Dog Stories for Older Students
Dogs are said to be “man’s best friend.” Considering the amount of literature and writing devoted to these faithful friends, that may very well be true. This reading set is for older students and includes both fiction and nonfiction.
Naturalist John Muir went to Alaska in 1879 to explore the area. He was joined by Rev. Young who had a small black dog named Stickeen. Stickeen was a quiet, independent, and intelligent dog. Early one morning Muir went to explore a nearby glacier. Stickeen followed him, and together they…
“I’m going to miss you so much, Poppy,” said the tall, gangly teenager. He bent down to hug his old golden retriever farewell. He stood up, hugged his parents, and smiled, trying not to let his emotions get the better of him. His parents were not quite able to keep…
The Yukon Quest is a 1,000-mile dog sled race that takes place every February. The race is run between the cities of Fairbanks, Alaska and Whitehorse in Canada’s Yukon Territory. Sled dogs and their mushers, or drivers, race through extreme weather conditions. They also race over mountains and frozen rivers.…
Peter Pan is the story of three English children, Wendy, John, and Michael Darling. They meet the amazing Peter Pan, a boy who lives in magical Neverland. In this passage, the reader is introduced to Nana, the Darling children’s nurse and nanny, who happens to be a dog. —————————- Mrs.…
Sled dogs were an important part of the Klondike Gold Rush. This historical event took place during the late 1890s in the Yukon Territory of northwestern Canada and later in Alaska. It is often called the “Last Great Gold Rush.” Long before the Gold Rush though, both Native Americans and…
Mournful howls woke me just past midnight. Clenching my eyes tightly shut, I rolled over and willed the eerie lament of loneliness into nonexistence as I drifted back to sleep. My dreams were interrupted by thin warbles rising through the floorboards at 1:30 a.m. and then once more by sharp…
In the winter of 1925, the small city of Nome, Alaska faced a dangerous disease outbreak. The medicine they needed was located hundreds of miles away. Teams of sled dogs and their mushers saved the city by transporting the medicine 674 miles through snow and ice. Their heroic effort is…