Cleo recommended this one to me. It's non-fiction, but parts of it read like a novel. Others read as a textbook. Alaska’s Dog Heroes: True Stories of Remarkable Caninesby Shelley Gillis achildren’s book that dog lovers will absolutely adore. There are nineteen dogs depicted in this book complete with a short write-up and beautiful illustration for each dog. …All ofthe stories that Gill shares are heroic in their own right and truly illustrate the loyalty and bravery of man’s best friend.” Tiny Haines, Alaska, is ninety miles north of Juneau, accessible mainly by water or air--and only when the weather is good.

PAULSEN: At first, I think it was Westerns and adventure stories and different things. But this librarian, she'd slip in a Melville every once in a while and, you know... I'll just go ahead and say it: I only had a vague idea of what happened during the 1925 race against an epidemic in Nome, and most of it from the animated "Balto." But now that I've seen the new "Togo" I realized: how ignorant of me. Still, I thought Disney being Disney, they probably dramatized the movie to the extreme, and I needed some reliable source of knowledge. MOSS-COANE: How did you communicate with your dogs? Did you ever develop a kind of growling that they understood? If you like adventure stories of amazing feats during the most difficult circumstances, this book is for you! Make sure you have a warm drink and a blanket nearby because it's about to get cold.This is the story of Bob Reeve, Alaska's first, most daring and most accomplished bush pilot. In 1932 he arrived in Valdez with no money, no plane and ill health. He soon made a career of doing the kind of flying that no one else wanted to do and earned the description of the the greatest rough-terrain pilot of our continent. Reception and legacy [ edit ] Cover of Classics Illustrated The Call of the Wild, published in 1952 Earlier this year, he published a memoir. One of the things he talked about on FRESH AIR was running the Iditarod - the 1,000-mile dog sled race across Alaska, which he did three times. We're going to hear two interviews with him today, starting with my 1992 interview, which we recorded after the publication of his book "Clabbered Dirt, Sweet Grass," which is about life on a small farm. Alaska Bear Tales is a best-selling collection of edge-of-your-seat accounts of true-life encounters with bears in Alaska. As far as Alaska books go, this one has the potential to make your hair stand on end! For all of you armchair mushers, here’s a list of 11 books about dogsledding. Some are about the Iditarod, some are about the Yukon Quest, while others may look at dogsledding in general. This is no means a comprehensive list, but rather a jumping off point for people who want to learn more about this astonishing sport. Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod by Gary Paulsen

Alaska is considered the last frontier of North America because of its breathtaking natural beauty, top-notch fish, and massive glaciers. In this part of the Arctic, few people live in the often harsh environment of Alaska. However, this state is home to a wide variety of animals, including dogs. The characters too are symbolic of types. Charles, Hal, and Mercedes symbolize vanity and ignorance, while Thornton and his companions represent loyalty, purity, and love. [34] Much of the imagery is stark and simple, with an emphasis on images of cold, snow, ice, darkness, meat, and blood. [42] In his career he was a market hunter, trapper, roadhouse owner, professional dog team musher, and federal predator agent. A naturalist at heart, he learned from personal observation the life secrets of moose, caribou, foxes, wolverines, mountain sheep, grizzly bears, and wolves—especially wolves.Smith, Geoffrey D. (13 August 1997). American Fiction, 1901–1925: A Bibliography. Cambridge University Press. p. 409. ISBN 978-0-521-43469-0 . Retrieved 28 August 2012. John Morgan and his wife can barely contain their excitement upon arriving as the new teachers in a Yup’ik Eskimo village on the Alaskan tundra. Lured north in search of adventure, the couple hope to immerse themselves in the ancient Arctic culture. But their move proves disastrous when a deadly epidemic strikes and the isolated tundra community descends into total chaos. A great twin text for this book is Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner. Both books are at the primary grade level with easy to read story lines. Stone Fox tells the story of Little Willy and Searchlight, a young boy and his dog who takes over his grandfathers farm after he becomes ill. In attempt to win money to save the farm Little Willy and his dog Searchlight enter into a dog sled race with some of highest skilled racers in town. Little Willy and Searchlight train day and night to compete in hopes to win the grand prize. Picture this: World War II has just ended and Dad decides to move the family to the wilds of Alaska. Hmm. Could be fun; could be a nightmare. The author of this book, Wayne Short, discovered what challenge really means when his mom and dad moved Wayne and his two brothers to the wilderness of Surprise Harbor at the tip of Admiralty Island. One quote at the end of this book sums it all - "Science made antitoxin that is in Nome today but science could not get it there. All the mechanical transportation marvels of modern times faltered in the presence of elements... Other engines might freeze and choke, but that oldest of all motors, the heart, whose fuel is blood and whose spark is courage, never stalls but once".