Title:

Author (Copyright Date):

Notes:

Akiak: A Tale from the Iditarod

Robert J. Blake (1997)

Akiak is running her last Iditarod, but she is hurt on the fourth day.  Will she be able to help her team?
Picture book or independent readers.

Grades:1-4

Lexile: 590

Alaska’s Snow White and Her Seven Sled Dogs

Mindy Dwyer (2015)

Alaska themed retelling of favorite fairy tales.

Grades: Preschool-3

Lexile: AD890

Unit Plan

A Team Like No Other

Georgia Graham (2004)

Stephen and his dad love running their dog team in Southern Alberta. But one run almost leads to disaster.

Grades:1-2.

F&P: Z.

Danger the Dog Yard Cat

Shelley Gill (1987)

Illustrated by: Shannon Cartwright

Danger the cat leads Libby Riddles dog team in the Iditarod.  

Grades: K-3

Dogteam

Gary Paulsen (1993)

Illustrated by: Ruth Wright Paulsen

Enjoy the beauty of the outdoors as Gary and Ruth Paulsen collaborate to produce this lyrical account of a dog team’s night run. The text is wonderful for discussing imagery in older grades as well.

Grades: Preschool – 2

Lexile: AD960

Hide Away Husky

Lisa McCue (2016)

Paw is too little to be on the team. Can he prove his worth to his musher and gain a spot on the line?

Grades: Preschool – 2

Lexile: AD610

Lesson Idea

Kamik An Inuit Puppy Story

Kamik’s First Sled

Kamik Joins the Pack

Kamik Takes the Lead

Donald Uluadluak (2012)

Matilda Sulurayok (2015)

Darryl Baker (2016)

Darryl Baker (2020)

A series of stories inspired by the real life recollections of elders from Arviat, Nunavut. Through out the course of the series, Jake and his Inuit puppy, Kamik, learn from their elders everything they need to know to someday become the part of a winning sled dog team.  

Grades K-2

Lexile:AD850 (Adult Directed)

Book Unit

This book follows a dog’s journey on the Iditarod.  Glossary.  Picture book.

Grades: Preschool – 3

Painter and Ugly are two best friends who are always together, until they get put on different teams for the Junior Iditarod. 

Grades: K-3

Lexile: AD600

Book Unit

Silver is the runt of the litter, but Rachel believes he will be a champion leader. When her father finishes the Iditarod, she discovers Silver is missing and embarks o a search to find him.

Ages 6-9

Grades 1-4

Lexile: 840 / F&P: N

Sled Dogs Run

Jonathan London (2005)

Illustrated by Jon Van Zyle

Lyrical text and Jon Van Zyle’s illustrations provide information about dogs and mushing.    

Ages 6-9 years old

Based on fact, the story of Leonard Seppala’s lead dog Togo and the 1925 Serum Run.  Picture book.

Grades: Preschool – 3

Lexile:620

A rhyming picture book that takes readers on a sled dog ride in Minnesota through the eyes of a young girl who dreams of running Iditarod one day. Poetically written with clever use of words and imagery, this book is a fun read and would be useful teaching basic mushing terms and information about the sport.  There are several pages at the end of the book that can help guide or extend learning.  vocabulary and background information.

Preschool- Grade 2

Ziva, a young sled dog, decides whether to stay with the man that has trained her or to run free. 

Ages: 5-9

Lexile: AD510