The Last Great Race -- the Iditarod Begins!

The temperature can drop to -40° degrees or colder in a short time.  The wind can howl along with the dogs and wolves, and moose can attack without warning.  These are all things that happen during the Iditarod Dogsled Race, and it's running right now. This race runs every year in early March, to honor the memory of the 1925 dogsled relay from Anchorage to Nome -- a whopping 1331 miles -- to cure an outbreak of diphtheria.  Perhaps one of the greatest books ever written about this incredible endurance test of man and dog is Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod by Gary Paulsen. Paulsen, an author who writes primarily for children and young adults, takes a departure from his usual audience to write a hilarious account of his first attempt at running his dogsled team in the Iditarod.  His story is engaging from the first page, and continues to simultaneously lead the reader through laugh out loud stories and nail-biting descriptions of the race.  After you read this one, you'll probably be hooked on the Iditarod, and thankfully there are plenty of great books -- fiction and non-fiction -- to read about this "last great race."

Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod  by Gary Paulsen. Paulsen and his team of dogs endured snowstorms, frostbite, dogfights, moose attacks, sleeplessness, and hallucinations in the relentless push to go on. Map and color photographs.

A Fan's Guide to the Iditarod by Mary H. Hood A full reference to Alaska's annual 1,200-mile sled dog race, which since it was founded in 1973 has gained world attention. History, the race course, the volunteers and staff, the racers and their equipment, the dogs and their care, the weather, winners and other statistics, and controversies are among the topics. Includes many stunning photographs. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.

No End in Sight: MyLife as a Blind Iditarod Racer by Rachael Scdoris. The inspirational first person story of a young dog sled racer who had to overcome incredible odds to compete: she is legally blind For more than eleven years, twenty-one-year-old Rachael Scdoris has been guiding teams of sled dogs across jagged mountain ranges, frozen rivers, dense forests, and desolate tundra at speeds exceeding twenty mph. Not only is Rachael the youngest athlete to ever complete a 500-mile sled dog race mile, but she is also legally blind and has been since birth. Though she faced resistance from race organizers, Rachael finally achieved her goal of competing, with the aid of a visual interpreter, in the 2005 Iditarod Trail International Sled Dog Race across the wilds of Alaska. No End in Sight is a story full of heartache and hope, challenge and courage-- and ultimately the triumph of dreaming big and working to make those dreams come true 

RaceAcross Alaska: The First Woman to Win the Iditarod Tells Her Story by Libby Riddles.  Explores the history of the trail and celebrated the frontiersmen and their dogs who braved its dangers.

-KF