Over the Top of the World
Publication Information
Author:  Steger, Will	Illustrator:
Title:  Over the Top of the World	Date:  1997
Publisher:  Scholastic	City:  New York
ISBN, paperback:  0-590-84860-7	ISBN, hardback:
Recommended audience:
ABE/ABLE:   Yes	ESOL:
Family:	Young Adult:   Yes
Picture:   Yes
General Information:
Book Type(s):    diaries and journals, nonfiction, photographic essay
HSE Descriptor(s):    science| social studies
Summary:
The main text is a diary of explorer Will Steger's expedition (1994) from Russia to Canada by way of the North Pole. Pictures from the expedition accompany the text, and sidebars provide additional information about the Arctic.
Teaching Ideas:
One Reading Group member commented, "This book makes you feel this cold, lonely, barren part of the world. It celebrates the will of man to live in very harsh conditions. It reads like an adventure story. Great writing!" The sidebars and illustrations are as interesting as the main text. Students may want to plot the trip on a globe or map. They will probably also want to consider why people would do such a thing. The many (and many types) of obstacles were also interesting, as was the relationship between the people and the animals. This text would be a good complement to text sets about the continents, the oceans, the Arctic, dog sledding, or explorers. The diary format might serve as a prompt for student writing.
Keywords: select any link below for a list of resources which also have that keyword
Art and Photography > photography Emotions-Personal Issues > emotions > determination/perseverance Geography > environment Science > wilderness Science > biology > zoology > animal behavior Science > physical/earth science Sports/Recreation > travel > journeys/voyages Geography > locations > continents/regions > Arctic History > topic > exploration > explorers

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