family structure and the willingness to ask for help can be keys to success; the book also depicts the school library as a sanctuary for students. VERDICT This charming novel is recommended for realistic fiction fans who love nature and animals.—Christina Pesiri, Island Trees H.S., Levittown, NY

School Library Journal

2020-11-17
Divorce separated Rigel from her dad and beloved home in Alaska’s remote interior; now living in Connecticut with her mother and sisters, she clings to his promise: If she sticks it out for a year, she can return.

Willow, 14; Rigel, 11; and Izzy, 5, were raised off the grid in a two-room cabin without electricity or indoor plumbing and were educated by mail—a life their parents, Bear and Lila, chose. Living with Lila’s mother suits Willow and Izzy. Grandma’s nice, her home’s amenities (a TV room, appliances, four bathrooms!) are amazing, and school is fun. Rigel, on the other hand, detests the noise; the orange, light-polluted night sky; and the fake, plastic, urban world her father also despises. At school she feels like an exotic outsider, a target for a posse of mean girls. When her one tentative friendship sputters, Rigel despairs until she befriends an injured crow behind the school. Aware that taming wild animals puts them at risk, Rigel still can’t resist feeding and naming it. Blueberry reminds her of Alaska’s ravens and provides companionship when Bear’s postcards and calls taper off. Rigel’s family is White; a Native Alaskan community and several secondary characters of color are respectfully, if briefly, portrayed. The clichéd mean girls excepted, characters are believable and engaging. Rigel herself—homesick for her old life, uncertain (and ambivalent) about how to navigate this new one—is sure to resonate with young, housebound readers.

A likable, timely debut. (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews

Rigel Harman isn’t just any outsider—she’s an Alaskan Bush outsider. Carr’s empathic and outstanding debut novel will move readers of all ages, creating internal acceptance not only for Rigel but also for ourselves.

author of Grandfather Gandhi Bethany Hegedus

Readers will want to travel alongside Rigel as she struggles to survive the halls of middle school as well as she did the Alaskan bush. 365 Days to Alaska is a wonderful debut novel about compassion, belonging, and finding your way home when you feel lost in the wilderness.

author of Song for a Whale Lynne Kelly