The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
	The Bulletin Dozen is a monthly theme-based booklist available as an online-only Bulletin feature. Since we're awfully fond of bakers here at the Bulletin, we thought we'd adopt their philosophy of generosity and throw in an extra one or two when we have them to offer--so don't expect an even dozen. Please feel free to copy, download, or link to these lists. We ask only that you cite the source. See the archive for lists from previous months.
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Poles Apart, Part 1: The Arctic --selected by Jeannette Hulick Love it or hate it, winter is here. If you’re not all that fond of the white stuff, take heart—it could be worse. Here are a dozen tales of the frozen north, sure to make you grateful for cozy sweaters, central heating, and hot chocolate. Though mittens may make it hard to turn pages, you may just want to bundle up before reading.

• Bierhorst, John, ad. The Dancing Fox: Arctic Folktales; illus. by Mary K. Okheena. Morrow, 1997. Gr. 4-8
  This carefully researched and highly readable anthology of Inuit tales combines spirit-world magic with fascinating details of traditional Inuit culture, as the stories’ intrepid characters face obstacles both real and supernatural. (BCCB 7/97)
• Brandenburg, Jim. To the Top of the World : Adventures with Arctic Wolves; written and illus. with photographs by Jim Brandenburg; ed. by JoAnn Bren Guernsey. Walker, 1993. Gr. 4-7
  Young wildlife enthusiasts will appreciate Brandenburg’s gorgeous photos as well as his absorbing account of his interactions with a group of Arctic wolves. (BCCB 11/93)
• Dupree, Kelly. The Raven’s Gift: A True Story from Greenland; written and illus. by Kelly Dupre. Houghton, 2001. 5-8 yrs
  Dupre uses a quiet but compelling first-person narrative to recount the real-life adventure of her husband and his friend as they travel on a challenging 3,200-mile journey along the coast of Greenland. (BCCB 9/01)
• Flowers, Pam. Alone across the Arctic: One Woman's Epic Journey by Dog Team; by Pam Flowers with Ann Dixon; illus. with photographs by Pam Flowers. Alaska Northwest, 2001. Gr. 5-12
  Dog lovers and wannabe adventurers will relish Flowers’ modern-day account of her exciting journey by dogsled across the North American Arctic coast, following the trail of a 1923 expedition. (BCCB 1/02)
• Johnson, Dolores. Onward: A Photobiography of African-American Explorer Matthew Henson. National Geographic, 2006. Illus. with photographs. Gr. 4-8
  Maps, photos, and a solid historical context illuminate this detailed look at the life and work of Arctic explorer Matthew Henson. (BCCB 5/06)
• Martin, Jacqueline Briggs. The Lamp, the Ice, and the Boat Called Fish: Based on a True Story; illus. by Beth Krommes. Houghton, 2001. Gr. 3-5
  Spare yet lyrical text and intricate watercolor and scratchboard art vividly express this true survival-at-sea story of the Canadian Arctic Expedition of 1913 and their harrowing ordeal among the treacherous ice floes. (BCCB 2/01)
• Norman, Howard, ad. The Girl Who Dreamed Only Geese, and Other Tales of the Far North; illus. by Leo and Diane Dillon. Gulliver/Harcourt, 1997. Gr. 4-7
  Ten Inuit tales, from the humorous to the supernatural, are effectively presented in this thoroughly researched and respectfully adapted collection, which is complemented by the Dillons’ stylistic and otherworldly art. (BCCB 2/98)
• Pattou, Edith. East. Harcourt, 2003. Gr. 7-12
  Five characters (heroine Rose, brother Neddy, their father, the White Bear, and the Troll Queen) take turns spinning out this well-crafted and fantastical retelling of the northern fairy tale “East of the Sun and West of the Moon.” (BCCB 10/03)
• Pinkwater, Daniel. Irving and Muktuk: Two Bad Bears; illus. by Jill Pinkwater. Houghton, 2001. Gr. 2-4
  Irving and Muktuk are two polar bears with a penchant for petty crime, at least where blueberry muffins are involved, in this humorous tale of muffin-theft in the northern town of Yellowtooth. More hijinks ensue in Pinkwater’s subsequent three titles about this pair of muffin-purloining polar bears. (BCCB 11/01)
• Sandler, Martin W. Trapped in Ice!: An Amazing True Whaling Adventure. Scholastic Nonfiction, 2006. Illus. with photographs. Gr. 4-8
  Like Martin (above), Sandler relays a riveting true story of survival at sea in the Arctic; here, a fleet of whaling ships in 1871 is trapped by ice floes which threaten to destroy the ships, and the crews and families aboard must face a perilous evacuation attempt. (BCCB 4/06)
• Steger, Will. Over the Top of the World: Explorer Will Steger’s Trek Across the Arctic; written by Will Steger and Jon Bowermaster. Scholastic, 1997. Illus. with photographs. Gr. 4-8
  If you think you’re cold this winter, try traveling from Russia to Canada via the North Pole by dog-sled and canoe-sled. That’s what Will Steger did, and this diary-like account of his 1994 journey is not only gripping but also highly informative about Arctic adventuring. (BCCB 2/97)
• Taylor, Theodore. Ice Drift. Harcourt, 2005. Gr. 5-8
  Out on a seal-hunting trip in 1868 in the Arctic, Inuit brothers Alika and Sulu are trapped on an ice floe that breaks off and begins to float out to sea. Together with their dog, Jamka, they face sickness, frigid temperatures, polar bears, hopelessness, and the gradual shrinking of their icy transport. (BCCB 2/05)

This page was last updated on December 1, 2006.

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