Survival Tails: Endurance in Antarctica (Vol. 2)
Katrina Charman, Author
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Historical Fiction, Dec. 11, 2018
Pages: 272
Suitable for Ages: 8-12
Themes: Sled Dogs, Antarctica, Perilous Voyage, Survival, The Endurance, History
Synopsis:
Sled dog Samson can’t wait to be part of Ernest Shackleton’s historic voyage to Antarctica in 1914. Samson wants to feel the snow under his paws and the wind on his face as he races across the ice fields. Most of all he wants to help his humans chart the unexplored continent. Fellow sled dog Bummer just wants to get through the voyage in one piece. Why face down a dangerous, icy wasteland when he could stay inside his kennel, warm and safe?
When their ship, the Endurance, becomes trapped in sea ice, the dogs and men have no way home. Their journey becomes not about glory, but about survival in unthinkable conditions. Samson, Bummer and the other dogs will have to put aside their differences and band together to rescue their humans — and themselves.
Why I like this book:
What an impressive way to engage teens in history than to hand them a suspenseful, action-packed animal adventure about the infamous Endurance expedition to Antarctica. Katrina Charman well-crafted novel weaves animal fantasy with a true tale about survival in brutal conditions. Her novel is daring, thrilling and dangerous. The dogs face cracking ice, the loss of their ship, leopard seals, killer whales, starvation, and a drifting ice floe that carries them away from land. Survive they must. This epic tale is packed with grit, courage, determination, teamwork, friendship and humor.
A handful of black and white drawings add significantly to the vivid and urgent survival setting. They show the sled dogs working as a team to save lives, the treacherous conditions, the ship being crushed by ice, whales following the life rafts, and the rescue.
The narrative is told in third person from the dogs point of view, with Samson and Amundsen competing for lead dog. Readers will like Samson because he’s wise, steady, loyal and tough. He compassionately encourages other dogs, like Bummer, to find their strengths. Amundsen is the bold Alpha dog who challenges Samson and is mean. But the high-stakes of surviving their desperate situation outweigh their differences. There are lighter moments with Sally and her four playful puppies, and the ship’s feline, Mrs. Chippy.
Katrina Charman provides very detailed information at the end of the story about the real journey, with a time-line that matches each chapter and offers real-life information. There is a section with information about the 64 dogs selected for the expedition and their names and detailed information about the expedition, the crew of 26 men and their positions, including Frank Hurley, the official photographer and George Marston, an artist who captured the expedition through his paintings.
Katrina Charman lives in a small village in the middle of South East England with her husband and three daughters. Katrina has wanted to be a children’s writer ever since she was eleven, when her school teacher set her class the task of writing an epilogue to Roald Dahl’s Matilda. Her teacher thought her writing was good enough to send to Roald Dahl himself. Sadly, she never got a reply, but the experience ignited her love of reading and writing. She is the author of the Survival Tails: The Titanic, the first volume in the series. Survival Tails: World War II, will be released in August 2019. She invites you to visit her website.
Greg Pattridge hosts Marvelous Middle Grade Monday posts on his wonderful Always in the Middle website. Check out the link to see all of the wonderful reviews by KidLit bloggers and authors.
*Reviewed from library copy.
Children's Books Heal 
I would love this story even as an adult. Like The Winter Pony, the story of the race to the south pole told from a horse’s point of view, this book will enlighten and entertain. The animals in these expeditions played an important role.
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Thank you for introducing me to The Winter Pony. Will have to check it out. I really enjoyed this read. Look forward to her other canine stories about historic events.
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Here is a link. My review is there too. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10473134-the-winter-pony
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Thank you! I really enjoyed your review. It sounds like a fascinating read!!
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Sounds like a fun read.
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Great way to learn about a true expedition. The dogs POV really will appeal to kids.
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After reading Tod Olson’s Lost in the Antarctic, I will have to get a copy of this one. The journey this crew took is worth hearing about in more than one book. Katrina has a great series for kids and adults. Looking forward to her volume on WWII. Thanks for a superb post.
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I thought you’d be interested in a twist on this well-known story. I’m going to have to read the book you shared.
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These doggies sound super brave and courageous. Plus strong! I have to wear a sweater under my jacket when it snows, and I STILL shiver. In case the snow touches my belly, I want Mom to pick me up. I think I’ll leave Antarctica to Samson and Bummer.
Love and licks,
Cupcake
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Yes, but your mom might enjoy hearing about these brave dogs! It does have some humor in it.
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Sounds like a great mix of true story and fantasy. Feels like a timely book to feature with the winter storm and bitter cold we’re experiencing here.
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Exactly. A story that would introduce teens to this expedition in a fun way and teach them some history.
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Hmmmm. From the dog’s point of view? I might have trouble with that. But the Shackleton story is a fascinating one. I’m sure this will do well. Thanks for your review.
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Yes, but teens will love it and learn some history at the same time. I look forward to checking out her other Survival Tails stories about true event. She has a new book coming out soon about WWII.
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It’s interesting to write a story from a dog’s point of view. I’d have to read it to see if I liked it or not. When I was a teenager, I read a story about the race to Antarctica. I think it might have been called ‘Scott of the Antarctic’ but I can’t be sure. It was such a tragic story but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
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I couldn’t put this book down once I started. The dogs POV took away some of the somberness of this dangerous expedition.
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That’s an interesting reflection on point of view, Patricia.
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Great idea to tell the story from a canine point of view. This is so appealing to this tween audience. It reminds me a little of Kate Messner’s A ranger in Time series.
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Yes, it does. And she has a series of Survival Tails told from the canine POV — the Titanic and a new one coming out about WWII.
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