Donna and Will Lane live with their alcoholic father in a small town in Ohio in the 1950's. Their mother is presumed dead from cancer. High school senior Donna has shown her maturity by taking it upon herself to help raise Will. Young Will is obsessed with the idea of Alaska and he has been eating cereal in order to collect ten boxtops that he can send in to claim his one square inch of Alaska. When he receives the deed to his land, he is determined to visit there some day. But Will becomes ill, and on the spur of the moment, Donna decides to take Will and a Siberian husky named Trusty that Will has friended to visit his one square inch of Alaska. They set off in an old convertible using an old road atlas as a guide on a road trip to the Alaskan Territory.

Even though this trip to the Alaskan territory doesn't take place until late in the book, the one square inch of Alaska represents much more than the land itself. It means having goals and a dream to achieve. And it means believing in something enough to make it happen against all odds.

The book is a story of brother and sister love and of courage and determination in spite of many difficulties. It is a quick read that will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride. And even though it is considered an adult book, I believe it would be a suitable young adult read. ( )

Such a cute book with an incredibly sweet story. ( )

With shoe-horned sweetness and Americana, My One Square Inch of Alaska is hindered by unfocused plotting. ( )

I'm not quite sure where I read a review of this book but it intrigued me enough to want to read it. I wasn't blown over by it but I did enjoy the story. I also liked the time setting, the early 1950s, because I wasn't born until 1953 and don't have any memories of that time.

Donna Lane, a high school senior, has been looking after her little brother Will almost as long as she can remember. Their mother died when Will was just a baby and their father fell to pieces. He drinks a lot and hardly seems to realize he has children. Donna found her mother's dresses in suitcases in the basement and has been making them over for herself. She's a very talented seamstress and her plan is to finish high school and go to New York to work. Will is a fan of a radio and TV series set in Alaska. When a cereal company promised a deed to a square inch of Alaska if kids sent in 10 box tops, Will set his heart on getting that deed. Will also wants to go to Alaska when he gets his deed and he wants to take Trusty, a guard dog in a junkyard who is being abused.

How Will and Donna get to Alaska is only part of the story. It's also about first love and determination and making choices. I thought the love story between Donna and the paper mill owner's son was a little heavy handed. It's a little hard to believe that dating a boy could make such a difference in how people treated Donna. However, maybe things were more clear cut in the 1950s. ( )

Wonderful,well-told story about Donna and her young brother, Will, and their journey to find their "One Square Inch of Alaska.". Great characters, great small town setting, and interesting peripheral characters make this story an easy and compelling read. I finished it it a day as I could not stop reading. ( )