Balto and Togo: Hero Dogs of Alaska
Helen Moss
Godwin Books
Published November 28, 2023

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About Balto and Togo: Hero Dogs of Alaska

It’s the winter of 1924, and a diphtheria outbreak is threatening the population of Nome, Alaska. The only way to stop the deadly illness from causing a full-blown epidemic is to immediately deliver one million units of the diphtheria antitoxin to the affected communities ––a task that seems impossible given that the only way to reach any place in Alaska at this time of year is by dog sled. The stakes are high, and the snow is piling higher. Will the antitoxin make it in time? Or will the infection spread faster than they can treat it…

Follow along as Balto and Togo lead the way in this race against time to get the antitoxin and save lives.

My Review

I thought the writing in this book was really cool. It’s told in narrative nonfiction, which makes it read a lot more like a novel, with scenes in which characters who were real people take action we know from historical records that they took and have conversations that align with the facts about them that we know but are made up.

The story follows the diphtheria outbreak in Nome, Alaska in 1924-1925 and the desperate journey to bring medicine to the town and stop the spread of this terrible illness.

This is the first nonfiction version of events I’ve ever read. I grew up with the cartoon movie called BALTO, which is obviously not a historical account. Though I shouldn’t have been surprised at the huge differences between the real history and the children’s animated movie, there were definitely some moments that I was!

The author also includes a note about writing the book as well as notes on each chapter that specify which elements are historical facts and which are fictionalized. I loved this!

I think both animal lovers and readers who enjoy learning about history will enjoy this book. The chapters and scenes are pretty short, so it’s an easy read. I recommend it– especially as we near the 100th anniversary of the Serum Run.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Some characters are members of indigenous Alaskan tribes. Many characters are dogs, specifically Siberian Huskies or Alaskan Malamutes.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some descriptions of illness and references to children dying from diphtheria. Some descriptions of frostbite and hypothermia. A few descriptions of injuries caused by the cold to dogs. References to the deaths of a few dogs from exposure to the cold as they worked to bring the medicine to Nome.

Drug Content
None.

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