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No one expected the girl from a small town in Alaska to make history, but Elizabeth Peratrovich saw discrimination and refused to stay silent. Fairness became the driving force of her life. She helped change Alaska so everyone, no matter what race, would be treated equally under the law. This is her story.
A Bright Light of Hope: The Elizabeth Peratrovich Story is the first picture biography for young people that tells the true story of the remarkable Alaska Native woman whose fight, alongside other Alaska leaders, guaranteed equal treatment under Alaska law, regardless of race. It was a right that took the rest of the country nearly twenty more years to realize with the US Civil Rights Act of 1964. Beautifully illustrated by Yup’ik artist Apay’uq Moore and adapted from Fighter in Velvet Gloves: Alaska Civil Rights Hero Elizabeth Peratrovich for grade school students, A Bright Light of Hope is just that—a light of hope. Published at a time when stories of Indigenous people are being actively suppressed by the federal government, the Elizabeth Peratrovich story brings hope to young people that they can make real change in their communities.
An accompanying study guide that features a scripted theatrical adaptation of the book intended for student performance as well as a variety of classroom activities is also available.
“This book allows teachers to work with their community of learners to establish a safe place to have these conversations. To learn from one another and use the example of a strong, intentional leader on how they can make their own change for the better in their world.”
—Jessica Curry, Juneau School District
“Teachers around the state of Alaska will find this book invaluable for their students.”
—Shannon Clouse, Dillingham City School District
Annie Boochevergrew up in Juneau, where she became a teacher and playwright. During four decades as an educator, Annie wrote and produced more than a dozen multicultural musical plays for elementary students, earned an MFA in creative writing for children and young adults from the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts, and cofounded the Alaska Children’s Theater. Her books Bristol Bay Summer and Fighter in Velvet Gloves: Alaska Civil Rights Hero Elizabeth Peratrovich, written in collaboration with Roy Peratrovich Jr., have won numerous awards.