Balto and the Great Race
Ages 8 and up; Random House; 1999

"Balto's story is one of courage, cooperation and inspiration, and personal sacrifice for the greater good." - The Cleveland Museum of Natural History

The Story: Nome, Alaska, 1925. Balto lives a quiet existence as a sled dog - until tragedy strikes. Dozens of children in the remote town of Nome become sick with diphtheria. Without an antitoxin serum, they will perish-and the closest supply is 650 miles away! No roads exist in the icy wilderness. The only way to get the serum to Nome is by sled. But can the sled dogs deliver the serum in time? Heading bravely into a brutal blizzard, Balto leads the race for life.

Inspiration: "I have loved both dogs and snow since I was a child," says Elizabeth Cody Kimmel. "As a little girl, I lived on a very remote road, and our house was surrounded by woods. When it snowed, I used to venture outside with our dog, my imagination creating an adventure story for us both to live. Balto's story is exactly the kind of tale I might have created - but it is true!"

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