Do you have the grit, the determination and the resilience to survive in the Frozen North?!

Race to the Frozen North: The Matthew Henson Story

Author: Catherine Johnson @catwrote

Illustrator: Katie Hickey @katiehickey195

Published by: Barrington Stoke @BarringtonStoke

Published on: 2018

Price: £7.99

First line: Matthew Henson was the first American to reach the North Pole.

Genre: Biography, adventure.

Age: 8+

ISBN: 978 1 78112 840 4

What’s it all about? Like the first line says, Matthew Henson was the first American man to reach the North Pole. This claim was accepted, after long dispute with Dr Cooke (who claimed to have reach the North Pole the year before) and other scientific members, for about 40 years, before a modern expedition found that some of their calculations weren’t accurate enough and they may have fallen short by about 30 miles. Despite this, his achievement is still groundbreaking and a life well worth reading about. This biographical tale sticks closely to the truth and details Matthew’s hard upbringing as a young boy who ran away from home at the age of 11 or 12 and worked in a restaurant before embarking on a ship that would take him around the world and a captain who took him under his wing and gave him the education that he had missed out on.

Why should I read it? Matthew’s determination and lust for life shines through the whole story and is inspiring in so many ways. Not only did he have to fight against the fact that the nation he lived in at the time would not accept black people for certain roles and opportunities and also that he was dirt poor, but also he achieved so little recognition compared to other explorers at the time that others may have given up, but not Matthew. The story also shows the kindness of certain people can be found all around the world, from Captain Childs, who taught him his letters to Russian sailors, who taught him how to hunt and drive dogs to some Inuit people, who taught him their language and how to survive in the Frozen North. A wonderful story told in bitesize chapter chunks with easy to read paper from Barrington Stoke. It would fit into any Geography lessons, PSHE, History. Children could write diary entries as Matthew travels the world or perhaps write persuasive letters to the president to recognise Matthew’s achievements.