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 2: The Antarctic --selected by Jeannette Hulick Last month’s Dozen investigated life at the North Pole; this month, we turn southward to explore the other side, where Shackleton and survival loom large. As we enter “the bleak midwinter,” remember that it could be much, much bleaker indeed. Pack your parkas and prepare yourselves for a journey to the bottom of the world.

• Armstrong, Jennifer. Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: The True Story of the Endurance Expedition. Crown, 1998. Illus. with photographs. Gr. 5-9
  Armstrong effectively and dramatically recounts the harrowing experiences of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew after their ship was trapped and crushed by polar ice; photos and ship plans from the actual expedition emphasize the reality of this gripping survival story. (BCCB 2/99)



• Bredeson, Carmen. After the Last Dog Died: The True-Life, Hair-Raising Adventure of Douglas Mawson and His 1911-1914 Antarctic Expedition. National Geographic, 2003. Illus. with photographs. Gr. 4-8
  Bredeson traces the life of Australian explorer Mawson, with emphasis on his 1911-1914 Antarctic expedition, during which he nearly died of illness and starvation. (BCCB 11/03)



• Burleigh, Robert. Black Whiteness: Admiral Byrd Alone in the Antarctic; illus. by Walter Lyon Krudop. Atheneum, 1998 Gr. 2-4
  The isolation and extreme frigidity of the coldest continent are captured in this concise retelling of Byrd’s six months spent alone there in 1934. (BCCB 2/98)



• Cerullo, Mary. Life Under Ice; illus. with photographs by Bill Curtsinger. Tilbury House, 2003. Gr. 4-8
  Discovery Channel and Animal Planet fans will appreciate nature photographer Curtsinger’s sensational photographs in this portrait of the inhabitants below the Antarctic ice. (BCCB 9/03)



• Dewey, Jennifer Owings. Antarctic Journal: Four Months at the Bottom of the World; by Jennifer Owings Dewey; illus. by Jennifer Owings Dewey and with photographs. HarperCollins, 2001. Gr. 4-7
  Armchair explorers will enjoy this personal and contemporary look at the Antarctic, as described through the author’s journal entries, letters, drawings, and photos. (BCCB 2/01)



• Green, Jen. You Wouldn’t Want to Be a Polar Explorer!: An Expedition You’d Rather Not Go On; illus. by David Antram. Watts, 2001 Gr. 3-6
  Green provides another look at Shackleton’s near-disastrous expedition; her “you-are-there,” second-person narration and Antram’s amusing cartoon-like figures will draw reluctant readers and diehard survival story fans alike. (BCCB 2/02)



• Jenkins, Martin. The Emperor's Egg; illus. by Jane Chapman. Candlewick, 1999 5-8 yrs
  Kids who weren’t quite ready for some of the grimmer realities of “March of the Penguins” (and even those who were) will enjoy this entertaining and accessible look at the life of Emperor penguins; parents and teachers will appreciate an informative book that is also a pleasure to read aloud. (BCCB 1/00)



• Loewen, Nancy. Four to the Pole: The American Women’s Expedition to Antarctica, 1992-93; by Nancy Loewen and Ann Bancroft. illus. with photographs. Linnet, 2001. Gr. 5-9
  This modern account of Antarctic travel, led by the first woman to cross the ice to both the North and South poles, will thrill and inspire wannabe-explorers. (BCCB 9/01)



• Markle, Sandra. Super Cool Science: South Pole Stations Past, Present, and Future; illus. with photographs by Sandra Markle and others. Walker, 1998. Gr. 4-7
  Markle describes the challenges of the building and renovation of the Amundsen-Scott Antarctic base at the South Pole used by scientists and researchers. (BCCB 4/98)



• Mastro, Jim. Antarctic Ice; by Jim Mastro and Norbert Wu; illus. with photographs by Norbert Wu. Holt, 2003 Gr. 3-5
  Given Antarctica’s formidable climate, what can live there? Mastro and Wu answer that question in a way that will enchant young readers, as well as those looking for a good nonfiction readaloud. (BCCB 11/03)



• McCaughrean, Geraline. The White Darkness. HarperTempest, 2006. Gr. 7-12
  A fourteen-year-old girl obsessed with the Antarctic travels there with her uncle, only to realize that his obsession with the place is more serious and dangerous than her own. (BCCB 2/07)



• McKernan, Victoria. Shackleton’s Stowaway. Knopf, 2005. Gr. 6-10
  After his application for Shackleton’s 1914 expedition was turned down, eighteen-year-old sailor Perce Blackborrow stowed away on Shackleton’s ship. McKernan fictionalizes his experiences in the form of an imagined journal combined with third-person narration, providing a personal and emotional slant on an oft-told story. (BCCB 2/05)



• Pringle, Lawrence. Antarctica: The Last Unspoiled Continent. Simon, 1992. Gr. 4-8
  Piquant details and an abundance of color photographs punctuate this clear and concise look at the Antarctic continent and some of its scientific phenomena. (BCCB 10/92)

This page was last updated on January 1, 2007.

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