Iditarod Country: Exploring the Route of the Last Great Race

Explores the Eskimo villages, abandoned gold-mining towns, and remote homsteads connected by the 1,100 mile Iditarod race while celebrating the volunteers who pull the whole event together

Grade 6 Up-A unique glimpse at the people, places, and spirit of the Last Great Race. The full-page, double-page, and "thumbnail" size crisp, full-color photos complement the short, information-packed, readable stories. The text and visuals highlight the remote villages, hundreds of volunteers, tidbits of race history, and humorous Iditarod lore, providing readers with a hint of what it's like to spend time at the checkpoints along the trail. A map shows the route. Unfortunately, no other maps are included so it's necessary to return to this one to follow the sequence of the checkpoints. Brown offers a different perspective on Alaska's history, geography, remoteness, native culture, and bush lifestyle that is usually overlooked in geography books. Bill Sherwonit's Iditarod (Alaska Northwest, 1991), an expanded version of this title in a large format and with more text and photographs, includes more about mushers and the dogs whereas Brown sticks to the checkpoint history and people. Ruth Crisman's Racing the Iditarod Trail (Dillon, 1983) offers more details on the checkpoints, history, and volunteers but lacks the insights into the people along the trail. This is an attractive book, but the very small print may turn off some readers.
Roz Goodman, Bering Strait School District Media Center, Unalakleet, AK
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.