Sled Dogs to LEVELED BOOK • H

the Rescue
A Reading A–Z Level H Leveled Book
Word Count: 210
Sled Dogs to
the Rescue
Connections
Writing
Do you think the sled dogs and
their drivers are heroes? Write
a paragraph that explains why
or why not. Use details from the
book in your answer.
Social Studies
Draw the state of Alaska. Label
at least five important landmarks.

K •N
H •

Written by M . Aboff • Illustrated by Jani Orban

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Sled Dogs to Alaska
Words to Know
famous

the Rescue blizzard

driver
medicine
teams
Page 3: The press photographs one of the sled dog teams,
including Balto in the front, for a reenactment of their arrival
in Nome.

Photo Credits:
Page 3: © Alaska Stock/Alaska Stock - Design Pics/SuperStock; pages 4, 5, 10,
14 (bottom): © Bettmann/Getty Images; page 9: © George Rinhart/Corbis
Historical/Getty images; page 13 (top): Design Pics Inc/Alamy Stock Photo;
page 13 (bottom): © AP Images; page 14 (top): courtesy of The Cleveland Press
Collection, Michael Schwartz Library, Cleveland State University; page 15 (top):
© Nylakatara2013/Dreamstime.com; page 15 (bottom): © TopFoto/The Image
Works

Written by M. Aboff
Illustrated by Jani Orban
www.readinga-z.com
Sled Dogs to the Rescue
Focus Question Level H Leveled Book
© Learning A–Z Correlation
Written by M. Aboff LEVEL H
What lessons do the sled dog Illustrated by Jani Orban
Fountas & Pinnell H
teams teach us? All rights reserved. Reading Recovery 13–14
DRA 14
www.readinga-z.com
 Table of Contents
A Terrible Disease . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
The Great Sled Dog Relay . . . . . . 7
The Dogs Deliver . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 The town’s only doctor worked to save lives in this hospital.

After the Race . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 A Terrible Disease

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 In January 1925, a big storm
hit Alaska.
Children in a town in Alaska were
very sick and needed medicine.
Sled Dogs to the Rescue • Level H 3 4
 Sled dog teams had to bring
it the rest of the way.

The package
containing the
medicine for the
children (inset)

The medicine could be brought

part of the way by train.
There were still 674 miles (1,085 km)
to the town.
Sled Dogs to the Rescue • Level H 5 6
 Barrow
B e a u f o r t S e a
Wainwright
Atqasuk
Deadhorse Kaktovik
Nuiqsut 70˚
Point Lay North Slope

Umiat
Tuktoyaktuk
R.
Colville

Point Hope A l a s k a
Anaktuvuk Pass Arctic Village
68˚
Northwest
Northwest Arctic
Kivalina Chandalar nzie R.
Macke

Kiana
Ambler
Bettles
Territories
Kotzebue R.
Kobuk Yukon-Koyukuk pine
Selawik Porcu
Fort Yukon
k R. Beaver
Shishmaref
Deering
Buckland
Alaska
Hughes
Koyuku
Stevens Village
Yu
kon
R.
66˚
Circle
Huslia
Miller House Mack
Wales Brevig Mission enzi
e R.
6
Tanana
n R.
Nome
White Mountain
Nome Koyuk
Nulato
Koyukuk
Ruby
Yuko

3
Fairbanks
Fairbanks North Star Eagle
Elim North Pole
Nome Shaktoolik

Unalakleet
Kaltag
Lake Minchumina
Nenana
Anderson 2
Tanan
a R.
Healy Lake
Boundary Y u k o n 64˚
ll Delta Junction Southeast 5
Savoonga Denali Fairbanks .
art R

R.
Stebbins Cantwell Stew

im
ku
Saint Michael

sko
Tanacross
C a n a d a
2

Ku
McGrath Nikolai Paxson
Kotlik 3
Wade Hampton Anvik Shageluk 4
Sheldon Point Chelatna Lodge
Yu
kon
Curry
Matanuska-Susitna 1 R.
Holy Cross
Saint Mary's Mendeltna Copperville
Scammon Bay 1 Valdez-Cordova 62˚
Yukon
R. Wasilla Palmer
Chevak Stony River
Hooper Bay Upper Kalskag Chuathbaluk McCarthy
Lime Village Anchorage Valdez 4
R.

