High Adventures for You

Tired of winter’s doldrums? These two books will throw you into the a middle of high adventure. Both center around “winter survival” stories, however one is real-life drama while other is pure entertainment.

The Adventures of the South Pole Pig reminded me of Charlotte’s Web, except this book closes with an upbeat, happy ending. The strong characters captured my heart. Author Chris Kurtz examines friendships and self-worth through the eyes of critters you’ll never forget.

Flora is the friend you want. She’s fun, honest, generous, and loyal. She dreams of adventure and disciplines herself to get in shape. Never mind that Flora is a pig. You’ll love her.

Sophia doesn’t want friends. She’s elegant, smart, realistic, and independent. Sophia wants to enjoy the comforts of home and stay dry because she’s a cat. As for Sophia—she’ll make you laugh.

Oscar lives for the race. The sled dog thrives and feels alive when he’s leading the pack, pulling a heavy sled through snow and ice. This strong dog captures your respect.

When all three are marooned in Antarctica, after their ship sinks, they must pull together to survive. It’s a novel of snow and courage as each animal faces their own shortcomings.

Ice Dogs by Terry Lynn Johnson is a page turner I didn’t want to put down. In the middle of Alaska’s frozen wilderness, Victoria stumbles across an injured boy and his wrecked snowmobile when she’s out with her sled dogs. The young teens are caught in a blizzard and become lost.

Their lives depend upon the dogs and the survival skills Victoria’s father taught her. As the teens struggle, Victoria is forced to face her grief from her father’s death and her responsibility for the broken relationship with her mother. Ice Dogs is a beautiful story of emotional healing.

The author writes from personal experience with mushing and brings the reader into the fascinating world of sled dogs as she fleshes out the different personalities of the canines.

Ice Dogs and The Adventures of South Pole Pig are rated at the fourth-eighth grade interest level. The reading level is third through fifth grade, and the Accelerated Reading Program rates both at 4.6. Both are good read aloud books.