I have just devoured this book in less than an hour
Race to the Frozen North is written by Catherine Johnson for Barrington Stoke
It is a brilliant adventure and tells the remarkable true story of Matthew Henson
The first American to reach the North Pole in 1909
Matthew Henson was an amazing man, a true hero
He spoke many different languages
Had a vast array of different talents and skills
He had a kind heart and an appetite for adventure
He was honest, hardworking and loved to learn new things
He is an inspiration to so many people the world over, young and old
Now, after his death, only after his death
Matthew Henson was born poor and he sadly died poor
Only a handful people knew of his expeditions to The Frozen North
Finally, thirty years after his death, the truth of his life was told
He was reburied in a hero’s grave
Why was he forgotten and ignored for so many years?
The reason was the colour of his skin …
In this brilliant book we learn all about Matthew’s life
How he was beaten as a child, how he ran away from home in fear of his life
How a kind cafe owner took him in and fed him and sheltered him
How throughout his young life he impressed people with his honesty and hard work
How a kindly sea captain took him on his ship as a cabin boy and taught him all that he knew
How his opportunities came to him because of his work ethic, persistence, patience and self belief
Matthew’s strength of character is inspirational, he is an incredible role model for young children to read about
This book is incredibly well written
The descriptions of the settings are poetic and powerful
Which add to the excitement and tension of the action in the story
The relationships between the characters are emotive and again add depth to the story
I love that Barrington Stoke makes excellent writing available for children who struggle with reading T
The emotional impact of the story is not diminished, the vocabulary is still wonderfully rich
And writers do not shy away from complex emotions and difficult situations
As a mother of a dyslexic child who finds reading tiring but has a passion for gripping stories
I am so pleased to have discovered Barrington Stoke books
I wish I had known about them when I was teaching
Race to the Frozen North is a superb story
Powerfully told and yet made accessible for all without compromising on style or content
With themes of adversity, resilience and prejudice
It is a historical novel with much to add to young enquiring minds now
With a striking front cover design by Katie Hickey to draw reluctant readers in
This is a brilliant read and I thoroughly enjoyed it
It has left me in awe of Matthew Henson
What an amazing young man, what an incredible and inspiring role model for young people today
This book has also left me wanting to find more things to read written by Catherine Johnson
So if you can point me in the right direction then please, please do
Thank you x