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Gr. 4-7. Twelve-year-old Alvin, an African American whose hero is Arctic explorer Matthew Henson, finds his freedom curtailed by his overprotective mother. When she enlists a neighbor to escort him to and from school, he runs away from his D.C. home and heads for the Canadian Arctic--in January. As he makes his way northward by passenger train, boxcar, small plane, dogsled, and finally on foot, many people help him, including Idlouk, an Inuit hermit who takes Alvin into his home. After facing trials that challenge his courage and thinking ability, Alvin leaves for home in the spring with a new sense of freedom and confidence. Some readers will be surprised by the many adult characters who speed the unprepared boy toward his goal and by the fact that the story stops before he reaches home. Idyllic, yes. But the story's authentic feel, strong narrative thrust, and vivid descriptions of Arctic life take readers on a journey they won't soon forget. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Genre: Children's Fiction
Gr. 4-7. Twelve-year-old Alvin, an African American whose hero is Arctic explorer Matthew Henson, finds his freedom curtailed by his overprotective mother. When she enlists a neighbor to escort him to and from school, he runs away from his D.C. home and heads for the Canadian Arctic--in January. As he makes his way northward by passenger train, boxcar, small plane, dogsled, and finally on foot, many people help him, including Idlouk, an Inuit hermit who takes Alvin into his home. After facing trials that challenge his courage and thinking ability, Alvin leaves for home in the spring with a new sense of freedom and confidence. Some readers will be surprised by the many adult characters who speed the unprepared boy toward his goal and by the fact that the story stops before he reaches home. Idyllic, yes. But the story's authentic feel, strong narrative thrust, and vivid descriptions of Arctic life take readers on a journey they won't soon forget. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Genre: Children's Fiction
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