Iditarod Books

by Donald Bowers

The Iditarod Sled Dog Race has become a central icon of modern Alaska culture, and by extension has found an enduring place in the national imagination. It seems to combine just about everything most people find most appealing about Alaska—dogs, adventure, history, wilderness, personal struggle, pioneer spirit, the Gold Rush, Native culture, and much more. Not surprisingly, the Iditarod is gaining nationwide acceptance in schools as a useful tool for teaching a broad array of subjects, at levels from kindergarten through high school. The Iditarod has even generated its own literature, with dozens of books already published and more in the works. These books range in quality from superb to not very good, in reading level from pre-school to graduate level, and cover a number of different themes under the overall Iditarod umbrella.

This bibliography is an attempt to create a reasonably comprehensive annotated Iditarod bibliography with enough information to allow teachers and other interested readers to make informed decisions about Iditarod-related books. Some books will deal directly with the Iditarod, some with related subjects such as dog mushing and history. Some books are old or out of print. Some are not yet published. All are classified into several categories or themes. Use the selection below to go to a listing of books for the specific category.

Some books may fit into more than one category. Each book has a suggested grade level; most adult books are considered to be appropriate for middle school and above. Some adult books contain sections not appropriate for younger readers, but include useful material for teachers; these will be so annotated where known. Authors and illustrators who are (or have been) Iditarod mushers are denoted with an asterisk (*). Some books have minimal listings and are provided mainly for completeness; some of these are out of print or obscure and were not available for detailed review. Finally, some of the reviews have been adapted from the indispensable Alaska Children’s Literature Bibliography, compiled by Katy Spangler, Ph.D., available through the Alaska Staff Development Network and the University of Alaska Southeast School of Education, 11120 Glacier Highway, Juneau, Alaska 99801-8671 Phone: (907) 465-6405.

This bibliography is intended to grow as the literature centered around the Iditarod expands. Suggestions, corrections, and additions are welcome, please e-mail Lois Harter or phone the Iditarod Trail Committee at (907) 376-5155.

Iditarod-related books are available through an ever-increasing number of sources. The Iditarod Trail Online Store has many of the books available at any given time. The popular on-line bookstores have many Iditarod books. Out-of-print books are sometimes available through their out-of-print service, and there are any number of used booksellers who will do free searches. At least two Alaska bookstores have excellent Alaska related book selections and can provide personalized service if you call them:

Cook Inlet Book Company: E-mail: ckinbook@alaska.net; 415 West 15th Avenue; Anchorage, Alaska 99501; Phone: (907) 258-4544; Fax (907) 258-4491

Title Wave Used Books: E-mail: wavebooks@compuserve.com; 1068 Fireweed Lane; Anchorage, Alaska 99508; Toll free: (888) 598-9283; Phone: (907) 278-9283; Fax (907) 278-7321

Iditarod Books

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