The Adventures of Balto: The Untold Story of Alaska's Famous Iditarod Sled Dog

After coming across the Balto cartoon, I wanted to know more about the real story. I'm an adult reader so this was the closest I could get to a book instead of digging through dozens of web sites and piecing together the story. This could be dry reading for a kid used to fast paced adventure and colorful characters (on the level of the first Harry Potter books.) It's the closest thing that can come to an autobiography of a dog who lived a long time ago. There are a lot of places, names, and people to keep up with and it's told in a factual manner that's not too heavily embellished. The author tries to keep things interesting, and it worked for me. For a kid? Maybe or maybe not. That would probably depend on the age and personality of the young reader. For me, this was as close as I could get to what I was looking for. I learned the true story of the famous run to deliver vaccine and what became of the poor dogs afterward. Sadly there were parts of their lives which weren't happy but it was a really interesting read.

The sub-title of this 2006 book is "The Untold Story of Alaska's Famous Iditarod Sled Dog." Thus, the book is more about what became of Balto and the sled dog team that pulled the last of the musher sleds bound for Nome, Alaska through a brutal winter blizzard. The mushers had worked in relays to deliver the precious medicine which saved the lives of adults and many children stricken with diphtheria in the 1925 epidemic. The book is well researched and details the travels of this sled team which had become a grand attraction, traveling into the spotlight of many stages and exhibits, even Hollywood! The story provides quite a history of the team's 8 years after they slipped out of the limelight to new adventures. It is an amazing epic that reveals the courage, determination, and compassion of mankind and dogs that worked together to bring life and peace to both, and a gentle ending for the noble hearts that had long ago powered the gift of life to humans.. The text of the book is written for older readers and adults. I found this 80 page book to be a good read for anyone interested in the Iditarod, dog races, and most importantly, Balto's true saga. If you love non-fiction historic books about adventure, heroes, or dogs, you'll find it all this one.

This paperback book is very well written. Adults and children alike will enjoy the subject matter. It is not written 'down' in a children's manner or 'up' in an adult's manner. The writer states the facts in a fun way about this heroic dog 'Balto'. I (an adult) enjoyed this book so much I even wrote to the author and had her sign my book for me. Ms Chargot was very pleased to know that her book not only reached children but adults also, which was what she meant to do.I originally bought the book because Balto looks so much like my little doggie 'Rex', a black husky, but to my surprize I found an enlightening story, wonderfully told.Thank you again, Ms Chargot, for a joyfully informative, yet delightful, little book.

this was a great book made for kids if you have ever seen the movie got it for a gift it came in fast

Purchased for 14 year old grandson we took to Alaska. He only read three chapters but did scan and learn a lot before going on the sled dog tour.

Good story lots of detail,it tell what happened to the team after The run. and the people in involved in the run.

My daughter and I love these books! Excellent for a 7 y.o reader

It's a rather dry account of Balto's life. I was expecting an entertaining read, also one to pass on to a young boy interested in Balto. This is not a kid's book but more of a factional, encyclopedic account. Disappointed.