Ice Island

Ice Island
Author(s)
Genre(s)
Age Range
8+
Release Date
January 10, 2012
ISBN
0385741545
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What begins as a training run with sled dogs turns into a race against time for Tatum and her new friend, a Siberian Yupik boy named Cole. When a freak blizzard hits this remote island off the coast of Alaska, the duo seeks shelter overnight in a dilapidated hunting cabin. Their harrowing ordeal goes from bad to worse when wind-driven snow forces them to risk an alternate route. Stranded in the untamed wilderness, they must rely on each other—as well as their faithful huskies—to survive sub-zero temperatures and bone-numbing exhaustion. Worse still, their food supply is dangerously low. The most daunting decision comes when the strongest dog runs away. One person must go for help, while one must stay behind. Either way, they'll both be alone in the wild for an uncertain amount of time.

What begins as a training run with sled dogs turns into a race against time for Tatum and her new friend, a Siberian Yupik boy named Cole. When a freak blizzard hits this remote island off the coast of Alaska, the duo seeks shelter overnight in a dilapidated hunting cabin. Their harrowing ordeal goes from bad to worse when wind-driven snow forces them to risk an alternate route. Stranded in the untamed wilderness, they must rely on each other—as well as their faithful huskies—to survive sub-zero temperatures and bone-numbing exhaustion. Worse still, their food supply is dangerously low. The most daunting decision comes when the strongest dog runs away. One person must go for help, while one must stay behind. Either way, they'll both be alone in the wild for an uncertain amount of time.

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2 reviews
Mesmerizing & Exciting
Overall rating
 
5.0
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Ice Island is the story of thirteen year old Tatum, who loves sled dogs, the Iditarod, and everything about mushing a team of dogs. She dreams of owning her own dog team and entering the Iditarod when she turns eighteen. Her dreams seem very far away as her father works in a remote Alaskan location for the entire winter while Tatum and her mother work odd jobs just to scrimp and save. But then Tatum is given a sled dog by an Iditarod runner who is also a friend. And when a local boy sees her practicing sledding in the village, he asks her to help him practice for an upcoming race by doing a training run with him.

The run is fraught with danger when a blizzard strikes and what was supposed to be a two hour trip turns into five days. The story is gripping as Tatum and Cole battle to survive alone in a snow white wilderness without food or shelter. I loved the role the dogs play in the book--it reminded me of Jack London's Call of the Wild. The details about Alaskan villages, customs, weather, and way of life are so intricately woven into the story that I felt like I was there. This book is adventurous, lovely, and compelling in all the right ways. Readers will love it.
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