Akiak: A Tale from the Iditarod

by Robert J. Blake

Book Overview

It is Iditarod day. Fifty-six dog teams will race through 1,151 miles of rugged Alaskan terrain from Anchorage to Nome. Akiak knows these miles well. As lead dog, she has raced the incredible trail before, but never won. She is ten years old: if she is going to win, it must be now. When snow hurts her paw on the fourth day out, Mick, her musher, must leave her behind and continue the race without her. The rules say once a dog is dropped from the race,...

• Format: Library Binding
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399227989
• ISBN13: 9780399227981
• Release Date: September 1997
• Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 9.0" x 11.1"
• Age Range: 6 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 1 to 7

Customer Reviews

Ain't No Stopping Her Now - She's Got to Mush!

A beautiful malamute named Akiak is featured in this book about Alaskan sled dog runs. The story of the old malamute who literally ran herself into the snow, when she reached a point where she could not "run on that paw," Akiak is taken to a dog drop off place. The malamute's indomitable spirit shows through. Instead of waiting for the little puddle jumper plane to fly her out of the area, the curly tailed dog escapes and rejoins her team, even though the team has a lead of several hours on her. The spirited malamute brings to mind MacFadden & Whitehead's 1979 classic, "Ain't No Stopping Us Now." There ain't no stopping Akiak now - she won't give up! Readers not only race with the mushers, they run with the malamute who would not give up. Her travels and travails become those of the readers; her success will leave readers cheering with delight. The drawings in this book are masterpiece paintings and readers will come away with a good understanding of dog racing and the rules and history of this sport. A trail map has been included along with some final notes about the sport of dog racing. A masterpiece of a book!

Akiak Book Review - Valentin

This was an absolutely outstanding book! Our family thoroughly enjoyed this book and the amazing degree of emotions one goes through while reading this heartwarming story. The illustrations were also fabulous. Thank you for producing such a wonderful piece of literature! Sincerely, The Valentins

A heartwarming dog story from the land of bitter cold!

We recently added "Akiak" to our elementary school library collection, because one of our primary classes was following this year's Iditarod. It instantly became a popular title, and several other classes have thoroughly enjoyed it as a read-aloud.I can see "Akiak" becoming an annual tradition, right before the first "mush" of the famous Alaskan sled-dog race.In frosty clear language, accompanied by his museum-quality oil paintings, Robert Blake, presents a day by day account of Mick's team, initially led by 10 year-old Akiak, until she "can't run on that paw." Akiak is left at a dog drop, but refusing to be flown out, she breaks free to chase after her team, many hours behind.In this "incredible journey," students get a taste of the Alaskan's passion for this unique sport, learning about the hardships and rules of the race along the way. The trail map on the end papers would be helpful for those wanting to turn this into a simple geography lesson.This excellent story works on many levels. This is worth reading, even if you're just looking for a heartwarming dog story!

The Iditarod brought to life

My kids thoroughly enjoyed this story of the dog who refused to give up when it becomes injured during the race and runs the Iditarod trail alone. The pictures are absolutely beautiful as well. There is plenty of action and suspense, and my children beg to hear it every night!

Colorful dramatic paintings add to the descriptive narrative

I strongly advise parents to adopt this book as one of their all time favorites. It explains an American tradition that most of us are unfamiliar with. The paintings alone are worth the cost of the book. Mr. Blake has used true artistry to describe the trama of the Iditarod. We Loved It!