Alaska's Dog Heroes: True Stories of Remarkable Canines (PAWS IV)

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Salisbury introduces us to conditions during the winter of 1925, the normal life and burdens of the sparse Alaskan population, the men who risked their lives and the lives of their best friends - the dogs who pull the sleds. Muller, Frank (1980), The call of the wild, Clinton, MD, ISBN 1-55690-082-1, OCLC 10115178 {{ citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher ( link) Call of the Wild The Call of the Wild, considered by many London's greatest novel, is a gripping tale of a heroic dog that, thrust into the brutal life of the Alaska Gold Rush, ultimately faces a choice between living in man's world and returning to nature. Because they typically only have one to three puppies at a time in their exceedingly tiny litters, Alaskan Klee Kais are rather uncommon, especially outside of Alaska. The husky ancestry of the Klee Kai is said to be responsible for their bright and vivacious demeanor. 5. Alaskan Malador

The actual story about the diphtheria outbreak makes up only a small portion of the book. I really wanted to hear more about it, but I realize that everyone was busy staying alive, not documenting the potential disaster. The bulk of the book focuses on the local people, traditions, early Alaska, and dog sledding. I'll admit that I got a little bogged down with some of the side stories. I found the information about the early settlements and gold rushes and Eskimo populations very interesting. Some of the other detours became a bit tedious - aviation in Alaska, dog breeding, red tape etc. MOSS-COANE: So how did you prepare yourself for this 1,200-mile run? I mean, are there books written about how to survive the Iditarod?

Rod's Alaskan Guide Service – Fairbanks Snowmobile Tour

And then as I got older, some other things in my life made me start to understand the beauty of what they had been, how those people had lived. And I started to look at the beautiful parts of it. And now I think it was a great thing for me to do. It was wonderful for me to do. But I wasn't so sure at the time. You know, shoveling wheat all day or working on a combiner threshing machine was just - you can't breathe. You know, it's dust and everything. I remember that as very hard work.

Since dogs are such an important part of life in Alaska, a book about some famous dogs from that state is sure to be an interesting one. The stories of nineteen dogs that did amazing, extraordinary, or simply interesting things are included…Author Shelly Gill was one of the first women to complete the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, so she has the credentials to write this book. The icing on the cake, though, is the beautiful, life-like illustrations by Robin James.” Tiny Haines, Alaska, is ninety miles north of Juneau, accessible mainly by water or air--and only when the weather is good. Everything about Alaska, their lifestyle and hardships was so alien to me, but the author has done a great job explaining it. It was fascinating to learn about the first dwellers in the island of Nome, how the finding of a gold nugget made this place popular, how the economy bloomed and collapsed, all about the breeds of dogs, their strengths, how the dogs are adapted to the extreme cold, their diet and how the driver cares for the dogs. It was interesting to read about the treacherous routes, the extreme cold affecting the dog relay, the risks of riding on the frozen river, the chemical and physical changes due to hypothermia. When a deadly diphtheria epidemic swept through Nome, Alaska, in 1925, the local doctor knew that without a fresh batch of antitoxin, his patients would die.Today, we're going to remember author Gary Paulsen. He wrote about 200 books and sold about 35 million copies. The National Book Foundation described him as one of the most honored writers of contemporary literature for young people. Paulsen died last week of cardiac arrest at the age of 82.