“The Great Serum Race: Blazing the Iditarod Trail” by Debbie S. Miller, illustrations by Jon Van Zyle

This picture book for older children tells the full story of the legendary 1925 race to Nome, Alaska, to deliver diphtheria antitoxin serum. The run was actually a relay, completed by many mushers and teams (a chart showing the name of the musher and the distance covered is included in the back of the book).

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    In her first-person narrative, Jonrowe describes her year preparing for the racing season and living the sledder’s life. The book begins with the 1993 Iditarod, in which Jonrowe placed second, and ends with the 1994 race. The authors cover dog training, the raising of pups for future teams, other races such as the Alpinrod in Europe, and the politics of the Iditarod.

    Photographs combine with lively illustrations and engaging, age-appropriate stories in DK Readers, a multilevel reading program guaranteed to capture children’s interest while developing their reading skills and general knowledge. Snow Dogs! Racers of the North takes readers into the exciting world of dogsled racing, revealing what it takes to be the leader of the pack.

    45 minute video about the world’s preeminent long distance sled dog racer – and a true Alaskan legend! In 2007 – and again in 2008 – Lance Mackey made racing history when he won two 1,000 mile races back-to-back, the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod, with most of the same dogs – an incredible feat of endurance, long considered almost impossible.

    Alaska’s famous furry citizens, the dogs of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, are the most athletic canines in the world. From puppyhood to first days in the harness, from championship runs across a thousand miles of snow to years of pampered retirement, these spectacular dogs are indeed man’s (and woman’s) best friends.

    Known as the Winningest Musher in the World, Jeff King remains one of the top mushers in the history of sled dog sports. King has racked up thirty years of first-person stories that offer a glimpse into the heart of a champion, the rugged Alaskan lifestyle, and the charismatic world of dogs.

    In 1978, Dick Mackey claimed the most dramatic victory ever in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, crossing the finish line in Nome a mere one second ahead of Rick Swenson after a two-week, 1,149 mile-run from Anchorage. Many years later Alaskans still shake their heads in amazement. In One Second to Glory, Mackey shares this and many other adventures: Making a home in the forntier state in the heady first day s of Statehood; Surviving the 1964 earthquake and helping rebuild Alaska; Mushing against “Doc” Lombard and George Attla in the heyday of sprint racing; Helping Joe Redington organize the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race; experience 82 degrees below zero at Coldfoot, his famous Arctic Circle truck stop; Mackey’s colorful stories are told in his own words in interviews with Lew Freedman, outdoor adventure writer for the Chicago Tribune and longtime former sports editor of the Anchorage Daily News. Freedman has written seventeen books about Alaska.

    The Iditarod has been called the “Last Great Race on Earth.” Spanning over 1,150 miles of the roughest terrain in the world, this race crosses jagged mountain ranges, frozen rivers, forest, tundra, and miles of windswept coast. Add to that the below-zero temperatures, winds that cause complete loss of visibility, long hours of darkness, treacherous climbs, and you know this nickname is no joke. A race this rugged would not even be possible for the human competitors (or “mushers”) without their sled dogs! With between 12 to 15 per team and over 50 teams competing, there are nearly 750 dogs that compete in this race every year. Doggy-lovers and children everywhere will love to learn about these dogs and just how exactly they manage to compete in this grueling race. MUSH! will teach young readers about the Iditarod, the mushers, and the dogs whose history dates back to the famous Balto. Full-color photos will be used throughout to complement the informative text.

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