Description:

In this redesigned edition of Scott O'Dell's classic novel, a young Eskimo girl encounters frightening obstacles when she takes her father's place in the Iditarod, the annual 1,172-mile dogsled race in Alaska. ** ### Amazon.com Review Most young girls' experiences never involve hunting bearded seals on the ice, even within the Alaskan Eskimo culture. In Scott O'Dell's gripping novel, Bright Dawn is an exception. In her father's eyes, she became his son's replacement ever since her brother drowned. When Bright Dawn is 18 years old, her father, recently injured, insists that she take his place in the Iditarod, the famous Alaskan dogsled race covering more than a thousand miles between Anchorage and Nome. Unflinching, yet trembling in her mukluks, she faces her challenge head-on. Bright Dawn proves herself to be a strong, courageous heroine--crossing rivers, mountain ranges, and vast stretches of frozen tundra--with her team of dogs, including the lead Black Star. While the rush of wind and relentless, blinding stretches of ice are exhilarating, the dangers involved make Bright Dawn realize that it's not only the race, but her life that she's entrusting to her team of dogs. O'Dell, author of the Newbery Award-winning *Island of the Blue Dolphins*, has created an intense, suspenseful, clearly written adventure story that's sure to capture the imagination of young readers and take them for a blustery ride. *(Ages 9 to 12)* ### From Publishers Weekly When her father is injured while training for the Iditarod (the famous 1200-mile dogsled race between Anchorage and Nome), Bright Dawn eagerly takes his place. "The race is won by thinking," an older competitor warns her, which proves to be true. Like all superb adventure stories, this one concerns external threats from the elements and nature, as well as the inner battle: the strength of Bright Dawn's character. Of O'Dell's recent works this is one of his bestexciting to read and infused with dignity. The race, with an unexpected ending, gives the story its simple, penetrating structure. But the story's depth comes from Bright Star's admiration for her father, running like a current through the story. O'Dell's understated, laconic style seems perfectly suited to depicting their relationship. Ages 10-14. Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.