Over the Top of the World

A day-to-day narrative captures the sometimes life-threatening experiences of renowned polar explorer Will Steger and his team as they travel by dogsled over the North Pole to record ecological changes in the Arctic.

Grade 4 Up. Outstanding photographs, interest-grabbing journal entries, and myriad Arctic travel-related tidbits of information are packed into this visually appealing account of Will Steger's 1995 expedition across the North Pole via skis, dog sled, and canoe-sled. Starting from the western edge of Siberia, 4 men and 2 women from 5 countries and 33 dogs began their 4-month adventure across the constantly shifting frozen Arctic Ocean to the northern edge of Canada. The powerfully descriptive words and well-captioned, action-intense pictures give readers a "you are there" sensation as they pore over images of the team's challenging, life-threatening, awe-inspiring experiences. Interspersed with Steger's personalized account are background information and facts about the expedition; a brief history of Arctic exploration; a geographic description of the Arctic Ocean; mini-biographies of the team members and the dogs; and a supply list. Teachers will find this a useful title to supplement units on journal writing, discovery and exploration, cooperation and teamwork, expedition planning, decision-making and problem-solving skills, survival, the Arctic ecosystem, and environmental studies. This riveting photo-journal is a winner.?Roz Goodman, Bering Strait School District Media Center, Unalakleet,
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Steger (for adults, Crossing Antarctica, 1992) recounts how, in 1995, he set out with 2 women, 4 men, 33 dogs, and 2 tons of gear to cross the ice-covered Arctic Ocean in this real-life adventure story. Teachers of geography and earth science will want to grab this text, packed with full-color photos of the Arctic landscape, the dog sleds, and team members in their elaborate gear, performing the many tasks necessary for their daily existence in a sub-zero environment. Steger's voyage, told in journal form, is straightforward but dramatic: Adversity confronted the group early on, when a sled broke through the ice and nearly drowned a team of dogs. Subsequently, one of the seasoned explorers resigned, and the remaining members of the group were forced to reassign responsibilities, reduce the number of sleds, and accept a 300-mile airlift over unstable ice. Steger's narrative shows that while the team charted their position with computers, communicated with classrooms around the world via a satellite uplink to the Internet, and wore clothing spun from space-age fiber, it was their physical stamina, knowledge of their dog teams, and their ability to work together that ultimately led to their success. The whole project is inspiring, and readers will find that it's worthwhile to get acquainted with this band of intrepid and remarkable people. (Nonfiction. 8-12) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Gr. 4^-7. Modern equipment such as sophisticated navigational tools and a connection to the Internet ease Arctic travel somewhat, but as Steger's account makes clear, crossing the Arctic Ocean is still a thrilling, grueling, and perilous journey. The book first describes the purpose of the trip and introduces the hardy, courageous members of the team, both human and canine, before embarking on the diary-like narrative of the trek. Written with a crispness and an immediacy, the narrative reads like an adventure story, with dramatic, compelling photographs (like that of a team member with his beard frozen into tiny icicles) adding greatly to the interest. Susan Dove Lempke