The Secrets of Chilkoot Trail

A family hiking trip in Alaska becomes a mission to save a hidden world.

Twelve-year-old Pearl and her younger brother, Frances, expect another unforgettable vacation with their adventurous grandparents. They do not expect CJ—the foster child staying with their grandparents—or to become separated from the adults on the historic Chilkoot Trail.

When Otis, Frances’s chocolate Lab, runs into the forest, the children follow. There they meet Yonni, a small, green-tinted gruegle and keeper of the woods.

The forest is dying, and the gruegles live under the rule of the tyrannical Grand Gruegle. To save the trees and find their way back, Pearl, Frances, and CJ must overcome their differences and apply what they learn about bark beetles, photosynthesis, and the fungal network beneath their feet.

The forest survives through connection. Now they must learn to do the same.

A middle-grade eco-fantasy adventure about teamwork, belonging, forest science, and Klondike history.

For families and educators: Includes questions covering science, social studies, vocabulary, and reading comprehension.