Bethel Anchorage
im

Akiak
ku

Nunapitchuk
sko

Whitehorse
Ku

Toksook Bay Bethel Kashegelok Kenai Whittier Cordova

Mekoryuk Soldotna 9
Chefornak Eek Dillingham Teslin L.
Kenai Peninsula
Nondalton Seward Skagway- 60˚
1 Cape Yakutat
Quinhagak Hoonah-Angoon
Yakataga
New Stuyahok Homer Skagway
Aleknagik Iliamna L. Yakutat Haines
Togiak Dillingham Haines
Platinum
British
Bristol Skagway-
Naknek Bay Hoonah-Angoon Juneau
Lake and Peninsula Juneau
Egegik
Becharof L. Hoonah Columbia
Port Lions 58˚
Kodiak Pelican Skagway-Hoonah
Pilot Point
Kodiak G u l f o f A l a s k a -Angoon
Angoon
Island Sitka

Saint Paul Port Heiden Old Harbor Kake

Akhiok Sitka Petersburg
Wrangell-
Saint George Bear
Chignik GULF OF Petersburg Wrangell
Lake
Nelson Lagoon Port Alexander Coffman Cove
56˚
ALASKA Thorne Bay Ketchikan
Gateway
Sand Point Craig
sledColddog
Bay
route
King Cove
Hydaburg
Ketchikan
Prince of Wales-

railroad Aleutians East

Outer Ketchikan

Prince Rupert
Akutan
Unalaska 54˚

The teams raced from the last train stop in Nenana to the town
Chernofski

Nikolski called Nome, where the sick children lived.

52˚

The Great Sled Dog Relay The medicine was passed

P a c i f i c O c e a n

The medicine came by train from team to team. 50˚

2˚ 170˚ 168˚ and was given to the first team.

166˚ 164˚ 162˚ 160˚ 158˚ 156˚ 154˚ 152˚ 150˚ 148˚ 146˚ 144˚ 142˚ It often had to be warmed
140˚ 138˚ 136˚ 134˚ 132˚ 130˚ 128˚ 126˚

A l a s k a
State Capitals
Cities 100,000-499,999
The race was on. International Boundaries
Province Boundaries
State Highways Major Rivers
Intermediate Rivers
by the fire.
Cities 10,000-49,999 Lakes
Cities 0-9,999

Sled Dogs to the Rescue • Level H

0 50 Miles 100 Miles 200 Miles
7 8
0 50 KM 100 KM 200 KM
One driver and his lead dog,
Togo, raced for more miles
than any other team.

Balto and his driver

The Dogs Deliver

Another driver and his lead dog,
Togo and his driver
Balto, raced in a blizzard.
Sled Dogs to the Rescue • Level H 9 10
At one point, the wind blew When the last team was not ready
them over. to leave, Balto’s team went on
The driver had to dig the medicine instead.
out of the snow. Five and a half days after the race
began, they made it to the town.

Sled Dogs to the Rescue • Level H 11 12

 Balto’s team lived the rest
of their lives in a zoo.
Balto was the most famous
of the sled dogs.

Togo’s team
(top) and Balto’s
team (bottom)
pose with their
drivers. They all
became famous
after the race.

Balto and his

team pull children
at the zoo (top).
Balto poses for
After the Race the artist who
built a statue
After the race, Togo’s team of him (right).

went all over the United States.

Balto’s team did, too.
Sled Dogs to the Rescue • Level H 13 14
 Glossary
Alaska a U.S. state in the extreme
(n.) northwest corner of North
America (capital: Juneau) (p. 4)

blizzard a severe snowstorm with cold

(n.) temperatures, heavy snows,
and strong, steady winds (p.
10)

driver a person who controls and

(n.) directs a vehicle or other form
of transportation (p. 9)

famous well known (p. 14)

Balto’s statue honors all (adj.)
of the sled dogs that
raced to the town (main).
Balto and his driver visit
the new statue (inset).
medicine a drug or remedy used for
(n.) treating an illness or condition
However, the other dogs (p. 4)

also helped save the sick children teams (n.) groups of animals harnessed
when there was little hope. together to pull vehicles (p. 6)

Sled Dogs to the Rescue • Level H 15 16