Balto and the Great Race Book

This book provides a good overview for young readers who might be interested in the true story of Balto and/or the origins of the Iditarod. I picked it up because it was the only Kindle book about Balto available from our public library and I wanted a better sense of the history to help support a unit of study some of our 7th graders are doing. Balto and the Great Race would be a fun read aloud with younger students.

The story is enhanced by explanations of what happened to Balto after the famous run to Nome, as well as by the author's admission of conflicting information about the details of the event. Ms. Kimmel managed to convey the danger and intensity without too much speculation or embellishment, allowing the events to speak for themselves. My only concern was the assertion that, "Every Alaskan dog with a breath of life in him dreamed of running the great northern sled races," made in the opening chapter of the book.