This is an outstanding narrative for reading aloud to second graders studying Alaska, birds, or migration. It's inspiring, well-written, and full of powerful vocabulary. Lovely, realistic watercolor illustrations.

This is an excellent lower and upper elementary informational picture book. Rich language is combined with double-page realistic oil paintings as the story of a year in the life of an Alaskan river is told. The river is shown to be a constantly changing home and source of food to many ecologically connected living things.

Debbie Miller did a great deal of research before writing this book, so though it is written for children, it is a great account for all to read. I would highly recommend it to readers of all ages who are interested in dog teams and their important role in Alaska. This is the best and most acurate telling of the story of the serum run to Nome in 1925 which I have ever seen. It is a children's book in that it explains what happened from the viewpoint of children. Beyond the story, there are facts presented in the back of the book. Jon Van Zyle is a popular artist, but I did not feel that his oil paintings for this book were all that great.

Debbie Miller's masterful retelling of the Serum Run, which saved the children of Nome, Alaska from a deadly diphtheria epidemic in 1925, goes well beyond the facts of this heroic team effort. The Great Serum Run: Blazing the Iditarod Trail includes well-researched factual information, reference tables, maps, and photographs. Miller's narrative comes alive as she skillfully interweaves many little known fascinating details of how the mushers and their dog sled teams endured their individual treks from Nenana to Nome in such deadly weather conditions. The story behind this famous dog sled team relay was inspiration for the world famous "Last Great Race," the Iditarod. Jon Van Zyle, the official Iditarod artist, complements Miller's text with vivid, captivating illustrations. Readers of this book will gain a sense of the unbelievable accomplishment of these dog sled teams. People of all ages will treasure this book. The Great Serum Run: Blazing the Iditarod Trail should be included as a first resource for teachers interested in providing thought provoking discussions about the Iditarod, teamwork, and man's interaction and dependence on animals.

About the Reviewer: Ann Morgan has taught lessons about the Iditarod in grades 2- 6 for the last 18 years, and is currently teaching at Chatham Middle School, Chatham, Massachusetts. In 2000, she was in Alaska at the Iditarod and acquired first hand knowledge of the race by following the mushers and dog sled teams with her own bush pilot from Anchorage to Nome.

Beautiful visuals and a lucid, entertaining account of an amazing ecosystem make this a perfect gift for curious young minds.

The book jacket states the book is a passionate and vivid account of her trips into the ANWR, and it certainly is that. Having been in many of the same places, and even flown with some of the same people, I can make an immediate connection with her book. This book is a first person account, not a naturalist documentation. Some of her trials and tribulations make for very interesting reading, and makes one glad sometimes that they did not have to trek in some of the places. Her account of some of her hiking in the rugged Romanzof mountains sent chills up my spine. A weakness perhaps is after almost each description, she states what is at risk by allowing drilling. Sometimes that gets in the way of the journey. However, the last section of the book outlines the history of the preservation attempts, and the very real dangers of oil development to such an unspoiled wilderness. This book is a personal account and not a detail as to the intricate inter-relationships among the flora and fauna, and it was not meant to be. I enjoyed the book for what it is, and that is a personal story. I wished she had described in a bit more detail her time in the arctic when the colors started to appear as fall approached. Having been along the Jago River in the 1002 lands at the height of the fall colors, it is something that cannot be imagined in advance. One can never believe such a landscape of apparent green can take on so many colors. A perfect companion book to this would be that of E. C. Pielou, A Naturalists Guide to the Arctic. With Pielou's book, one can gain a fuller understanding of the tricks of light in the arctic, and the interdependency of the animals with the plantlife. Oil company executives will not like this book. Most others will enjoy reading her accounts.

I love Debbie Miller's book Midnight Wilderness about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Her journal writings, with detailed land references, eloquently paint a portrait of this pristine area and how unique and beautiful this remote land is. I enjoyed reading about all the animals and birds that live and migrate there every year, and about the people who depend on this area. This book educates us on the oil development controversy and why it is vital we continue to fight in protecting this special land for now and future generations. This book is truly the ultimate reference book for the Arctic Refuge and I highly recommend it to all.

Debbie Miller draws from her journal and from her heart as she recounts her explorations of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the last great wilderness area left in the United States. Few people have actually stepped foot on this northeast corner of Alaska, but by reading the words of Miller, one can be transported to this rare and magical place. The book, written primarily during the 1980s and updated in the current edition, is informative and inspiring. She effectively intersperses relevant historical and scientific facts with her own personal observations and love for the region.