Iditarod: Dogsled Race Across Alaska By Jeffrey B. Fuerst

    What is an Iditarod?  Where did the Iditarod originate?  If you are looking for answers to these questions then Fuerst's Iditarod: Dogsled Race Across Alaska might be just the perfect text.  Fuerst has written a little book about the yearly Iditarod race in Alaska, the history of the race, and terms related to dog racing on a level that children in 3rd and 4th Grade can easily comprehend.
      The book begins by discussing the Iditarod race and depicting a map of the 1,161 mile long trail.  Ever heard of the word "musher"? If so did you know that these sled drivers sleep for only one to two hours a day before sleeping for 24 hours straight during the middle of the race?  As readers continue reading they discover that the race emerged in the days of the Gold Rush when boats were incapable of transporting supplies to and from Alaskan towns.   Eventually dog sleds became useless as manufactured airplanes took over the jobs of transporting supplies in the harsh winter months.  However, when it seemed as if the Idtitarod would never be needed again a relay team of 20 dogsleds carried medicine to children in Nome in 1925, saving their lives and bringing back the dying art of dog sled racing.  Though snowmobiles soon diminished the need for dogsleds, a clan of dogsled fans worked to bring the Iditarod back to life and created the first official Iditarod Race in 1973.   
     Each page of the book displays photographs of actual races and mushers, maps of the trail, and descriptive captions delineating each picture and map, which greatly enhance the text.  Though it is a bit small for a read-aloud teachers could certainly use the book in small guided reading groups or discussion groups to enlightened students about the history and daily life of mushers. 
     Curious to find out the translation of Iditarod? Or possibly you might want to find out the amount it costs to keep a team of dogs and prepare for the race?  Read the book to find out!