Liv Arnesen is the first woman to ski solo to the South Pole. Her book about the journey was a bestseller in Norway.
Ann Bancroft is the first woman in history to ski to both the North and South poles. She was inducted into the National WomenÂ’s Hall of Fame.
Cheryl Dahle is a writer. Her work has appeared in Fast Company and Working Mother.
Adult/High School-Two middle-aged schoolteachers, an American and a Norwegian, set out in November 2000 to become the first women to travel across Antarctica on foot. Both women had extensive experience traveling on polar ice under very difficult conditions, but this journey was the ultimate test of their endurance. Arnesen and Bancroft relate that as children they both searched unsuccessfully for stories of girls having adventures and overcoming physical dangers. As adults they wanted to share their accomplishments in a way that would encourage others, especially children, to cultivate dreams and strive to attain them. They recruited teachers to develop a curriculum based on their expedition that could be used in art, science, mathematics, and literature classes. Cell phones, cameras, and a laptop computer allowed teachers and students to follow their progress as they dashed across the ice to reach their destination before winter darkness set in. And what an exciting trip it was. They often used skis with sails to glide over the ice. Each woman pulled a sled with up to 80 pounds of food and gear. They were in constant danger from fluky winds, deep crevasses, and temperatures as low as minus 35 degrees. The authors chronicle their daily life with a realistic yet inspiring attitude and reveal many intimate details. Color photos of the women training and of their expedition enhance the text. Teens will be inspired to live out their dreams, thus accomplishing the women's goal in writing this firsthand account.-Penny Stevens, Andover College, Portland, ME
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