Children, parents and teachers then began
asking me when a curriculum might be
created to go with the books. They told
me that the books were perfect for Alaska
studies, but also fit in with American
history, World War II, and other topics
because so many of the stories relate to
events outside of Alaska, too.
This past winter I finally had the time to
create workbooks and teacher guides for
each of the books. Many homeschoolers,
charter schools, and a few public schools are
now using the curriculum, and educators
tell me that children are having fun with the
lessons, activities, and word puzzles in the
workbooks.
The Aunt Phil’s Trunk Alaska history
series, which recently won the 2016
Literary Classics International award for
best nonfiction series, started out as a labor
of love to honor my aunt. I had no idea I
would fall in love with sharing Alaska’s
history along the way and that my strange
inheritance would bring so much joy to so
many people.
Old Schoolhouse Magazine customers save
$20-plus on Gold Nugget Special!
• Includes Aunt Phil’s Trunk Volume One,
Student Workbook and Teacher Guide
for $50
• Type in Schoolhouse at checkout for
discount.
Third-generation Alaskan Laurel Downing
Bill is author of the five-book Alaska
history series titled Aunt Phil’s Trunk.
She earned her degree in journalism from
UAA in 2003. Laurel’s written stories for
the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Alaska
Magazine, Senior Voice and Last Frontier
Magazine. She also appears weekly on Story
Time with Aunt Phil on CBS Anchorage
affiliate KTVA Channel 11.
www.TheOldSchoolhouse.com
Aunt Phil’s Trunk
Series Timeline
Aunt Phil’s Trunk Volume One,
Up to 1900
• Includes early Alaska up to
Klondike Gold Rush era
Aunt Phil’s Trunk Volume Two,
1900-1912
• Includes the birth of many towns,
Iditarod Trail and first summit of
Denali
Aunt Phil’s Trunk Volume Three,
1912-1935
• Includes Alaska Railroad, early
aviation and farmers heading north
Aunt Phil’s Trunk Volume Four,
1935-1960
• Includes World War II Japanese
invasion, Alaska-Canada Highway
and battle for Attu
Aunt Phil’s Trunk Volume Five,
1960-1984
• Includes early statehood, Good
Friday Earthquake and trans-Alaska
oil pipeline
Related Links
To watch episodes of Alaska Story Time
with Aunt Phil, which airs weekly on
Anchorage CBS affiliate KTVA, go to:
https://auntphilstrunk.com/aunt-phil-
now-on-tv/
To join in Alaska history Facebook
fun, go to: www.Facebook.com/Laurel
BillAuthor
To learn more about this Alaska his-
tory series, go to: https://auntphils
trunk.com/
